The Cardboard Bernini examines the work and life of artist James Grashow over four years as he builds a giant cardboard fountain inspired by the work of the baroque sculptor Bernini.James Grashow is an artist who has made 15-foot tall fighting men, a city, and an ocean--using paper mache and cardboard. More recently, he has begun making sculptures entirely out of corrugated cardboard and twist ties.Several years ago,Grashow stumbled across his paper mache men disintegrating outside. Although it was painful for Jimmy to see his work like that, it was also surprisingly beautiful. Feeling that he hadn’t been honest with himself about the full arc of his process, he challenged himself to own the “back end” by building something magnificent that he would install outside to disintegrate. He decided to build a giant cardboard “fountain”--a Grashow “Bernini.” Work on the fountain began in 2007, and was completed in 2010. We follow Jimmy as he asks what is the point of art and creation? And, ultimately, how do we find meaning in our lives when we are faced with mortality?
