The Barbara Lee Family Foundation supported the documentary Tracing the Rope: Eva Hesse Life + Work. The film traces the life of Eva Hesse, one of the few women recognized as central to the 1960’s New York art scene. A German-born American artist, Eva Hesse had over 20 group shows scheduled for 1970 in addition to being chosen for a cover article in ArtForum Magazine. After her early death in 1970, Hesse’s works have been recognized through multiple posthumous retrospectives at the Guggenheim, Yale University Art Gallery, SFMoMA and Museum Wiesbaden. Her work is held by many important museum collections including the Whitney, MoMA, the Hirschhorn, the Pompidou in Paris and London’s Tate Modern.
The documentary covers Hesse’s ground-breaking work and the life that provided the fertile soil for her achievements. With dozens of new interviews, high quality footage of Hesse’s artwork and a wealth of newly discovered archival imagery, the documentary does not only trace Eva’s path but also engage in a lively investigation into the creative community of 1960’s New York and Germany.