Audrey Flack, a spirited 89-year-old, established her reputation as part of the male-dominated school of photorealism. It isn't just that her technical skills were equal to that of her counterparts, but she gravitated toward feminine subject matter, a notable difference in a genre more associated with form than content. As she puts it, "I am not a feminist artist; I am a feminist who is an artist." Though she prefers large canvases, many of her voluptuous paintings feature small items writ large, from family heirlooms to Jewish iconography, arranged into still lifes on a sociopolitical theme. If she has generated controversy during her career, she didn’t pursue art in order to revolt against a staid upbringing.
On the contrary, her talent was apparent from an early age, and her immigrant parents encouraged her to attend Manhattan’s High School of Music & Art. She followed with stints at Cooper Union and Yale, where she studied with Josef Albers. In the process, she shifted from abstract expressionism to photorealism, a less critically appreciated genre, but one that allowed her to express herself more freely. Though she and her high school boyfriend, H. Robert Marcus, parted ways before marrying other people, they formed a lasting bond. She gave birth to her first daughter, Melissa, at a time when autism was believed to result from poor parenting. She acknowledges the struggle of the so-called refrigerator mother, stating, "I wanted to die." Melissa, who is unable to communicate verbally, now lives in a group home. When Flack reconnected with Marcus after the birth of Hannah, her second daughter, they divorced their partners and got married. He also adopted her children, an indication that her first husband wasn't quite as enthusiastic about parenthood (after she had kids, Flack found it easier to work from photographs over live models).
A close look at her paintings reveals images of her family, often in the form of portraits. Though she could have continued to make a living as a painter and an art instructor, she switched to public commissions, with a focus on strong female figures. Some were well received, but a proposed statue of Catherine of Braganza proved contentious due to her rumored ties to the slave trade. It may have influenced Flack's return to painting after 30 years as a sculptor. At the end, she puts the finishing touches on a canvas she had begun decades before. Director Deborah Shaffer (To Be Heard) also captures a living room jam session with Hannah in which she reveals her expertise on the banjo. Though she clearly prioritizes visual art, more information about her interest in music would've been ideal, not least since she performs a song about Jackson Pollock, "Action Jackson," in a bonus feature. This release also includes an insightful interview with Shaffer and co-director Rachel Reichman from the Ashland Independent Film Festival, where they discuss some difficult editorial choices. The result of their efforts is an eye-opening portrait of a singular artist who deserves greater recognition. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P.