The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film

Throughout the twentieth century, American films were not only a potent site of reflection, contention, provocation and contemplation of social, political, and religious mores, but also of the search for identity in the world. There were, additionally, a number of films that attempted to outline the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dena Gilby
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Athens Institute for Education and Research 2020-10-01
Series:Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts
Online Access:https://www.athensjournals.gr/humanities/2020-7-4-1-Gilby.pdf
_version_ 1818330061220085760
author Dena Gilby
author_facet Dena Gilby
author_sort Dena Gilby
collection DOAJ
description Throughout the twentieth century, American films were not only a potent site of reflection, contention, provocation and contemplation of social, political, and religious mores, but also of the search for identity in the world. There were, additionally, a number of films that attempted to outline the character of the artist. Some romanticized the artist’s life—one can think of Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of Paul Gauguin as an almost tragic hero in A Wolf at the Door (1987), or the doomed anti-hero of Jeffrey Wright’s Basquiat (1996). Others, such as Legal Eagles (1986) and I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), recreated the milieu of the art world, especially that of New York City. This presentation provides a comparison of A Wolf at the Door to Basquiat and Legal Eagles to I Shot Andy Warhol to reveal a deep-seated set of notions about artists and art, Modernism and Postmodernism to which the film industry of the last years of the twentieth century may be viewed as a response. The films capture traditional American views not only on the nature of the artist, but also larger issues; indeed, these films purportedly present to the viewer insights into the origins and manifestations of human creativity.
first_indexed 2024-12-13T12:57:58Z
format Article
id doaj.art-507f029abf34429198dcec0e80df6fc0
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2241-7702
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T12:57:58Z
publishDate 2020-10-01
publisher Athens Institute for Education and Research
record_format Article
series Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts
spelling doaj.art-507f029abf34429198dcec0e80df6fc02022-12-21T23:45:06ZengAthens Institute for Education and ResearchAthens Journal of Humanities & Arts2241-77022020-10-017428129610.30958/ajha.7.4.1The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American FilmDena Gilby0Professor, Endicott College, USAThroughout the twentieth century, American films were not only a potent site of reflection, contention, provocation and contemplation of social, political, and religious mores, but also of the search for identity in the world. There were, additionally, a number of films that attempted to outline the character of the artist. Some romanticized the artist’s life—one can think of Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of Paul Gauguin as an almost tragic hero in A Wolf at the Door (1987), or the doomed anti-hero of Jeffrey Wright’s Basquiat (1996). Others, such as Legal Eagles (1986) and I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), recreated the milieu of the art world, especially that of New York City. This presentation provides a comparison of A Wolf at the Door to Basquiat and Legal Eagles to I Shot Andy Warhol to reveal a deep-seated set of notions about artists and art, Modernism and Postmodernism to which the film industry of the last years of the twentieth century may be viewed as a response. The films capture traditional American views not only on the nature of the artist, but also larger issues; indeed, these films purportedly present to the viewer insights into the origins and manifestations of human creativity.https://www.athensjournals.gr/humanities/2020-7-4-1-Gilby.pdf
spellingShingle Dena Gilby
The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts
title The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
title_full The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
title_fullStr The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
title_full_unstemmed The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
title_short The Reel (Re)Presentation of the Artist in Late Twentieth Century American Film
title_sort reel re presentation of the artist in late twentieth century american film
url https://www.athensjournals.gr/humanities/2020-7-4-1-Gilby.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT denagilby thereelrepresentationoftheartistinlatetwentiethcenturyamericanfilm
AT denagilby reelrepresentationoftheartistinlatetwentiethcenturyamericanfilm