Discovery: Benny Bufano

Please note: This 'kinescope' recording was originally made in 1953 by filming the picture from a live video monitor. The picture quality - especially sharpness - is much lower than the rest of our footage produced on 16mm film. KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Museum of Art presents a program in the 'Discovery' series about the work of sculptor Benny Bufano (1898-1970). Bufano is interviewed in the studio by host Dr Lloyd Luckmann and explains his artistic process discussing many of his works of art. Also includes scenes of Bufano relaxing in a local bistro eating at Moars Cafeteria (which houses a large mosaic of his) visiting the San Francisco Chronicle and working at night in his studio on a new mosaic. In close up shots part of Bufano's 'trigger' finger on his right hand is seen to be missing. He had chopped it off more than 30 years earlier and sent it to President Woodrow Wilson in protest at World War I. At one point when they are examining pieces of mosaic Bufano reflects it's "too bad you can't see this in color." Luckmann replies: "Some day its going to be possible but not today."