This World is Not My Own
@ Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
756 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Opening Saturday, July 15th, from 5PM - 7PM
Beginning with her birthday, July 4, 1900, artist Nellie Mae Rowe’s life spanned the 20th century. For most of her life, Rowe made art in obscurity, propelled by a force she viewed as a God-given gift. As the daughter of a sharecropper and former slave, she made art from whatever she could find. As an adult, she transformed her home into her “Playhouse,” an imaginative oasis filled with vibrant drawings, handmade sculptures and dolls, and collected objects. Six years before her death, a wealthy gallerist, Judith Alexander, “discovered” and introduced her work to the art world.
Over four acts and an interlude, This World is Not My Own traces the lifespan of an artist who struggled to dedicate her life to art while exploring the personal and political events that shaped her singular body of work. The film mixes traditional documentary techniques with animations and scripted scenes shot in intricately detailed sets to bring her dynamic story to life.
Opendox created film sets that reimagine Rowe’s “Playhouse” and partnered with Kaktus Film to design and animate 3D characters in Rowe’s and her gallerist’s likenesses. Actresses Uzo Aduba and Amy Warren perform scripted scenes based on Nellie Mae Rowe quotes. Their recorded voices and movements make the animated Rowe and Alexander come to life.
This World is Not My Own tells the story of a woman who was born an artist but had to overcome many obstacles to dedicate herself to her art. Ultimately, Rowe builds the world she wants to live in. She invites Alexander to join her and for us to consider what they left behind.
The film screening will take place in the performance space at Intuit and conclude with a Q&A with Petter Ringbom, who co-directed This World is Not My Own with Marquise Stillwell as Opendox, and Cathi Perry and Cheryl Mashack, Rowe’s great nieces.
Please contact Lindsey Wurz at lindsey@art.org with questions related to accessibility accommodations.
Reserve tickets
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/662528188647
Tickets
General: $15
Members: $10 – please contact Lindsey Wurz at lindsey@art.org to receive the member discount code.
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Tags: Amy Warren, Cathi Perry, Cheryl Mashack, Chicago, Film screening: “This World is Not My Own”, Intuit, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Judith Alexander, Kaktus Film, Lindsey Wurz, Marquise Stillwell, Nellie Mae Rowe, Opendox, Petter Ringbom, This World is Not My Own, Uzo Aduba, West Town
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