Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History
Film Production & Exhibition
2016
- Artist
- Isaac Mizrahi
- Venue
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Dates
- March 18 – August 7, 2016
- Role
- Director & Producer
PRODUCTION
A three-channel film and video installation for Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History at the Jewish Museum, New York. Working directly with Mizrahi, Matthew Shattuck directed and produced a 16-minute non-linear cinematic collage, narrated by Mizrahi and built entirely from archival material: runway shows, news footage, interviews, commercials, film, television, theater, and the visual influences that shaped his creative process. The installation was the final room of the exhibition.
THE EXHIBITION
Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History was organized by Chee Pearlman, Guest Curator, with Kelly Taxter, Assistant Curator, the Jewish Museum. The exhibition was designed by Galia Solomonoff and Talene Montgomery of SAS/Solomonoff Architecture Studio.
Mizrahi’s creativity is highly cinematic. For inspiration he draws on endless references from film and television, as well as other pop and high-culture sources. The many facets of his world are seen in this montage, a potpourri of clips from his runway shows, held between 1989 and 2010 in New York City, and other images. Glimpsed here are his brief scene in the film Fame; passages from the documentary Unzipped; archival footage from his television programs The Isaac Mizrahi Show and Isaac Mizrahi Live!; his work on Project Runway All Stars; his theater cabaret LES MIZrahi; and his numerous film and television cameos and interviews. Along the way, the iconic models Veronica Webb, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Shalom Harlow, Iman, and Karlie Kloss all make appearances.
Intermingled with these scenes are classic moments from a few of the many film and television figures who have inspired him: Marcello Mastroianni in La Dolce Vita, The Lone Ranger, Woody Allen, Fred Astaire dancing with Eleanor Powell, and more. The great Hollywood divas are especially important to him: Bette Davis in All This and Heaven Too, Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy, Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes, Jean Harlow in Dinner at Eight, Mary Tyler Moore, and Natalie Portman.
CREDITS
Executive Producer: Chee Pearlman
Editor: Curtis Tamm
Archival: Amy Khoshbin
PRESS
“A hectic 16-minute, three-screen video that’s like an extended trailer for a Fellini-esque movie.”
The New York Times, March 17, 2016
“The exhibition concludes in a room where visitors can watch a video collage of Mr. Mizrahi’s life.”
The Wall Street Journal, April 18, 2016