John Zinsser on Ross Bleckner and Larry Poons

A nice new interview clip for your Wednesday morning. If you are up right now.

This is from my first interview with John Zinsser in his Greenpoint Brooklyn studio.

We've done two more since then, you can find them easily on our youtube page.

ETSY shop is LIVE!

Duochrome Films finally has a specific place where you can purchase and support this important historical film company.

I've been trying to gather support for the films and their long time storage, and am now happy to say we've got a dedicated place to help support us. Etsy has been around for years now and has become the go to place for crafters and small business' of all kinds.

We will be adding more and more videos as they become available. Making sure that each DVD is up to the highest standards for raw interviews. The audio and video quality are of utmost importance to us, as without them, the content is marred. And we don't want you the viewer to experience that. Each DVD we bring to you is stripped down to the basics. No special titles or extraneous stuff. What you will experience in our DVD's for home use is to see and hear the artist as it was meant to be experienced. No editing, these DVD's are scene by scene. In all their rawness for you to enjoy.

We are also adding prints from each interview as they become available, and soon even to be selling some of the art from the interviewed artists. Come and see for yourself.

Thanks for your time.
Jeffrey Collins
Director of Duochrome Films

Darryl Hughto Painting 101. Class begins NOW.

On the second trip to visit with Darryl Hughto and Susan Roth around the Syracuse area of New York. I got to film Darryl speaking about his breakthrough "Diamond" paintings. A group of paintings Darryl completed between 1967 to 1981. This talk consists of those works and what brought him into new territory.

A very valuable interview for anyone interested in painting and especially the history of painting. You can learn a heck of a lot in the 22 minutes this runs for.



Thanks for watching!

Jeffrey Collins
Artist/Filmmaker

Liv Mette Larsen in her Bushwick Studio January 2014

Liv Mette Larsen is a painter that I met through my friendships with a number of previous interview participants who became friends. The minute I saw her work in her studio I was enamoured. It took me a while longer before I asked her if I could interview her. We met up in January 2014 when I was house-sitting for a couple friends. I spent a few hours with Liv, talking about every aspect of her work. From her use of Egg Tempera as a paint medium to how she gets her ideas from right outside her windows. She uses what she has around her in such a unique way that with every painting, I wanted to look outside and see if I could tell where she gets this or that shape from. It's such an involved way of painting that it makes you pay more attention to the world around you and not in an obvious way like Rauschenberg, but a much more subtle way that works on your mind after you see it in person.

Enjoy the clip I have prepared for you.



http://livmettelarsen.com/

Thanks Liv!!!

Jeffrey Collins
Artist/Filmmaker

Stephen Bennett Portrait Painter

Hello all.

As I was living for a period of time in Pennsylvania. I got the opportunity to take time to make a documentary on Tamaqua's favorite resident, Portrait Painter Stephen Bennett.

My working with Stephen really brought this together. During the making of this documentary, I got to learn more of how calculating Bennett was about his paintings and about how he likes things done. It is because of this steadfast desire to communicate his work in the most clear way, that this documentary is as good as it is. I am very Thankful to Stephen Bennett for granting me the time to make this about him.

I hope you enjoy it and decide to learn more about him on your own.



I am working on another documentary for Stephen at this moment and when finished, will share it with you here.

Jeffrey Collins
Filmmaker

Michael Brennan and a Knife.

In 2012 I began my filming that has continued since on painter Michael Brennan. I've been infatuated with his work since I first learnt of it. His ways of thinking about painting and ideas about how one creates. Which truly came to fruition in his 2014 exhibition at Minus Space in Brooklyn NY. Michael has a deep connection through films and literature into his paintings and I believe parts of this film shine light on that. Michael is a professor of painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and if you are of college age and want to study painting, he is definitely one I would want to study with.



Thanks for watching. I hope you got a lot from it.
Jeffrey Collins
Director

Francine Tint Studio Interview

I was introduced to Francine around 2013 during my first visit with Sculptor/Painter Peter Reginato and Painter Dee Solin to the Hamptons to visit ArtMrkt Hamptons. Francine's work was in the same booth as Peter's and while I didn't get to meet her that weekend. I did soon after. We finally got to get together in September of this year and filmed for a couple hours. What you are about to see is a culmination of that day.



Equipment used:
Canon 5D2
GoPro Hero 3
LG G4
Zoom H4n for Audio.

New Films Coming.

I've been working on two new films from my last trip to NYC in September (Thanks Peter!). I interviewed Francine Tint and Anders Knutsson in their studios and got so much wonderful footage. I could easily have just put out all the clips online, but they go better for people when they are compiled together to create a moving story of themselves and their art. As you know I've been doing this work since 2011 and am now creating films specifically for each person. I'm no longer working on one giant film. Too little time, too little money, as a film like that takes so much time, resources, and money, or which I have none of those. I've only recently begun to monetize my youtube site to help raise funds for more shoots, but so far it's only raised under $16.00 in the 4 months since I began the monetization of my page. This is a true passion for me and I hope to be able to make many more of these in the future. I'm definitely missing out on the 1st rule of business, Location, Location, Location... but am working on changing that.

