Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines

From directors Ryan Mah and Danny Berish (Outside In) and producer Leah Mallen (Coast Modern) comes a new documentary film capturing the life and work of pre-eminent Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. Beauty Between the Lines delves into the life and work of Arthur Erickson, a visionary architect first in Canada and ultimately throughout the world. With intimate interviews, unseen archival footage, and an exploration of his architectural masterpieces, the film weaves together the complexities of Erickson’s personal and professional life. It reveals a man who transcended traditional boundaries, who fused art, culture, and nature and in the process, redefined modern architecture.

The name Arthur Erickson evokes landmark modernist buildings, he was known as the concrete poet. He was a local (and global) legend of the architecture world famed for his characteristic concrete designs but behind the shadows of his buildings he lived a very different life. Being an openly gay architect was not an option for Arthur but beyond the boardroom he threw playboy parties on Fire Island, rubbed shoulders with Andy Warhol at Studio 54 and spent his summers amongst Shirley MacLaine, The Prince and Princess of Wales, Pierre Trudeau and Elizabeth Taylor to name a few. This lavish lifestyle was the lifeblood of his company but it would inevitably bankrupt him. Exclusive access to the family and never-seen-before archives, this film follows the rise and fall of Arthur, the architect, the socialite, the family man and goes beyond the grand structures, uncovering the man behind the story and the relationships that shaped his fascinating life. The film also documents and captures the most iconic of Arthur’s structures that stand as legacies and enhance their surroundings. The film engages with those who live, work and move around the spaces and designs and how Arthur’s vision and influence still resonate.