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con artist

http://www.ConArtistTheMovie.com
Con Artist Facebook Page

Directed by Michael Sládek
USA, 2010, 84 minutes

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REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

"An entertaining documentary portrait of one of the art world’s most outrageous provocateurs."
- Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"An entertaining boom-era fable"
- NEW YORK MAGAZINE

See all reviews >

 

SYNOPSIS

From the beginning, Mark Kostabi pronounced his raison d'être as an artist widely: to take all the cash and all the glory. A superstar during the frantic glory of the 1980s New York art world, Kostabi has unapologetically signed and sold thousands of paintings made by painters/ laborerswho attest to not having seen Kostabi paint for years. His practice reveals a shrewd critique of valuation in the modern art world, but when his purposeful skewering turned to ruthlessly biting the hands that fed him, he was rapidly jolted from the position of daring
darling to the unspeakable persona non grata.

This energetic, punk-fueled docu-comedy traces the meteoric rise and fall of a bizarre visionary and the art market that birthed him, but director Michael Sládek focuses mostly on present-day Kostabi and his obsession with getting back on top. Interviews with art world figures and vintage clips of Kostabi's outlandish television appearances are entertaining and insightful, but Con Artist's best moments come in the abundant tag-along footage Sládek shoots with the artist. While getting as close as one can to a man who's been called "the black hole of irony," Sládek also begs an interrogation into what American culture is based on, and what it takes to pop its bubble.

 

Reviews


"Compelling."
- Nick Schager, THE VILLAGE VOICE

"An entertaining reverie on the concept and addictive nature of celebrity."
- Jay Weissberg, VARIETY

"An entertainingly satirical doc"
- Frank Scheck, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"The filmmaker gives his...subject more than enough rope to hang himself"
- TIME OUT NY

"An excellent documentary"
- Benjamin Sutton, L MAGAZINE

"Shows, effortlessly, what one does in the face of human loss"
- Diego Costa, SLANT

"Sladek was obviously not out to do a puff piece"
- Jonathan Melber, THE HUFFINGTON POST


 


OFFICIAL SELECTION
tribeca FILM FESTIVAL
official selection
Rome film festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION
hampton
film festival
laurel OFFICIAL SELECTION
Sarasota
film festival
laurel
OFFICIAL SELECTION
glasgow
film festival
laurel OFFICIAL SELECTION
florida
film festival
laurel


RECENT SCREENINGS

 

April 8 - 14, 2011
Facets Multimedia
Chicago, IL
http://www.facets.org/

April 14 - 21, 2011

Denver Film Society

Denver, CO

http://www.denverfilm.org/

Director Michael Sládek in person 4/14 at 7pm & 4/15 at 7:15pm

April 1 - 6, 2011

Laemmle 's Sunset 5

Los Angeles, CA

http://www.laemmle.com/

Artist Mark Kostabi & director Michael Sládek in person! 4/1 & 4/2 following the 7:30 shows, 4/3 following the 3:10 show. Additional Q&A with Michael Sládek 4/6 at the 7:30 show.

March 25 -31, 2011

Grand Illusion Cinema

Seattle, WA

http://www.grandillusioncinema.org/

March 11 - 12, 2011
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Oklahoma City, OK
http://www.okcmoa.com/

March 6, 2011

5:00pm

Salem Film Festival

Salem, MA

http://www.salemfilmfest.com/

Director Michael Sládek in person!

Nov 12- 18, 2010

ReRun GatroPub

Brooklyn, NY

http://www.reruntheater.com/

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