ART DOCUMENTARY: Sid Burnard Reliever of Wreck
ART DOCUMENTARY: Sid Burnard Reliever of Wreck
"Everything I make has a story." — Sid Burnard Meet Sid Burnard — beachcomber, wanderer, storyteller and artist. At 78 years old, this film captures the man, his work and his remarkable life in his own words. Sid's creations are made entirely from what he finds — driftwood, pebbles, the end of a hoover, a chip from a plate of egg and chips, a piece of plastic washed up from Sweden. Where others see rubbish, Sid sees birds, beasts, boats and mythical creatures bursting with wit, emotion and life.
The latest documentary film I’ve made with Jay Goldmark and Finley Kilmartin of Goldmark Films tells the story of the incredible artist Sid Burnard.
Born into a Romani-Jewish family, Sid grew up constantly on the move — 20 homes, 50 jobs, a stint at the BBC, living next door to Spike Milligan and bumping into Bobby Kennedy and Richard Nixon while working at the American Embassy. Through it all, he kept wandering, kept looking, kept finding. His grandmother taught him to always look for a little piece of pencil on the beach. He still does. Sid's work caught the eye of collector Jon Catleugh — a man who had painted sets for Picasso, exhibited alongside Eduardo Paolozzi and Victor Pasmore. This is a film about found things — objects, stories, friendships and a life lived with curiosity, humour and wonder. Sid Burnard was born in Brighton in 1948. Introduced to the art of beachcombing by his Romany grandmother, Sid learnt to appreciate the beauty of nature from an early age. His time at Bristol Guild of Applied Arts gave him a profound understanding of visual arts and crafts and allowed him to put his personal vision into practice.
“There is something irresistible in the way Sid turns random detritus into objects of movement, elegance and wit.”
Goldmark Films is the Pro Moviemaker Filmmaker of the Year and four-times Royal Television Society Award nominated independent film making arm of the world-renowned Goldmark Gallery. It has been producing broadcast arts documentaries for over 20 years and has made 24 feature length documentaries and 100 plus shorts. Goldmark's global reputation allows it to gain intimate and revealing interviews with some of the world's leading artists, ceramicists, writers and critics. Its films on contemporary artists are complemented by a stable of programmes unveiling the fascinating life stories of both the famous and the forgotten painters, potters and sculptors of the 20th century. https://www.goldmarkart.com
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