At what point does iconoclastic art end and shtick begin? That seems like the relevant question to ask about Maurizio Cattelan, the artist whose bizarre works and penchant for self-promotion make him something of a clown prince within the contemporary art scene. Director Maura Axelrod's portrait of the artist feels a bit like a commercial for Cattelan, whose most famous works include a fully-functioning 18-karat golden toilet, a sculpture of Pope John Paul II being struck down by a meteorite, a sculpture of Adolf Hitler on his knees in penance for his misdeeds, and a live art gallery employee duct-taped to the wall. In what feels like a nod to Orson Welles's F for Fake, Cattelan sometimes hired stand-ins to handle his media interviews, while his own actual forays into being interviewed are peppered with cutesy quotes, including "I am not an artist—I make art, but it's a job." It certainly seems to be a profitable job, as his work has fetched up to $10 million at auction and has been displayed at the world's leading art venues. Some will consider Cattelan's antics entertaining and provocative, while others will be bored by his off-kilter work and attention-seeking stunts. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Be Right Back
(2017) 95 min. DVD: $24.95. Film Movement (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 2
Be Right Back
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