Pieces of Isaac

On April 23, 2006, renowned abstract sculptor, Isaac Witkin died. His once public career had wound down and his major personal relationship had ended the year prior to his death. The day after Isaac’s journey ended, his daughter, Tamar’s began. “Pieces of Isaac” is the story of a woman’s struggle to weld together the scattered pieces of her father, to form a three-dimensional portrait of the artist, the husband, the father; to look directly into both the bright and dark sides of genius. Her goal is to make peace with the whole man, to put closure on his sudden loss; to deepen her sense of compassion for him and his life, and thus to become whole herself. It is the tale of a gifted and visionary artist—whose talent and determination brought him to a pinnacle in the art world, but whose unflinching independence compromised his career and created schisms in his family whose ramifications are still being felt today. The film pushes beyond the myths created by Witkin’s admirers, to reclaim the complete person. Using Witkin’s own words and reflections on his sculpture, footage of the artist at work, as well as interviews with figures in the art world, family, friends, ex-girlfriends, collectors, and critics, “Pieces of Isaac” brings fresh insights into artistic talent on both the personal and universal levels, how it touches the world, and how it affects those closest to it.