My Best Of 25 Films Selection, (never mind the Oscars)

In the 1970's the Boston area (Boston Cambridge, Brookline) was full of retro & art-house movie theaters featuring retrospectives of Foreign films, early Hollywood, auteur directors, and avant-garde short films. At some point the blockbuster films began to slowly but surely overshadow the indie film houses most of which soon went away. On Sundays and Thursdays I'd plan my day of movie viewing to see as many as 5 film screenings in a single day. Many of the theaters were located near the subway stops, making it convenient to catch a train to the next theatre if the timing worked out. Going to the movies on my own was a treat, a place where I could immerse myself in the flickering films before me. In NYC I would attend film screenings at Anthology Film Archives or at the New York Film Festival. Film took me to other places as I digested what made for a truly great memorable film. Later I worked with a crew of dedicated knowledgeable film devotees at an indie video rental store where David Mamet did his research and Ben Affleck browsed. While a student at SMFA I became assistant to the Film History professor who was also the director of film at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He realized that my knowledge of film in some areas surpassed his own. He gave me the opportunity to create my own lesson plans and teach his course myself. Later he became the director of the British Film Institute where he recommended me to a publisher looking for a historian of animation and avant-garde short films to write a book on the subject. It was a point in my life that I had begun planning a different direction and a move to Taos, NM in order to further my painting career. Yet, film and its influence stays with me. This is a list of 25 of the most influential films for me and a little bit of why I've chosen them.

"North By Northwest" 1959

Alfred Hitchcock

In many ways North by Northwest is a reworking of Hitchcock's own "The 39 Steps" complete with his 'MacGuffin' device to move the plot along and keep the audience in suspense. The crop duster sequence, the chase over Mount Rushmore and the scenes in the United Nations all had me dreaming of seeing these places for myself. Through the years I have seen Rushmore, the UN, and been in a small plane in which I couldn't stop smiling, all because of this one film.

"La Belle et la Bette" 1946

Jean Cocteau
The story from a 1740 novel by Villeneuve has been told many times through film, this version for me is everything that it should be. Magical, romantic, pride, honor and defending others who through circumstances not of their own making need someone to stand up for them all come together here. Cocteau's pure artistry shines through in this 'fairy tale'.

"Night of the Hunter" 1955

Charles Laughton
Best known for his dramatic acting somehow Laughton chose to direct a film. You keep hoping that things will all turn out alright, but the evil that humans are capable of keep pushing forward and you become lost and begin to lose all hope for a happy ending. One of the later films of the 'Film Noir' category, it is the finest example of black and white filmmaking all shadows and mystery.

"A Clockwork Orange" 1971

Stanley Kubrick
A mind bending book through the eyes of one of the finest filmmakers. Kubrick keeps you watching and wanting more. Like the main character who's eyes are held open to keep him seeing the atrocities he has invoked himself, you can not look away. 

"Trainspotting" 1996

Daniel Boyle

Scenes that will stick in your head, music that will pump blood through your veins and characters that will make you shake your head and say to yourself, yes I know someone just like that. Choose Wisely.

"Blow Up" 1966

Michelangelo Antonioni

London in the swinging sixties and so much more. Eventually I visited London and went straight to the park in this film. I walked the perimeter carefully hoping to see something and to not see anything at all. London spreads out below the hillside here, you can take it all in from this point of view. Then too, there are the details, what if you blow up the photograph to see more, to see less. What's around the corner from where you're shooting pictures. I see what I learned from this film still to this day, keep looking, you will too.

"La Dolce Vita" 1961

Frederico Fellini
Alright I admit it, I wanted to be either Cary Grant or Marcello Mastroianni, or maybe both. My love of cafes and bistros and just walking through a city at night is because of this film.

"The Deer Hunter" 1978

Michael Cimino
In the mid-70's the Vietnam war had ended, the draft had ended and I was saved from going to fight in a place I knew that I would never survive. The nitty gritty effects of war are thrown up onto the cinema screen and it is not pretty, not elegant and not something anyone should be a part of. DeNiro and Walken at their finest. Friendships so strong that they only want to help each other and take the pain away from one another. I doubt that I can watch this film again, I believe it would now be too stressful because it immerses the viewer into a world that has many flaws.

"The Tree of Wooden Clogs" 1979

Ermanno Olmi
A small village has many parts to it, each and everyone participates, contributes and helps make the village work. A small village is a family. Here in Taos, it is a small village full of family. A truly beautiful film.

"Wings of Desire" 1988

Wim Wenders
I have been here, walking among you as if an angel or ghost. Pinch me, am I dreaming? How do I know you can see me, can you see me, do you hear me? I don't know, but I do want you to see and hear me. How do I do that? I keep trying. As I've said, I met Bruno Ganz at the New York Film Festival for the premiere of The American Friend. Ganz was this angel waiting for this roll to come along. 

