Jack Wise: Language of the Brush (1998)

In this intriguing film, Jack Wise speaks very privately about his artistic process —'losing oneself in the language of the brush'— and what it means to be an artist. While at work in his studio, Wise talks about calligraphy being his freedom and the mandala his discipline. As he reveals his spiritual journey into Eastern religions and the importance of the mandala, we see the circle become a dominant motif in his art, and discern the influence of Chinese and Tibetan art on his own landscape-based work. Director David Rimmer's experimental voice asserts itself sensitively. Pace and imagery —water droplets, leaf and tree forms, a door which opens— sublimely convey the mystery and pulse of the artist's paintings, process, and perceptions.