Shelter Island

An unlikely bond between an “outsider” artist and his unusual patron is the subject of this engaging documentary by Michael Canzoniero. Harald Olson is an unconventional resident of Shelter Island, NY—a gangly, reclusive man so obsessed with painting that he gives scant thought to necessities, happily embracing a virtually homeless lifestyle while regularly visiting the local recycling center to scavenge materials needed for his art. By contrast, Jimmy Olinkiewicz is a garrulous gas station owner who frets about the future for his autistic son. Olinkiewicz is also kind of a scavenger himself, collecting unusual items at rummage sales that he then posts on eBay to turn a profit. When these two dissimilar men met, they unaccountably hit it off—Olson decorated the pumps at Jimmy's station, and Olinkiewicz in turn constructed an addition to his building to serve as an ad-hoc showplace for Olson's canvases. Olinkiewicz also used his promotional skills on Olson's behalf, eventually helping to secure a showing for his friend's paintings at a Manhattan gallery, where they won considerable praise despite the fact that Olson had no formal training (at one point he admits that he's never even heard of Jackson Pollock, whose splatter technique he sometimes unknowingly emulated). A charming portrait of two guys who are individually rather odd but make an even odder couple, DVD extras include the short film In My Mind (made by Olinkiewicz's son, Alex), and a montage of Olson's paintings. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)