Saturday, July 26, 2008

"WHO THE #$&% IS JACKSON POLLOCK?"


I was at the library today and found this gem of a documentary movie in the art book section. After a little research on the internet I discovered it was filmed in 2006 and came out, I think, in 2007. If you haven't seen it, find a copy to view. This is a wonderful true story of a woman (Teri Horton) who finds a painting in a thrift store, pays $5 for it and then is told it might be by Jackson Pollock...who, of course, she has never heard of...hence the title of the movie. I don't want to give too much away but Teri is a 72 year old ex trucker. She is tiny but tough out spoken. The story is about painting, painting "experts", authentification processes, class distinctions and assumptions, snobbery of the first order, yada, yada, yada. There are so many issues dealing with art and the the art world that it boggles the mind. I rooting for Teri!

6 comments:

Mike said...

This sounds like a terrific read . . .good for going over seas this summer. Is "#$&%" really in the title? Who wrote it? Will check it out on A'zon

Nancy Standlee said...

I've seen the movie and found it very interesting.
Here is a follow up site about the importance of a painting registry
http://www.fineartregistry.com/articles/far_investigates/jackson-pollock-teri-horton.php

Myrna Wacknov said...

This is a documentary dvd, not a book and that is the actual title. Substitue the "F" word for #%&$. This gal is a trucker and has a trucker's vocabulary to go with it. Irridescent blue eyeshadow, blonde puffed up hair and a pink semi rig. She smokes and drinks and has spunk. I like Teri. She's real and tells it like it is.

Anonymous said...

Hi Myrna,

Got the movie after reading your blob.
I enjoyed it a lot. There it shows it clearly that art is not science, but opinions and emotions.

Teri is one stubborn gal. Her determination is worth more to her than 9 Mill. Pretty amazing and admirable.

Lena

Melinda said...

This is a great documentary that should travel fast. It raises the same issues as those discussed in the 1950s by the art critics Harold Rosenberg and Clement Greenberg. I think this DVD illustrates the continued ripple effect of their views. Eventually that wonderful trucker will be proved correct! In the meantime, she's given herself a gift--a bit of an art education. I think I rented this through Netflix. Thanks for sharing it.

CarmenT said...

This sounds like a interesting title. Will have to check it out.

Came to this post through the if you liked this you might like that feature you have that linked from the June 2010 post on multiple self-portraits and a like-minded individual - that also sounds interesting.

If you are interested you can check out my blog at http://catstuff-carment.blogspot.com/ I write a non-theme blog about whatever catches my interest and about my life which isn't really that interesting on the whole but has it's moments. LOL.

Oh, and keep up the good work on this blog.

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