New structure for the new year. New films coming more often.

Beginning the new year with new goals for my films. I have been wanting to put more clips out in the public to share what I believe are great interviews with great stories. I have decided that for the year, I will release two new videos per week as I go through the varied interviewees and their stories. I'm beginning with two clips from Ronnie Landfield. You always get great stories from Ronnie and these are a great introduction to that.





As always, please feel free to share these around, as all your help is greatly appreciated. Don't forget to subscribe to the youtube page which will allow you to know immediately when new films are available.

Thanks.
Jeffrey Collins
Director.

Shot with a Canon 5D2 with a Zoom H4n for recording audio. I love the way the H4n records, it really gives you more of a sense of how the sounds in his studio are.

New Updates: Rodney Dickson

So it's been quite some time since you saw any truly new interviews from me. Well, I'm back at work on another interview, this time an update with Rodney Dickson. Rodney wanted to talk with me about the changes he has faced in the recent times and how they have affected his paintings.

We are working on adding more to the film, so it'll be a few days before it gets online.

Thanks for your interest. If you want to help, we accept all methods of monetary donations at the link to the right. 

Filmed on a Canon 5DMK2 with a Zoom H4n for audio recording. Edited in Final Cut X. Made on a Mac. 

Cheers.

Jeffrey Collins

Director

Filming Trip: Klaus Kertess

I just wanted to share some memories I was playing in my head last night as I listened to Physical Graffiti. As some of you know, I have loads of images from artists in my screensaver. I use it for, well, I use it because I like looking at what I consider the best art. And inside that barrage of painting and sculpture photos, there is photos of people too. People who have made a significant impact on my life. One of those is Klaus Kertess, granted I only got to meet him once, but damn we had a good time talking in his home. I wonder what happened to his place after he passed. What happens when you don't have kids but you have a home of your own. Does it go into some kind of trust, hell I don't know...Just things I think about.

If you want background on who Klaus Kertess is...go look him up.

In 2004 July, was the first time I got to visit NYC. Because of my friend Joseph Marioni, he helped me to come there for a visit. Granted this trip was only 3 days. You don't get much time to do things when it comes to only having that much time on your first visit. I did get to visit the Met for the first time, but it was also when Moma was over in queens, and I wasn't about to go to queens on my first trip to this city. I remember getting to finally meet David Reed in person on the first day I was in town, was funny because Joe was walking me around chelsea to check out the show at Robert Miller which he was in. Pretty sweet since I also got to see a BUNCH of other artists who's work I had yet to see in person. They had a wonderful yellow painting by Jason Martin too. One thing I remember during that trip was how cool it would be to see Klaus Kertess out and about. Granted I had no idea at the time where he lived.

Fast forward and rewind.... 2003 I wrote to Klaus with a few slides (maybe they were photos) of my work, with a nice letter. He kindly wrote back not long after I sent the letter. I still know the dates, because he wrote back on the same paper I sent to him. Pretty funny in relation to the way our emails go back and forth today. He told me to get in touch when I was there the first time, but alas, I was too afraid to get in touch. It took me quite a long time to even get up the courage to ask Joe if I could come visit with him. Sure was a relief when he said yes, and a few days later I was on my way to NYC. Greyhound. What a journey...i'm not able to sleep on public transport, so the little bit I did get to didn't help much when I got there. I think the second we were in NJ and I could see the Empire State Building, the adrenaline in my body shot through me and I was definitely not feeling tired after that.

Again, fast forwarding. In 2011 I began the long task of filming people for a grand documentary I was to make. In retrospect, it was a good idea, just too big for ME on my own. During the period from 2004 to 2011 I had been in touch with Klaus, he even got a painting of mine...

07-30-2002

25.5 X 24"

Acrylic and Wood Filler on Canvas.

Well. When I was planning my first big filming trip, the actual first one was months before when I filmed Carl Belz. But I had to drive up to New Hampshire, 60 miles from the Canada border to get him. And unfortunately I was so unprepared for that interview that I only got 45 minutes of interview with him. I will forever wish I was more prepared on that. If my old Boy Scout troop leader knew that, he'd probably smack me upside the head. LOL.