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" 1977

Steven Spielberg
They're here, it rings through you, and you know. I've never been to the Devils Tower, maybe I should go there someday soon. The obsession of a vision seems to drive Dreyfuss mad, but it's his vision. He creates various forms of art, he is inspired to create art through his vision. This is more than a space monkey film for me, it is about being a visionary and finding the right person in your life that understands and supports your vision.

"Battleship Potemkin" 1925

Sergei Eisenstein

Montage, or editing to create dynamic synergy and motion. Eisenstein at his absolute finest, a visionary filmmaker pouring his heart into putting films together that would make an audience gasp. His films stand the test of time, scenes and imagery stay with you because that is what the best of cinema and art should do.


"Lust For Life" 1956
Vincente Minnelli
I enjoy watching films about artists, even the overly dramatic ones such as this. Douglas and Quinn engage and battle one another, but for what means. One sees it his way the other his own way, time has given perspective that they were both right. Madness and genius has never been depicted so brilliantly on film.

"Ballet Mécanique" 1924

Fernand Leger/Dudley Murphy
An artist makes a film and decides to make art. Lager makes it look like he never wanted to stop working on this film, that he was exploring the possibilities. Illusions and delusions mesh together here creating movement and rhythm.

"Un Chien Andalou" 1929

Luis Bunuel/Salvador Dali
Do not watch this film, no wait watch it again. Did you see what I saw, you were tricked the way a magician will trick you every time. Dali puts his surrealism twist on a bit of cinema that you can not ever forget.

"Meshes of the Afternoon" 1943

Maya Deren
If you are to study cinema, then you need to see Deren's masterwork of dreaming and repetition. Maybe it's because I was thinking of this film that I dreamt about a man reading a book. As he read a page front and back he would then rip the page from the book and discard it. His partner asks why he was doing this, he tells her that he has a problem with losing his place and reading pages over again, so he rips the pages out as he finishes them in order to not repeat reading them. 

"Mothlight" 1963

Stan Brakhage
Upon meeting Mr. Brakhage I told him that Mothlight was the most incredible film I'd ever seen. Soon after this he'd sent me a 16mm copy of the film as a gift. I put the film on a pair of rewinds and looked at it frame by frame. Breakage placed moth wings, grass and natural objects onto the film surface, printed this and recreated the flickering motion of a moth to a light. Simple, elegant, mind bending.

"The Owl Who Married a Goose" 1976

Caroline Leaf
Of all the dedicated animators I've met leaf was simple about it all, she used sand on an underlie surface and moved it around while shooting one frame at a time. The tale of an owl and a goose as mismatched as could be, became a beauty to behold. Today the political correct ones would never let a film like this be created, thankfully leaf has left an enduring legacy and honoring of a unique culture and their storytelling.

"Bambi" 1942

David Hand and Disney Staff
How many reasons can I give to say that yes Bambi is one of my all time favorite films. Full of animals of the forest, full of joy and the sadness of death. Color schemes, the complications of animating four legged animals and the pureness of the animators hands shine through. Hand in hand with Smokey Bear I truly wish that people really would prevent forest fires. 

"Pinocchio" 1940

Hamilton Luske and Disney Staff
I've met five of the Disney 'nine old men' before they passed away, at the Telluride Film Festival in 1978 I met Wolfgang Reitherman who spoke about animating Monstro the whale and other grand characters in this film. For years I thought that I would wake up one day and my cat Cactus Pete would become a 'real' boy. Pinocchio makes me believe that all things are possible and to stay away from people who will try to take you down the wrong path, but mostly that dreams can come true. 

"Princess Mononoke" 1999

Hayao Miyazaki
Action adventure in an animated film, character development to the point that you were riding on that wolf with her. The great stag forest spirit, everything in the forest is alive and I know this only too well. A walk in the forest is meditative and spiritually healing. Miyazaki is the real deal when it comes to animation master. I let an opportunity slip away to interview him many years ago when he was visiting the Disney studio in Florida, a regrettable mistake on my part.

"In the Land of the War Canoes" (aka Head Hunters) 1914

Edward S. Curtis
Early documentary film by the american master photographer Curtis. Sure he had them be more dramatic, but isn't it worth his effort that he recorded an indigenous people on film for all time. Curtis has many flaws but love of saving a big piece of culture isn't one of them.

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" 2011

Werner Herzog

I'd have paid Herzog to be a part of the film crew on this documentary. Enter a cave by flickering light, what do you see, you see the beginnings of storytelling and cinema before your eyes. I'd like more of this please.