Thanks Francine and Anders for letting me into your studios and your lives to help document your histories.

John Zinsser on Pat Hearn, Peter Schuyff and Philip Taaffe in this Interview Video

Here's another of the recent clips from my interview with John Zinsser. Kenny Schachter on Facebook reminded those who follow him online that July 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of Gallerists Pat Hearn's passing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/20/nyregion/pat-hearn-art-dealer-in-new-york-dies-at-45.html

As I was thinking about what he was saying. I remembered that Zinsser had spoken about her in his most recent of interviews. What you see below is that interview. He also spoke of Peter Schuyff and Philip Taaffe, two painters he really admires. Dig in and enjoy!



Thanks for watching.

Jeffrey Collins
Director

Loren Munk AKA James Kalm Talking about how history has helped him.

August 2013 I sat down with the Painter/Historian Loren Munk AKA James Kalm (The Guy on the Bike) in his Brooklyn Studio to talk about his work as a painter along with his work as a historian. In this interview he speaks of a paper he wrote and what happened after the paper was published. It's quite the amazing story. Dig in.

For a link on the article Loren speaks of in this interview, here you go... http://www.brooklynrail.org/2009/09/artseen/brooklyn-dispatches-the-lies-we-tell-children



Thanks Loren and Thanks Kate!

Jeffrey Collins
Director

Michael Brennan Talks about painting while priming a canvas in Brooklyn,...

I don't share very many clips from Michael Brennan on here. I don't know why that is, being that I have had many many wonderful conversations about painting with him. He is a wealth of information about painting and paintings history, more in tuned with the contemporary history of painting, which is the type I am more interested in. I decided to share this section from our second interview as I felt it was germane to the situation here. Plus you get to see something you don't see very often with painters. How they prime their own canvases. This seemingly banal subject is one many of us take seriously and with pride.



Thanks Michael for allowing me to film your world of painting. Looking forward to the next session.

Susan Roth Interview about her history and how she has dealt with change in her work.

If you are visiting here, you already know who Susan Roth is. So I'll just let this interview clip from our second session speak for itself.



Thanks Susan, Thanks Darryl, and Thanks to ALL of you that have helped me in any way to get to where these films are today. You are truly appreciated.

Jeffrey Collins
Director

Time to get LIVE again...for now.

It's been a while since I added a post to this account. For the 5 of you that regularly frequent this page, I know I sent you over to the www.duochromefilms.com page, but now i'm back to here.

Here's a few sweet videos I made while away.

John Zinsser on his File Studies




John Zinsser on David Diao




Hope you enjoy them. Please share them with your art friends. Lots of wonderful stories that need to stay around.

Cheers.
Jeffrey Collins
Duochrome Films

My Day with John and Rodney

On a lovely Saturday in August. During my recent NYC trip, I got to spend a part of the day with two of my favorite painters and film participants, John Zinsser and Rodney Dickson. We began the day with John coming to Rodney's to pick me up so we could go talk about a few projects I am working on. We invited John into Rodney's and ensued a wonderful conversation about painting and nyc gallery history. John, being the historian he is, never seems to be without his camera.

Once we left Rodney's, John and I went to his studio with Rodney in tow on one of his motorcycles. Yet another wonderful conversation about painting ensued there. Here's some pics covering that wonderful day. Pics at Rodney's by Zinsser, pics at Zinsser's studio by myself.

 

 

 

 

A Selection of My Favorite Art Documentaries.

For a while now, I've been seeing all these lists on what art docs are good. I've been watching art docs for as long as I've been focusing my time on painting. I believe the first real art documentary I ever watched was Sister Wendy's Story of Painting. Sounds funny but I was living in Newport News, Virginia at the time, I believe it was 1997. And to see the wild pourings of Pollock, the Radiance of Rothko, the Facility of Frank Stella and the Meditations of Agnes Martin, really blew me away. It's funny because I'm sure I had been introduced to the work of a few of these when I took art classes in the 5th grade. Though to this day I can only remember seeing a slide of a black stripe on white background Piet Mondrian. It was the only thing that touched me on a gut level when I was young.

Sister Wendy's Story of Painting 

Once I saw this film, and began pausing the section on Rothko just to stare at that work for as long as the tape machine would let it. I had a revelation that art didn't just have to be about recognizable imagery. Many of you know me, and you know that I only grew up drawing cars and band album covers. So I didn't have your regular art education. I skipped many of my art classes in high school because I didn't think they were letting us learn at a pace I wanted to move at. I was not interested in drawing a face or perspective. Mostly because I could already do that. Growing up in Columbus Ohio. I never went to the Art museum...one of the smallest in the country and still is BTW.

