\n‘PEGGY GUGGENHEIM’ WINS . . . !!
\nhands down, no<\/strong> contest.<\/p>\n
‘PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT’, 2015<\/strong> – directed by LISA IMMORDINO VREELAND, is still playing at the IFC CENTER<\/a> in Manhattan, albeit at 10:45 am – but, still . . !! yeah,<\/strong> it’s great on a big screen – lots & lots of archival footage: JACKSON POLLOCK, MONDRIAN, DUCHAMP – all them forward moving serious art Frenchies, and, then all those bold American dudes. on the other hand, ‘STAR WARS’ put me to sleep, several times, in fact continuously !! the only<\/strong> thing I liked, special effects wise, and anything else wise: was the roly-poly 2 balled metallic or was that hard plastic\/composite (?) ‘snowman’ robot\/droid – that followed the super cute, scavenger class, duh. heroine, around. nothing else is new. oh I forgot – the ‘villain’, KYLO REN aka the new gen Darth Vader – is: new. on the other hand, ‘PEGGY GUGGENHEIM’ was a low ball production that had it’s weak moments of editing, but overall – absolutely delivered.<\/p>\n and, for god’s sake – don’t judge this film by it’s trailer !! but PEGGY GUGGENHEIM herself – was huge !! some interesting tidbits . . that had particular big sparks for me:<\/p>\n 1. haha, her feud with her richer, but dumber art patron uncle, SOLOMON GUGGENHEIM, founder of the Guggenheim Museum, and his arrogant, nasty, snobby, power-stealing, ‘hottie’, maybe mistress – art consultant \/ curator !! Peggy has one word for her, besides: “bombshell” – lordy !! 2. the insights into the Guggenheim family & its legacy, in general, but esp her aunt or cousin, who threw her own 2 babies to their death off a roof, rather than give them up in a divorce power play, and was never charged with anything ??!!?? 3. I loved how people bitch in the film about . . . “how cheap she was” – !! Jackson Pollock would never have flourished without her financial support. yeah, PEGGY GUGGENHEIM was cheap. right. 4. the bio<\/strong> behind the brand . . the woman herself. but when your ship comes in, it’s a huge, huge payload. and the worst trailer in the world – is:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/peggy-guggenheim-art-addict.jpg\" "\\"peggy-guggenheim-art-addict\\"")
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\nDARTH VADER, oops I mean . . KYLO REN !!!! – LOOK OUT !!!!
\nPEGGY G. – coming to take you out !!<\/p>\n
\nas IF, we don’t know it’s a dumb-ed down world, don’t blink, get out of bed 2 hrs earlier, and go see it. <\/p>\n
\nyep.<\/strong> totally fab visuals . . as the art world moves from Paris – to New York !!
\nand it’s: all because of, thank you – Peggy !!
\nand of course, the film is . . . !!
\nalso chock-full of the main character, and I do mean CHARACTER, with a capital C, art-seer & patron .. PEGGY GUGGENHEIM<\/strong>, herself.
\nand, even CARLO McCORMICK<\/strong> – makes several cameos – as a talking head !!<\/p>\n
\neven at the IMAX !!
\nwhat a waste of time, and resources. and it made $1 Billion in a record 12 days.
\nwell, that’s the world – we live in. sad. played out. thin & lame. $$$ in all the wrong places.
\ninter-planetary, NOT.
\nI think that’s what I missed most in it. something really new, weird and far-out. seriously digital. warped sound waves. twisted time. come on guys, alien life forms are not all going to be anthropomorphic.
\nif you were a muscle-bound weightlifter, you could maybe squeeze a few drops of original imagination – out of it, maybe enough . . to make one cup of tepid tea. <\/p>\n
\nbut, he sucks. that guy from ‘GIRLS’, sucks. you know, ADAM DRIVER, what a disappointment. scrape it up, off the sidewalk – dude, your character doesn’t even qualify as an alternative<\/strong> new age, mopey brooding Vader.
\nBrooklyn hipster dude, you shoulda stuck with . . Lena. Adam did better with a naked frumpy Lena – than he does with this good looking chick, any day. no chemistry whatsoever. no balls. no fear. no twists. no terror. no evil. ok he throws Han Solo around. so what, Harrison Ford looked like he was ready, already !! to be cast out of this loser – gimme break. he gets more thrills flying planes in real life.
\nboo-hoo.
\nmaybe, because . . no script ? no really, and I mean really<\/strong> .. dark holes.