By the time I went to NYC to stay with Marioni again in 2011 to begin filming where the bulk of my interviews would take place. I was set up to film Peter Reginato first, the day after I got there. Boy was that a wonderful experience, and boy did I learn a lot about my abilities as a filmmaker. The next day I was to go visit with Pat Steir, but as I got there I found out she had been in a bit of a pickle and couldn't do the interview. I did get to spend an hour in her studio, which was awesome just to be there. She was really nice but we haven't gotten to cash in that raincheck yet. It was also the only time I have tried to do two interviews in one day, I went right after Pat's up to Karen Wilkin's place. And here I am carrying two bags of camera gear by myself, I feel like after this whole trip my shoulders dropped a few mm's from all that weight. After Karen's interview, I walked back to Joe's, since it was literally just a couple blocks away. I remember thinking how cool it is to live THAT close to a fellow colleague. As you know, or maybe you don't. I come from Columbus, Ohio, and you don't get any of the same type of art world here as you do in NYC. The next day I was in Brooklyn for my first interview with Michael Brennan. Wonderful times but his lighting situation in his studio was such that it completely messed with the quality of my video. Ended up with all kinds of red bands through the video that was damn hard to fix.

I had a free day after that, and used all the evening to download all the information from my camera to the computer. Took me until I got back home and talked to a fellow filmmaker that I found a much easier way to transfer things into my computer.

Sunday I was able to get up with John Zinsser, who gave me all kinds of new information about being an artist in NYC, along with his history. The guy has amazing stories and is one hell of a painter.

Monday, the day I left, I got to meet up with Klaus at his home on 8th Street. It was a wonderful day, he was out walking his dog and I got him just as he was coming back. I honestly would have thought that a guy with his legend, would be living in a bigger space, but it's his decision on where to live. I had never been in so many different types of apartments in my life. It was wild going into the lair of one of the most legendary of people I had interviewed. This guy had basically at one time been what some thought would be the next Leo Castelli, with the caliber of artists he found and began his gallery with. Klaus had a view outside his apartment most would dig to enjoy each day. Lots of windows from his place meant he barely needed a lightbulb until the sun went down. The windows surrounded two walls in his apartment, which is cool because most only have windows in the front and back. Really gave a wonderful view of his surrounding area. He told me some funny stories about living there, but they are a bit too much for sharing here. It was one person to another, no extensions on those conversations.

He sat in front of a Joan Mitchell drawing and we proceeded to do our interview. Thankfully we were able to get what would become the whole interview done. Granted I wanted to do more but it wasn't long after this that his health caught up to him. I heard a few years later that he was being walked around town by an assistant, and it wasn't long after I heard that news that I heard the news of Klaus' passing. Upon hearing the news, my brain lit up with memories of walking in front of his place when I would go down to the original Whitney museum. Each time I think of him, I think of his telling me I need to get to NY, it makes me wish I had tried harder in order to make that very thing happen.

I wonder about who is now living there, maybe his partner, could be someone completely oblivious as to whom lived there before. Life goes on, but memories keep the past alive too.

Here are a few clips from our interview session...



And



Thanks for reading. I appreciate your interest in what I am doing.
Cheers.
Jeffrey Collins

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 Short Film on Papua New Guinea and Papua

Over the last few months, I have been meticulously editing this new film from Portrait Painter Stephen Bennett about his 2007 travels to Papua New Guinea and Papua. This film is more of a visual diary than anything else. What you see are the sights and sounds that went into Bennett's video camera. Looks like a very cool trip, wait till you see the end.



Edited on Final Cut Pro Ten with my SSD MBP.
Cheers.
Jeffrey Collins
Editor

Klaus Kertess on Matthew Barney

In case you live under an art rock. You have heard about the passing of one of the legends Klaus Kertess. The gentleman who began the Bykert Gallery which gave rise to artists like Ralph Humphrey, Brice Marden and David Novros. Klaus passed away little over a week ago now, and I've been doing some serious thinking about the interview that we did back in 2012. So many questions are still unanswered and will remain that way. I heard from a friend that he wasn't quite all there in his last few months, really wished he had been one of the healthy up to the end ones. Feeling for his partner of over 40 years, Billy Sullivan and what he's been going through.

In 2012 I got to sit down with Klaus for the first and last time. It was quite an experience to hear his stories, many you won't hear from anywhere else. Most of the people who wrote about him were only really interested in his time as a gallerist in the 60's. But he was OH SO MUCH more than that. And he really shared that with me.

One of the interview subjects we spoke about was his working on an exhibition of Matthew Barney at the Morgan Library in NYC. He was in the midst of planning it as we were talking. He felt free to share what I am going to share with you now. No need to talk more about the clip, since Klaus does all the talking in it. Enjoy. 



