''Harry ClarkeDarkness in Light ''is a documentary film originally released in 2003 (Irish-language version titled Harry Clarke - Dorchadas i Solas).
Synopsis
Filmmaker
John J Doherty traces the life and work of the
Irish artist, book illustrator and
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
artist
Harry Clarke
Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.
His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau and ...
(1889–1931) with major contributions from his biographer
Nicola Gordon Bowe as well as many stained glass artists, poets and historians. The film takes the artist's work in
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
, which was mainly religious an ethereal, and in
book illustration
The illustration of manuscript books was well established in ancient times, and the tradition of the illuminated manuscript thrived in the West until the invention of printing. Other parts of the world had comparable traditions, such as the Persi ...
, which was mainly dark and fantastical, as the basis for its title and tells a story of talent, struggle, success and the
censorship of his final masterpiece 'the Geneva Window'.
Harry Clarke
Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.
His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau and ...
brought his expertise in working in fine decorative detail in glass to his book illustrations, most notably in the tales of
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales.
Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...
and
Edgar Allan Poe where he is compared to
Aubrey Beardsley and which are featured in the film and paralleled with
German Expressionist cinema of the time. The film was made in conjunction with the
Irish Film Board and national broadcaster
TG4
TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
TG4 was formerly known a ...
.
Awards
This film won the Best Arts Documentary award at the 2004 Celtic International Film Festival.
This film won the Best Documentary award at the 200
Worldwide International Fantasy Film Festival - Toronto
Sources
* Nicola Gordon Bowe. 1994. ''The Life and Work of Harry Clarke'' (Irish Academic Press)
''TG4'' awards 2004''Celtic Media Festival'' awards 1980–2010
External links
''Harry Clarke - Darkness In Light'' official site
2003 films
Irish documentary films
Documentary films about visual artists
History of glass
Edgar Allan Poe
Films set in the 1920s
Films shot in Florida
Irish-language films
Arts and Crafts movement
2003 documentary films
2000s English-language films
English-language documentary films
{{Ireland-film-stub