Civilizations | KCET
Civilizations
Survey the history of art, from antiquity to the present, on a global scale. Programs reveal the role art and creative imagination have played in forging humanity, and introduce viewers to works of beauty, ingenuity and illumination across cultures.
Full Episodes
-
Civilizations
Civilizations
What Is Art (Good for)?
Explore art in the age of revolution, war and profound scientific change and consider the question: Should art create a separate realm, a place of escape, or should it plunge into the chaos, transforming the way we see and live in the world?
-
Civilizations
Civilizations
The Cult of Progress
Examine the rise and fall of "progress" as an ideology, and see how the "civilizing" project that arose from Enlightenment ideas was fraught with contradictions that troubled European artists in different ways.
-
Civilizations
Civilizations
Color and Light
Explore the story of light and color in art both in the search for greater realism and spiritual ecstasy.
-
Civilizations
Civilizations
Paradise On Earth
Explore one of humanity's deepest artistic urges: the depiction of nature.
-
Civilizations
Civilizations
Renaissances
Travel east and west to explore the connections and rivalries between Renaissance Italy and the Islamic empires that experienced their own cultural flowering in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Clips & Segments
-
Civilizations
Explore art in the age of revolution, war and profound scientific change and consider the question: Should art create a separate realm, a place of escape, or should it plunge into the chaos, transforming the way we see and live in the world?
-
Civilizations
Examine the rise and fall of “progress” as an ideology, and see how the “civilizing” project that arose from Enlightenment ideas was fraught with contradictions that troubled European artists in different ways.
-
Civilizations
Explore the story of light and color in art - both in the search for greater realism and spiritual ecstasy. Journey from Gothic cathedrals and Indian courtly painting to modern art.
-
Civilizations
Explore one of humanity’s deepest artistic urges: the depiction of nature.
- 1 of 2
- next ›
Upcoming Airdates
Suggested Shows Overrides
Suggested Shows
-
KCET's weekly news documentary series investigates and reports on the issues that affect Southern California, from the economy to the environment.
KCET Original Has Episodes -
"Lost LA" brings SoCal history to life by marrying archival materials with innovative forms of documentary storytelling.
KCET Original Has Episodes -
This season features six half-hour episodes showcasing a collection of short films from schools across Southern California, including, winners in the categories of Documentary, Narrative and Animation.
KCET Original Has Episodes -
While most of us are sleeping, nearly 15 million Americans are heading off to work. "Nightshift" immerses viewers in the diverse experiences of five of those workers.
KCET Original Has Episodes
Popular Videos
-
Watch a preview of the new season of "Lost LA," premiering Oct. 15.
KCET Original -
As California deals with the fallout of a global waste crisis, plastic manufacturers continue to spread misleading information about recycling, while spending big on lobbying efforts to keep their products on the shelves.
KCET Original -
Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. Its founder, Griffith J. Griffith, donated the land to the city as a public recreation ground for all the people — an ideal that has been challenged over the years.
KCET Original -
KCET Original
-
"Artbound" looks at the dinnerware of Heath Ceramics and a design that has stood the test of time since the company began in the late 1940’s.
KCET Original
Expiring Soon
-
Professional storm chaser George Kourounis goes on a global adventure, travelling to some of the most dangerous places on Earth.
-
Phryne had thought she would dance the night away at the hottest dancehall in town, the Green Mill. That was before death spoiled the evening.
-
A young Iranian woman wants to become an astronaut, while her traditional family will do anything to keep her on the ground.
-
Her train trip derailed by a gruesome murder, Phryne speeds home in her Hispano-Suiza to her new abode in St Kilda where she works through the clues until she discovers her unassuming murderer.