If you would like to see more and more clips like this, please visit the black DONATE box to the right>>> Your help is greatly appreciated, as it takes a lot to do this by oneself and it's been getting harder and harder to keep up with my filming. I haven't been able to do much lately as I've no funding for this. If you know anyone or anywhere you think would help, please do let me know.

Thanks for your time.
Jeffrey Collins
Director

Painter Ronnie Landfield in his NYC Studio 2012

It wasn't too long after I got to film Ronnie Landfield and his wife Jenny in his Tribeca studio moving paintings around, that the storm of the century for NYC hit and ended his time there. I'm glad I got to spend some wonderful time there, either filming, or just hanging out. Ronnie is always a great person to talk with. We have lots of differences in the way we see art, but that's what makes the conversations all that much richer. I've been looking forward to visiting his new studio for years now and who knows when i'll be able to get up there to film.



If you know someone who likes to sponsor art projects, especially of the documentation sort, please get them in touch as it takes more than I've got to make these films for you. History needs films like this.

Thanks for watching!
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

3 2 30

I have been going over my inventory of amazing interviews with even more amazing people. I've been thinking of running another filming campaign to help get certain interviews made with a few people I have been talking with for months/years. I decided to make this cool montage of imagery from the interviews so far and realized I'm almost at 30 interviews. Pretty sweet considering that 5 years ago I had this dream to make a film like De Antonio did with PAINTERS PAINTING. Only thing is I ended up going way beyond what his vision was. Especially when I decided that each of these people is so unique it's hard to put them all into one film.

I'm so THANKFUL to all you wonderful people who have let me come into your homes, and studios and interview you. I look forward to continue our journey together, along with all the new names that have yet to be included. Even those that have decided to not be a part of this. I still appreciate all we did together.

In order...
Anders Knutsson
Art Guerra
Carl Belz
Darryl Hughto
Dee Solin
Francine Tint
Forrest "Frosty" Myers
James Panero
John Zinsser
Karen Wilkin
Klaus Kertess
Liv Mette Larsen
Loren Munk
Louise P. Sloane
Michael Brennan
Peter Reginato
Richard Timperio
Robert C. Morgan
Robert Sagerman
Rodney Dickson
Ronnie Landfield
Ruth Ann Fredenthal
Sandi Slone
Seren Morey
Stephen Bennett
Susan Roth
Vincent Como

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.

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.

A Preface.....limited edition printing.

Almost immediately after the screening of the Preface of the film in Kingston NY in August. I was thinking of how I can get it to more people. Granted, I always take care of those in the film first. So I began printing up dvd's to send to all the participants, so they can have them for their archives. I also began thinking of how I could get it to the public in a more economical way than just dvd's. I have been speaking with my friend and web maestro Michael Lukacsko about the possibility of doing pay per view VOD from our new website.

Granted the VOD section is not quite ready yet, but we are hoping the new website will be ready within the week, along with the Preface in a VOD section of it's own. Soon to have even more VOD sections from select participants. There is well over 200 hours of footage and I don't want to deprive anyone of being able to view much of the footage before it hits the screen.

As for now, know that I am my web-maestro are steadily working on helping you to have the most amazing viewing experience into the lives and work of what I feel are some of the most important artists of this day and age.

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.

 

 

 

 

First Film Festival in Kingston NY.

Big Thanks going to Peter Reginato for always being the man with the cam. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have these pics to share with you today. Here's a bunch of the photos that Peter took while at the Premiere for Who's Afraid of Red Yellow and Blue: A Preface. Shown on Thursday August 8th at the BSP Lounge for the Kingston NY Film Festival.

 

The talk before the screening.

John Zinsser

Sandi Slone

Peter Reginato

Dennis Hollingsworth

Rodney Dickson



Stephen Bennett



Michael Brennan

Louise P. Sloane





Forrest Myers



Carl Belz

Karen Wilkin

Matthew Deleget

James Panero



Robert C. Morgan



Klaus Kertess



Dee Solin



Ronnie Landfield





Darryl Hughto



Ruth Ann Fredenthal



Susan Roth




Robert C. Morgan speaking after the screening.


Myself, Robert, Louise, and Randy.


Robert's friends, Hashimoto Tadashi and Laurel Shute.


Ric Dragon


My Mother. Sandra Collins


Louise, Randy, Myself, Astrid, and Ric.


Louise, Randy, Myself, Astrid, and Ric.


Myself at Ric's.


At the screening.


Peter Reginato and Louise P. Sloane.

THANKS EVERYONE!!!
Jeffrey Collins
Artist/Filmmaker