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| Submitted by: | matthew palumbo 11/5/2009 1:18:08 PM PT |
A great fast moving documentary on one of the world's most famous and controversial contemporary artists. A must to see if you are or are not an art lover!
| Submitted by: | PAUL MILLS 11/3/2009 12:36:49 PM PT |
Overly harsh review. More of a judgment of Kostabi himself, than of the film, one can't help noticing. How come?
Obviously Kostabi is more than a "half-assed entertainer," or he would not have rocketed to the top in a highly-competitive field of painters all hoping to expand on the Warhol media legacy.
The film's coverage of Kostabi during the 80's is, for that reason, fascinating in this film. The director has skillfully edited together much of the footage broadcast in primetime about this brilliant artist. Great stuff. Kostabi is hilarious and provocative.
And to the extent the film offers images Kostabi has given - well, sold, really - to the world, his impressive gifts as a painter are also well represented.
Why Kostabi is now so deeply resented by some, while his competitors - self-promoters all - are not, or at least less so, is a mystery this film fails to explore. Maybe he just pissed more people off than they did. It's easy to imagine that Kostabi's remarkable candor about manipulating the critics and media could be a bit hard for some of them to take.
Including, possibly, this reviewer.
| Submitted by: | Hideki Tishiru 11/3/2009 6:51:34 AM PT |
| Location: | North Carolina |
| Occupation: | Computer Technician |
As a former employee, I would have to caution any of you claiming
SCAD as your "dream school" to really do your research before you
attend. And by do your research, I don't mean read SCAD's website. As
previously posted, SCAD will legally seek to remove anything that
could portray them as negative. It is all about appearances. From the
education all the way down to the construction (or lack thereof) of
buildings. It doesn't matter what is right, or legal, as long as it looks
good from the outside. You have to dig deep, but you will find the
answers you need. I would advise you to read articles published about
the school.
I am an optimistic person, one who began my employment doe-eyed
and ready for the challenges that awaited me. There is no freedom at
SCAD. No choice, no freedom of speech, no freedom of thought.
Savannah in-and-of-itself seems to act as its own entity, its own
country. Then there is the Republic of SCAD. It is a monarchy and an
evil one at that. Many employees, current and former, will describe it
in a very mafia-like way, or something straight out of The Firm. Its
sad. The potential for greatness is mind boggling. What is forced upon
you as "normal and acceptable" school, work circumstances or
behavior would be a lawsuit to anyone else in the real world. Be very
careful. SCAD changes you. It changes your thoughts, perception, mind
and being. And hopefully you make it out with your life (no
exaggeration, again, read the above websites), your dignity, your ethics
and your soul. Consider yourself very fortunate if you leave with all of
those entact.
Reply
10-14-2008, 03:16 PM #227
DocRobert
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 31
Can you be more specific about all of this? What exactly happened to
make you so bitter?
Reply
10-14-2008, 05:35 PM #228
freefromsav
New Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2
If I were to give specifics, it would end up being a book. I'm actually
not bitter - I am free, so there is nothing to be bitter about! I am more
upset that I didn't research the school in general more before I said
yes. I am more upset that I sacrificed my morals and ethics to lie for
them, cover more issues up than I would like to admit, things that
would lose the little accreditation they have and more upset that I
wasted years of my life there being miserable, at the expense of my
life and family! I am free now and in a job I love. I am respected as a
person and as a hard worker, I am treated fairly and I work in a place
that cares about others, not just making a few bucks.
It makes me sad to see good people (students, faculty and staff) get
sucked into that world and change. I saw alot in my time there - illegal
spying, altering of formal documents, students/employees being set
up, etc.
I just know that I would not recommend this place to any friends or
family and knowing what I and others have experienced, would not
want my children to waste their money to go here. If I can save just one
person from going through hell, I will.
Just read Lingua Franca - Sinister Designs. (several pages, keep clicking
'next' at the bottom). It is not fiction, although it reads like fiction. I
know many of the people in this article and I have spoken with them on
countless occasions.
I'm simply warning future students and employees - know what you are
getting into. If you're ok with it - great - some people are and that is
their choice. The school just seems to prey upon unwitting souls and I,
personally, don't think that is right.
| Submitted by: | Tammy Margarita Ginger 11/3/2009 5:24:41 AM PT |
In response to this review to use the term, Gadfly, to describe Mr. Kostabi is very philosophical. The term, Gadfly, was used by Plato in the Apology to describe Socrates' relationship of uncomfortable goad to the Athenian political scene, which he compared to a slow and dimwitted horse. I think this review of Mr. Kostabi and the film ConArtist, above could be compared to that same horse.
During his defense when on trial for his life, Socrates, according to Plato's writings, pointed out that dissent, like the tiny (relative to the size of a horse) gadfly, was easy to swat. It’s easy to swat people when they are down. But in Plato’s writings he stated, “If you try to kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me." The negativity that was in the press about Mr. Kostabi in this above review and in the past has only made Mr. Kostabi stronger. How many artists today can say they have been around for as longer as he has been?
