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Director: John Walter
Cast: Ray Johnson, Roy Lichtenstein, Christo, Chuck
Close, James Rosenquist
Country: U.S.
Year: 2001
Running Time: 90 min
Format: film/video
 "Astonish
me" was one of the anthems of modern art, and artist Ray Johnson
astonished a lot of people. From his "mail art" to his collages
to the way he lived, he searched for the strange combination
of allure and detachment that identifies much of the post-WW
II art scene. Johnson dedicated himself to living in an uncompromising
way that always fed his art. As this wonderful film shows
film shows, even Johnson's death may have been a carefully
conceived performance piece. In an era in which we expect
artists to be reflexively good at public relations, Johnson
was quixotic. Exemplifying much of the same whimsicality in
his art as icon Andy Warhol, Johnson was the anti-Warhol in
his marketing practices.
Filmmaker John Walter shows us this artist and his life through
a series of entertaining interviews with friends like Christo
and James Rosenquist, photographs, personal letters, and home
movies. Walter has added a wonderfully odd score by jazz legend
Max Roach, and has blended all this into a documentary that
perfectly reflects its subject. Whether or not you are knowledgeable,
or care, about modern art, this is a story that will fascinate
you.
--Jed Dietz
Presented by: John Walter
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John Walter was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.
He now lives and works in New York City. His favorite writer
is Gertrude Stein. How to Draw a Bunny is his first
feature-length film. He is currently working on a movie about
a movie about lawyers. Yes, a movie about a movie about lawyers.
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