I Never Tell Anybody Anything: The Life and Art of Edward Burra (2011)
Music Supervision
Edward Burra (1905-76) was one of the most elusive British artists of
the 20th century. Long underrated, his reputation has been suddenly
rehabilitated, with the first major retrospective of his work for 25
years taking place in 2011 and record-breaking prices being paid for his
work at auction. In this film, the first serious documentary about
Edward Burra made for television, leading art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon
tells the remarkable story of his life. It follows Burra from his
native town of Rye to the jazz clubs of prohibition-era New York, to the
war-torn landscapes of the Spanish Civil War and back to England during
the Blitz. It shows how Burra's increasingly disturbing and surreal
work deepened and matured as he experienced at first hand some of the
most tragic events of the century. Through letters and interviews with
those who knew him, it paints an entertaining portrait of a true English
eccentric.