Photographer and author Walter Rosenblum, and dancer and choreographer Daniel Nagrin discuss art, life, photography, and dance. The two answer the question “What calls one to a life of art?” and other driving factors for artists such as political, social, and economic interests. Studs opens and closes this program by playing an untitled Armenian dance song.

The journalist, memoirist, and actor discusses her biography of the photographer Diane Arbus (the first American to have photographs displayed at the Venice Biennale).*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

On the day before the opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, talks about the art of her husband, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Mrs. Moholy-Nagy said her husband believed in self discipline and the sacrifice to learn. In addition, she explained that her husband didn't believe in focusing on one type of material for his art but rather he worked with different types of materials like oil on canvas, steel, and plexiglass.

Writer Paul Theroux discusses his book “Picture Palace” and the meaning of a photograph with Studs Terkel. Both Theroux and Terkel read excerpts from Theroux’s book, and an audio clip of a photographer discussing what photography means to them is played.

In Mary Lynn Kotz's book, "Rauschenberg, Art and Life," Kotz recounts the works and story of 20th century art pioneer Robert Rauschenberg. They survey his career beginning in Port Arthur, TX, discussing his Depression-era upbringing which caused him to reuse and salvage virtually any object and transform it into art, his studies in Paris, made possible by the G.I.

Interviewing author-photographer of "Street People" Janet Beller.

Harold Rosenberg, a provocative and loquacious art critic, joins Studs Terkel to discuss trends in the art world. The interview begins with a clip from Sonia Delaunay, who remarks that Pablo Picasso does not create art, but transforms it. Rosenberg disagrees with this statement, elaborating on his beliefs that tradition and past experiences and influences are present in any work. The desire to create “new” art is also a complicated concept, according to Rosenberg, as art transcends time and can be considered “new” to new viewers.

Photographer David Scherman talks with Studs Terkel about the stories that photos can tell, famous photographers, and the book “The Best of Life,” which Scherman edited. A recording of the song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” by the Weavers is played.

According to David Hockney, all photographs have perspective in them. With pictures, there is no time and there are no close ups, said Hockney. As for a picture on the television, Hockney said a picture of grief stricken poverty can bring on an emotional toll but then because the next picture of image appears, we immediately forget about the poverty image.