CinemaOSMovie · 1998 · 1h 18m

The Living Museum

70%(1)IMDbDocumentary

At the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, New York, Dr. Janos Martin helps treat patients with severe mental illness by encouraging them to express themselves through art, whether in paint, sculpture, or collage. In vivid imagery, brilliant close-ups, and delicate conversations, director Jessica Yu presents the intricate, often visionary, work of these nontraditional artists, allowing the patients to describe their approaches and processes in their own, sometimes tangled, words. With patience and calm resilience, Dr. Martin offers feedback and ideas for best methods to the individual artists, who sometimes scream or are in tears, as he helps them displace their frustrations, and demons, onto canvas. Seen as a collective, these works illustrate the fine line between creativity and distress and illuminate the healing power of expression.

Directed byJessica Yu

Play
Status
Released
Runtime
1h 18m
Language
EN
Released
October 16, 1998

Featuring

Cast & crew

Creative team
Directed by
Jessica Yu
Jessica Yu

Keep watching

More like this

A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth7.7

A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth

1988 · Film

Magicians of the Earth: Kings of the Water9.0

Magicians of the Earth: Kings of the Water

1991 · Film

Art City 1 Making It in Manhattan8.0

Art City 1 Making It in Manhattan

1996 · Film

Art City 2 Simplicity10.0

Art City 2 Simplicity

2002 · Film

Art City 3 A Ruling Passion10.0

Art City 3 A Ruling Passion

2002 · Film

Andrea Màzzoli Il pittore dei ricordi10.0

Andrea Màzzoli Il pittore dei ricordi

Film

Laerte-se7.1

Laerte-se

2017 · Film

The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau

The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau

1974 · Film

Of a Different Order

Of a Different Order

1998 · Film

Pollock & Pollock

Pollock & Pollock

2020 · Film

Chihuly Short Cuts III

Chihuly Short Cuts III

2014 · Film

Semi Colin3.8

Semi Colin

2012 · Film

The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz10.0

The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz

2010 · Film

What the Darkness Cannot Extinguish: The Storytelling Madness of Clifford George

What the Darkness Cannot Extinguish: The Storytelling Madness of Clifford George

2023 · Film

Bloodlines: The Art and Life of Vincent Castiglia

Bloodlines: The Art and Life of Vincent Castiglia

2018 · Film

L'arnaqueur de Paris : Mensonges et gastronomie8.0

L'arnaqueur de Paris : Mensonges et gastronomie

2026 · Film

Max Ernst: Journey into the Subconscious6.0

Max Ernst: Journey into the Subconscious

1964 · Film

Picked for you

Recommended movies

Come See Me in the Good Light7.2

Come See Me in the Good Light

2025 · Film

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski7.5

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski

2018 · Film

Stutz7.5

Stutz

2022 · Film

Naqoyqatsi6.2

Naqoyqatsi

2002 · Film

My Mom Jayne8.0

My Mom Jayne

2025 · Film

Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King8.1

Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

2020 · Film

Harmontown6.6

Harmontown

2014 · Film

Looking for Richard6.8

Looking for Richard

1996 · Film

I Am Heath Ledger7.4

I Am Heath Ledger

2017 · Film

Heart of a Dog6.5

Heart of a Dog

2015 · Film

Salinger6.4

Salinger

2013 · Film

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library6.4

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

2017 · Film

Directed by John Ford7.0

Directed by John Ford

1971 · Film

National Gallery7.3

National Gallery

2014 · Film

35 Up7.6

35 Up

1991 · Film

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty7.8

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000 · Film

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction6.9

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

2013 · Film

42 Up7.6

42 Up

1999 · Film

Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present7.3

Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present

2012 · Film

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/207.2

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

2022 · Film