The Rubin Museum of Art presents William Segal 11/17

The Rubin Museum of Art, in affiliation with Florentine Films and Cynthia-Reeves Projects, will host an intimate film screening and discussion on the work of painter and philosopher William Segal with film maker, Ken Burns on Wednesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. Segal, a self- taught painter and an adherent of Buddhist teachings, is the subject of three short films by Ken Burns, who was a close personal friend. Two of the documentaries will be shown: William Segal (1992) and Vézelay (1996). To purchase tickets, please contact The Rubin Museum box office at: 212.620.5000 x344 or visit online: www.rmanyc.org.

Segal's legacy and lifelong achievements in art and writing reflect his abiding interest in Eastern religions and spirituality. He passed away at the age of 95 in 2000, leaving a vast collection of landscapes and self-portraits.

Following the screening, Burns and Traleg Rinpoche will share in a dialog on the spiritual relationship between the artist and artworks, between action and silence. The event is part of the ongoing series, "Talk About Nothing", produced by Tim McHenry, Rubin Museum program director.

"How we perceive and conceive of what is and what isn't is a universal question. It may, in fact, be the biggest question. It is at the heart of Buddhism's Diamond Sutra, Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Einstein's theory of general relativity. And here at the Rubin Museum of Art--itself, a museum of ideas--we have brought together some of the world's most active minds to
talk about...nothing. There will be a lot to say." -Tim McHenry, Producer

Ken Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films known for his style of making use of archival footage and photographs. Among his most notable productions are The Civil War (1990), Baseball (1994), Jazz (2001), The War (2007), The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), and most recently, The Tenth Inning (2010).

Traleg Rinpoche is the current incarnation of the Traleg trulku line, a line of high lamas in the Kagyu lineage of Tantric Buddhism. He is a pioneer in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to Australia.