\nyeah. I vote LENA DUNHAM – to direct, if not write – the next ‘Star Wars’ !!
\nanybody else – second that emotion ?<\/p>\n
\nthe worst trailer in the world – and as good an example as any, of how Peggy was demeaned throughout her life.
\nthank God, she lived to see her singular vision – validated !!
\nand shame on the filmmakers for releasing such a lame low ball trailer – no wonder the film is screening at 10:45 in the morning.<\/p>\n
\na huge colorful character. super chic, and modern – before modern was a word, she was a huge huge influence on the art scene – we know and love, even today. and, except for that unfortunate trailer, which just serves to show you – what unkind idiots she was up against – she comes through – loud and clear.
\nhow could she not ?
\nshe left a blazing trail of artists behind her, that never would have stood a chance without her . . just 3 names, among many – should suffice: MARCEL DUCHAMP, JACKSON POLLOCK and MONDRIAN. <\/p>\n
\nas if, things have changed !! NOT !!<\/p>\n
\nand yeah, they got a clip of her !!
\nwas it: evil ? or simply: “she was a fiend”.
\nwell, Peggy as I said, lived to see – she had had the last word.
\nhow satisfying. <\/p>\n
\na nice cameo on the social mores of the day. esp of the super upper crust. they, the Guggenheims, went from dirt poor immigrant Lower East Side street cart peddlers to vastly immensely super rich – in one generation, so one can only imagine the DNA in that clan. if you are going to ‘bio-clone’ – you know where to start.
\nand maybe Peggy was<\/em> the smartest of the lot, if not the shrewdest !!<\/p>\n
\nbecause she served . . the cheapest low grade food and wine at her parties !!
\nomg, what losers. and no, again, nothing – has changed.
\nin the meantime she fronted the considerable dough out of her own pocket – that had several indie galleries, with agendas & curatorial visions way ahead of their time – up and running in Paris, London and then New York, and finally in Venice, without much sales, or income – all of which, literally gave birth to modern art, and all !! on her own dime.
\nnot only that, she single-handedly & in person, in a desperate & dangerous time – moved a lot of this modern art, from Paris, away from the grasp of the Nazis who would surely have destroyed it, and shipped it, covertly – across the Atlantic ocean, for god’s sake !! halfway around the world – to safety, in New York – again, all on her own dime.
\nnot to mention the generous patronage she bestowed, we are talking US $$$, on the ’emerging’ & under-recognized artists, of the time, even bringing many of them, including Duchamp – to New York. in essence saving them. and, all<\/strong> on her own dime. <\/p>\n
\nand then, just ever so casually – towards the end of the film, it is just dropped<\/strong> that she, Peggy G paid a life long patronage grant to DJUANA BARNES !! to keep her alive, and writing her<\/strong> whole life.
\nare you following me ? Djuana Barnes !!<\/p>\n
\ndodos rule the world, and esp the art world – as if anything<\/em> has changed there.
\nNOT.<\/p>\n
\nall the incredible archival photos, film clips & newly surfaced audio-tapes. nothing beats seeing & hearing her<\/strong> in her own voice & words – the real deal . . the real person, behind that art-history-in-the-making.
\nPeggy comes across as quite funny, vulnerable, brilliantly wry & equally insightful, brave. with a life both tragic, hard-partying, and art loving joyful. she was intellectually inspired, passionate, and sensual – on hyper mode.
\nmoved to action by forces that are hard to explain logistically, but with a . . juiced-up pre-vision, that was\/is . . as sure as sure can be.
\ntell me about – it. second nature, you either have it, or you don’t.
\nthat’s a funny thing about being such a radical pre-thinker, talent scout & patron.
\nyou begin to be perceived as an oddball, an outsider, when really you are<\/strong> the most consummate insider – in the world.
\nmoved by invisible rays . . of knowing.
\na water diviner. a juicer. it make take years – for the clear source of that sweet nectar of inspiration – to surface and, finally make its play.<\/p>\n
\nfor all the hardships & name calling, there’s <\/strong>nothing like knowing great art when you are the only<\/strong> one in the room, nothing like buying great art for pennies, and then living long enough to walk around – and point to the now . . million dollar price tags !! which she does<\/strong> in this film, and yes, she utters many a “damn I shouldn’t have sold that”<\/strong> under her breath !!
\nbut, she always knew it. that’s the great beauty of her . . eccentricity. her edge.
\nthe only thing she regrets – at the end of her long life, is that with age – she ran out of lovers !!<\/p>\n