Well, shortening up the story. Here's a list, and the youtube links to show you this collection of documentaries on Artists. The one not here on De Kooning, you won't find on youtube. So this is really all about the videos you yourself can see on youtube without my help in finding them. These are in no particular order.

Jean Michel Basquiat - The Radiant Child

Great doc on a great painter to really turned recognizable imagery on it's head.

Robert Hughes - The Mona Lisa Curse

A sad doc about the state of the art world in the present moment.

The Power of Art - Rothko

The best doc on Rothko, I only wish the guy they had as Rothko was the one in a few of the RED plays.

The Great Contemporary Art Bubble

Great doc from the BBC on....well you can tell by the title.

Herbert Kline's The Challenge - A Tribute to Modern Art

This is a tremendous documentary you won't find anywhere except youtube today. This guy went around and really visited the big artists of that age, Miro, Picasso, Soulages, and OH so many more. Watch the whole thing.

Art of the Western World - Episode 17: The Aftermath

This film used to be on every friday on our local cable channel when I moved back to Columbus. I only really liked watching this episode and the following one.
 
Art of the Western World - Episode 18: New, Newer, Newest

Jackson Pollock Doc

Only one of the many docs on Pollock, even though they are all pretty much the same.

This is Modern Art: Nothing Matters

Great doc by a grand documentarian: Matthew Collings. This one is on the more "minimal" styles of art. Ryman, Rothko, Klein, Martin etc.

Ruth Ann Fredenthal: Portrait of an Artist

Portrait of an Artist, like it's title says. Ruth Ann is an amazing painter that most will never be able to enjoy. They are too busy being busy to slow down and spend some time enjoying.

Painters Painting

You know me, you know PAINTERS PAINTING. It's my favorite documentary. Emile De Antonio would hopefully be proud that I am trying to continue on from his seminal film.

Jasper Johns: Ideas in Paint

This is only a clip from this 50 minute doc that was on PBS a good long time ago.

Art City: Making it in Manhattan

Chris Maybach made a series of great docs about being an artist, this is the first one. And still my favorite.

Brice Marden 

Only a small clip of a doc that I bought years ago. 19 minutes of Brice talking about painting, and making paintings. If you know me you know Brice is my FAVORITE living artist. Well...beside me. ;-)

Sam Francis - The Painter

This is a doc that director Jeffrey Perkins spent many decades working on. You get to watch Francis making "Berlin Red" and many other paintings. Buy it, you will be happy you did.

Milton Resnick

Part 1 of 2 on youtube. Great doc. This is actually another series that used to come on our local cable provider every friday. I recorded this on VHS and have watched it well over 100 times.

Gerhard Richter Painting

You know the film, you know the legend.

Julian Schnabel: Masterclass

Great short doc on Julian Schnabel. I have watched this many many times, I have a number of short docs on Schnabel and am always fascinated when I am in front of one of his canvases. I will count myself happy if I can one day stand in that massive studio in NYC.

I'm sure if I looked on youtube for another hour I could find a few more that really caught my attention. But you need to search on your own, so these are really just to get you going with docs you might not have seen yet. And there are plenty not on youtube. I got lucky as the Columbus Metropolitan Library system in the early 2K's had an amazing video collection of art docs. That was how I saw Painters Painting, that was how I saw the Namuth Pollock AND De Kooning films (Which many don't know about his De Kooning film). And oh so many more. The river is wide and deep with fantastic art documentaries. Go enjoy them.

Louise P. Sloane Article

My friend and amazing painter was interviewed for a NY magazine called Long Island Pulse.

You'll get some wonderful insight into herself and her work here. Enjoy.

http://www.lipulse.com/art-music/article/9-in-art-louise-p.-sloane

Robert C. Morgan

I got to visit with Painter/Writer Robert C. Morgan and this is some of what came from it.

Enjoy.

Stephen Bennett

I've begun selecting clips from the recent interviews from my latest filming trip in May. Here's the first clip that I made on my way into NYC with Portrait Painter: Stephen Bennett. No point in saying anymore, the clip speaks for itself.

Enjoy!

Rodney Dickson on Expression

I will just stop writing here and let the video speak for itself. Rodney says it in a very personal way.



Thanks for watching, and supporting.

Jeffrey Collins
Director

Rodney Dickson Talks About Influences.

Everytime I sat down to speak with Rodney, I was always immensely drawn into his stories. Here is one of those stories where he speaks about one of his major influences, and one that also became a friend.

I got so much footage from Rodney, and I really wanna put it all online, but that would kinda kill the need for a documentary film that I've been working on for over two years.



Thanks Rodney for letting me into your world. I look forward to future filming jaunts with yourself.

Jeffrey

BTW, Here's another great video of Rodney while he was painting. Filmed by Emanuele Sferruzza Moszkowicz, when he visited the painter a number of years back. It's amazing to get to watch Rodney paint, as it's such a private experience.