Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Art of the Steal
This is a thoroughly entertaining documentary about the way art and art collections are appropriated. BUT... the viewer must know that one of the main people funding this film, Lenny Feinberg, had attended the Barnes for classes.
NY Times Review and further information
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2 comments:
Yes I funded the film. Yes I was much more involved with the making of it than just funding. Yes I took classes at the Barnes.
Please point out any falsehoods or misrepresentations.
Thanks,
Lenny
Lenny,
First off, thank you for your comment.
At the time of writing for this post, I didn't have it in my immediate vocabulary to write "full disclosure", nor did I have the stamina to post the the reviews from the New York Times, NPR*, the Washington Post, and Boston Globe. Does it change the viewer's experience to know that you were involved and to what extent? From my experience, it changed my perception a shade. To the casual observer, your name appears in the credits.
Do I think that the 'appropriation' was incredibly frustrating and infuriating? Oh, yes, on multiple levels. Is there a question about whether Barnes' will was violated? Not from my end. Would the film appear to be less biased if others had agreed to be interviewed? Most definitely.
As a bit of a side note... I got a call from someone close to me who maybe would not have watched an 'art documentary', but watched your film after I posted this. He commented that "the thieves already have the keys".
Thanks,
Heather
*NPR, apparently, is sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust. Pew has a rather large presence in the film.
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