In life we all have our ups and downs, it’s the downs that make us stronger and get us to rise to the top. To be commission by the Vatican to made a statue of Pope John Paul. Who will be a saint in the end would not have been given to a non-talented artist.
I have known Mr. Kostabi for several years and can truthfully say some of the antics in the movie I am convinced were staged to get a rise out of the viewer. No doubt. But is that not what a movie is supposed to do? Get you excited, keep you interested?
As a very good friend of Baird Jones as well, god rest his heart and soul, one should ask Sladek to show the entire interview of Baird that Sladek did. It was a lovely dedication (which was done just a few days before his sudden death) to Mark. Baird talked about Marks tenacity and tireless business acumen. This is what got Mark to the top.
Mark has many talents. Artist, musician, actor, game show host/performance artist, and friend. As a huge collector of art I can respect the art that I have sat and watched Mark do. I respect the artists that work for him as well. Some better than others. But this is something as a business owner is normal. Some of your players are always better than the others. It’s the true leader who will weed out the clover before it takes over the lawn. Mark will always have a few dandelions to pull, like all business owners. I want to see him paint more like he did in the 80’s. I have told him this. The brush strokes in the dual set painting I have entitled Artery demonstrates a passion and confidence only seen in that of a talented artist.
As I sat thru the Freeman auction on Sunday and will go to Christies and Sotheby’s this week to view the art and see what lovely piece will grace my walls. I am proud to say that I have original work by Mark from the 80’s.
I think Sladek could have done things in the movie to have the flow like a beautiful waterfall vs. a boat in a rapid river. This is easy to optimize. The movie has been in many film festivals. What other movies this year can say that? Good luck Mr. Kostabi and Mr. Sladek for the next showing of ConArtist. Maybe at THAT premier, Mr. Kostabi will paint.
| Submitted by: | Eric Wolfram (eric@wolfram.org) 11/2/2009 3:57:13 PM PT |
| Location: | New York |
Keep in mind that far easier to rip something down than it is to create. The critics of Mr. Kostabi in the film, and including the reviewer who wrote this article, seem to want to rip the work down. And yet Kostabi World creates more than these critics ever will. The film is enlightening and entertaining, IMO.
| Submitted by: | ej kallina 11/2/2009 3:54:45 PM PT |
| Location: | New York |
| Occupation: | Photographer |
Interesting view of the film.
| Submitted by: | Gary Indiana 11/2/2009 3:46:17 PM PT |
| Location: | New York NY |
| Occupation: | writer, actor, filmmaker |
Well, yes, and, more to the point, no.
| Submitted by: | Mark Kostabi (mkostabi@yahoo.com) 11/2/2009 3:26:27 PM PT |
| Location: | Rome, Italy |
| Occupation: | artist and musician |
Jay Weissberg says: "Docu also chronicles Kostabi's recent return to the States with a public-access TV gameshow in which panelists -- largely friends and attenuated denizens of the '80s downtown scene -- judge suggested titles for his newly minted paintings."
First of all, I never left the States. I added Rome as a second home starting in 1996. Second: the contestants on my game show, Title This, include Ornette Coleman, Michel Gondry, Suzanne Vega, Dennis Oppenheim and 11 time Grammy winner Bela Fleck. Most people would agree that these are not "attenuated denizens of the '80s downtown scene" and are rather internationally acclaimed shapers of cultural history. Third: the contestants don't "judge suggested titles" -- they offer them -- and the jury, made up of an assortment of real New Yorkers, judges them by voting with raised colored ping pong paddles. I believe Jay Weissberg actually watched the movie called Con Artist before reviewing it, but I doubt he ever watched the game show, Title This, (viewable at titlethis.com) which he is also reviewing within this review for the respectable publication called Variety.
| Submitted by: | Mark Kostabi (mkostabi@yahoo.com) 11/2/2009 3:26:25 PM PT |
| Location: | Rome, Italy |
| Occupation: | artist and musician |
Jay Weissberg says: "Docu also chronicles Kostabi's recent return to the States with a public-access TV gameshow in which panelists -- largely friends and attenuated denizens of the '80s downtown scene -- judge suggested titles for his newly minted paintings."
First of all, I never left the States. I added Rome as a second home starting in 1996. Second: the contestants on my game show, Title This, include Ornette Coleman, Michel Gondry, Suzanne Vega, Dennis Oppenheim and 11 time Grammy winner Bela Fleck. Most people would agree that these are not "attenuated denizens of the '80s downtown scene" and are rather internationally acclaimed shapers of cultural history. Third: the contestants don't "judge suggested titles" -- they offer them -- and the jury, made up of an assortment of real New Yorkers, judges them by voting with raised colored ping pong paddles. I believe Jay Weissberg actually watched the movie called Con Artist before reviewing it, but I doubt he ever watched the game show, Title This, (viewable at titlethis.com) which he is also reviewing within this review for the respectable publication called Variety.
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