Eva Hesse is a documentary about an contemporary artist of the 1950s and 1960s, and made a big impression in the community. Her story is told historically, and the film is full of interviews and archival footage of her, her friends, and her sister. There is as much to tell about her art as there was to tell about her life and lifestyle, which had a big impact on what she did.

Eva and her family fled Germany in the late 1930s, before World War II broke out. Eva started as a painter, but her circumstances changed, and she evolved. She started in NYC, and then spent some time living in Germany after her husband, Tom Doyle, was commissioned to create sculpture there. She spent some of her time learning about European art, and combined it with her existing knowledge and skill into something new and interesting.

I am, by far, one of the least qualified people to discuss her art in any specific terms, however, this documentary provides the background that explains, and in some cases, demonstrates, the processes that she used when creating it. On that level, I found it fascinating. I don’t necessarily understand it, but I can appreciate the paths she took when creating her art.

I think that people who aren’t interested in the art world won’t appreciate the film entirely, but, for me, this documentary was a good look at it through an outsider’s eyes.