American Masters

History Series / 16 Seasons

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

1h 42m / TV-14

Rosie Perez: Roles for Women of Color, Over 40

1m 4s / TV-14

Rosie Perez is an Oscar-nominated actress who starred in such films as White Men Can’t Jump, Fearless and Do the Right Thing. Perez started her performance career as a dancer and went on to choreograph music videos and the television series In Living Color. Brooklyn-born and of Puerto Rican heritage, Perez is also an activist who raises awareness for many causes.

Laurie Anderson: On Identity and Her God Complex

1m 28s / TV-PG

"I am a New Yorker one, I’m an artist two, I’m a woman three,” says Laurie Anderson in this excerpt from The Women's List. The artist best known for her pioneering electronic music admits she has a “God complex.” “I like to make things that were not there. And then I put them there. I’m just a control freak, an average American control freak." The film features Anderson and 14 other women.

The Women's List - Trailer

1m 37s / TV-PG

Meet 15 women who define contemporary American culture in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ new “List” film featuring Madeleine Albright, Margaret Cho, Edie Falco, Betsey Johnson, Alicia Keys, Nancy Pelosi, Rosie Perez, Wendy Williams and more. All trailblazers in their fields, these women share their experiences struggling against discrimination and overcoming challenges to make their voices heard.

Fashion Designer Betsey Johnson on Inspiration and Deadlines

1m 18s / TV-14

Betsey Johnson is an award-winning fashion designer known for her whimsical and feminine designs. She began her career in New York City in the 60s and was part of Andy Warhol’s underground scene. In 2012, Johnson celebrated 40 years of her namesake brand. In an outtake from The Women's List, she talks about the pressure of fashion shows and deadlines, and the importance of inspiration.

Comedian Margaret Cho on Her Parents

2m 18s / TV-14

In an outtake from The Women's List, Margaret Cho speaks about her parents' openness to the gay community and to Cho's bisexuality, and about their distinct accents. Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author and singer-songwriter. She is best known for her stand-up routines that address social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality.

Filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders: The Women's List

3m 53s / TV-14

Photographer-filmmaker Timothy Greenfield Sanders uses a large format Deardorff camera and shoots just six to eight frames for his portraits. For the women in The Women's List, he has created 15 portraits that are distinct, but also flow together. The portrait sitting and filmed interviews take place in his studio, which is also his home, allowing for a warmer atmosphere in which to relax.

Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer's Journey - Preview

3m 7s / TV-PG

An exclusive interview with Mexican-American photographer Pedro E. Guerrero explores his life and work. He collaborated with iconic American artists of the 20th century -- architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson -- and became one of the most sought-after photographers of the “Mad Men” era. A co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting's VOCES series.

Photography Work in the Mad Men Era - Pedro E. Guerrero

1m 58s

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero talks about his magazine assignments in the 1950s and 60s. When he first came to New York in the late 1940s, his portfolio was nearly exclusively photos of impressive Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. He worked for many magazines including for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Good Housekeeping. He also photographed Julia Child's show kitchen.

Pedro E. Guerrero's Photographs of a Connecticut Church

1m 20s

Pedro E. Guerrero lived for many years in Connecticut, where he photographed modern homes and interiors for magazine assignments. In this outtake, see photographs documenting The United Church of Rowayton in Rowayton, CT, designed by Joseph Salerno, who won the American Institute of Architects’ highest award in 1963. Also seen is Guerrero's photo of the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan.

Filmmaker Interview on Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero

5m 30s

Raymond Telles and Yvan Iturriaga are co-directors and co-producers of American Masters — Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey. The filmmakers conducted an original interview with Guerrero in 2010 and used that as "the spine for telling his story," says Telles. Although they filmed on the same locations where Guerrero worked, they decided to use less footage and more of his photos.

Pedro E. Guerrero Photo Campaign

30s

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero collaborated with three iconic American artists of the 20th century — architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson. Share your photos of architecture, design, sculpture and artists at work and tag them #PedroPBS on Instagram. Our favorites will be featured on the American Masters site starting in September.

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero, Master of Interior Lighting

2m 25s

Pedro E. Guerrero rose above challenges to make his interior lighting look natural, which architect Frank Lloyd Wright valued highly and is why Guerrero shot so many of Wright's buildings across the country. "Pedro E. Guerrero was an expert with a flashbulb. He said that he could make those flashbulbs dance," says an interviewee in Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer's Journey.

Pedro E. Guerrero's Frank Lloyd Wright Photographs

2m 26s

Pedro E. Guerrero began his career by photographing Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ, skillfully capturing texture and depth in a two-dimensional medium. Architectural photographer Norman McGrath and an animation help explain Guerrero's use of a large format 4x5 camera. In an original interview, Guerrero also comments on one of his favorite Taliesin West photos.

Pedro E. Guerrero's Photographs Help Architect See a Problem

1m 20s

In 1952 Frank Lloyd Wright built a spiraling cement-block house in Phoenix, AZ, for his son, David. When it was complete, Pedro E. Guerrero photographed the interior and exterior. Wright was troubled by the constant circulating that he saw in the photos, but hadn't seen on the drawing board. The architect came up with a solution. The story is told by Guerrero, who worked with Wright for years.

Alexander Calder: Works Photographed by Pedro E. Guerrero

2m 19s

Photographs of Alexander Calder's mobile and stabile sculptures in open landscapes, at Lincoln Center in New York City, and in Spoleto, Italy, show how Pedro E. Guerrero captured the art works' relationship to space, to the workers who created them, and to the public that observed them. Guerrero and Professor Joan Marter, who knew both Calder and Guerrero, provide commentary on Calder and photos.

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero and Sculptor Louise Nevelson

2m 33s

Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero describes the working style and art works of New York City sculptor Louise Nevelson, with whom he collaborated. Her black-on-black works were particularly challenging to photograph. He photographed her and her art works in her apartment, work studios, and on public installation sites and in museums.

Althea - Preview

2m 24s

This is the story of Althea Gibson (1927-2003), a truant from the rough streets of Harlem, who emerged as the unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s. She was the first African American to play and win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor of the U.S. Open) — a decade before Arthur Ashe. Interviewees include Wimbledon champion Dick Savitt and Billie Jean King.

Althea Gibson at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills

1m 49s

Althea Gibson is seen in home movies at the esteemed West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, a mecca of tennis and national championships. The footage was taken by Bob Davis, her practice partner, who recalls how the setting was both alien and marvelous to them. Nick Bollettieri, Hall of Fame Tennis Coach, also comments on the elite nature of the club.

Althea: Race in the Sport of Tennis

1m 21s

Althea Gibson was one of the country's best tennis players at a time when, because of her race, she wouldn't be granted membership to most tennis clubs. Though race concerned the tennis world, it didn't concern Gibson as much. According to Arvelia Myers, Althea Gibson’s friend and tennis professional, and tennis champion Billie Jean King, Gibson just wanted to the right to play and compete.

Filmmaker Interview with Rex Miller: Making "Althea"

2m 45s

A photograph of his mother standing next to Althea Gibson, and his mother's pride at having played once against the tennis champion, are the origins of Rex Miller's interest in Gibson. Gibson's tennis achievements initially drew Miller to tell her story, but he was also intrigued by her other accomplishments, including recording a jazz album, earning a college degree, acting in a John Ford film.

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