"A Damsel in Distress" 1937

George Stevens
Music, dance, romance and comedy. Burns and Allen were such a great comedy team that I smile to this day thinking about Gracie Allen. Burns was her straight man and he egged her on, but she never told him that his viewpoint was wrong, just that hers was a different way of seeing something. Astaire as charming as ever, he knew that typical filming of his dancing would have cropped off his legs, he worked with directors to convince them that a long shot was the best way to film him. He was right and others took notice. There are many reasons we call our shop Two Graces, there are many wonderful and meaningful graces out there, goodnight Gracie.

"It's a Wonderful Life" 1947

Frank Capra
I truly believe that I am blessed to be a sort of George Bailey, that I have a Clarence watching over me and the love of my wife making for a wonderful life. Stewart in the lead roll brings you along for the ride and puts you in his shoes. Along with his other 2 Capra films they show us the humanity we all seek among us. As meaningful and endearing as film can be.

For friends and mentors Shunsuke Yamaguchi, Dan Braun, Deac Rossell and Bob White.

Things I learned in Art School at School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Always Teaching, Always Learning

As both a student, and an associate professor for 21 years, I learned a great deal about art and making art. At SMFA there was always great sharing of knowledge. If I couldn’t solve a problem I could ask a teacher in some other department how to accomplish something, how to do it better. Someone was always willing to share their own knowledge either one on one. Often professors from other departments would send students to the right source, someone who would know how to help with a particular challenging art problem. I have been a source of knowledge and continue to learn as much as I can soak in. No one knows everything. Going to someone who can help you develop, someone who has an expertise is important. Reading and looking is important too, at the shapes, textures and colors around you. Looking at art, of how someone did it. Figure out what you can take away from seeing a true masterpiece. Here is a short list of some of what I’ve learned through these years. This mostly applies to painters, but you might get something out of it if you change wording around and apply it to writing or some other art form. This list is actually about critical thinking. Whenever possible I have given credit to those teachers after each line using an asterix and italics.

Cy Twombly room at Philadelphia Museum of Art

1.) Vary the quality of your line. Variation of mark making makes your work stronger, more interesting. To use the same mark over and over again can become boring. 

*Drawing professors Bill Flynn and David Kelly both knocked this important lesson into my head. Think of drawing and mark making as if you were conducting an orchestra. Using lyrical movement as you work.

2.) Think about how you can make a color you greatly dislike used in a beautiful way.

*Artist Sarah Hinckley once told me this and I’ve never forgotten it, I may dislike the color yellow, but some of my best paintings are yellow ones thanks to thinking about this.

3.) Take a look at the night sky, then try to paint it in watercolor. Notice all the color there is in a night sky, it certainly isn’t ‘black’.

* Watercolor teacher Kaji Aso was all about this, that there is color everywhere.

4.) Color on top of color, known as glazing can enrich the quality of your painting, try it. It isn’t paint by numbers. There is also shading and texture to think about.

*J.M.W. Turner for me is a master colorist, there is much to learn from looking at his paintings. Monet, Matisse, Picasso were not using single colors in their paintings.

5.) Learn to stretch a canvas using rabbit skin glue and gesso. Heated rabbit skin glue causes the linen or cotton canvas to shrink allowing it to become tight. Gesso on top of this creates a flatter surface. 

*Amateurs have no idea how to stretch a canvas, it shows in the final product. 

6.) Buy quality art supplies. From the start, purchase a great pair of scissors, the best brushes you can find and quality paints. They’ll last your lifetime.

*Graphic Design & Illustration professor Joe Landry on day one gave his students a list of art supplies to purchase, with buy the best. I’d look around the next week and see women with Louis Vuitton bags to carry their art supplies in! I still use art supplies I bought over 40 years ago thanks to Joe.

7.) Form, shape, movement. How does your eye move around the canvas? Are you creating a single element for the viewer to see or is there added depth, does the surface make someone look from side to side, corner to corner, thus spending more time actually looking. You can draw the eye around the rectangle through the use of color.

*Friedel Dzubas, was perhaps the last of the Abstract Expressionist painters. He taught at SMFA for one dollar per semester. He had much to share with all of the students and they loved him for it.

Monet Waterlilies at Tate Modern

8.) Who are your influences? Who are you looking at? Try to stay away from trends and go your own route, find your own unique niche or hook. As we called it in art school your own ‘gimmick’.

*Drawing professor Charlie Goss would take you up to the library, pull monograph artist books out to show you that you did not invent the wheel and he was right.

9.) Yes, you can draw. Your mark making is unique to you and no one else. How I know this is from your signature. Your signature is unique and only you can sign your name that very way that you do. That is the very beginning of drawing in a unique way. Alright, so you can’t draw like DaVinci, but you probably don’t have the same things to say as DaVinci did.

*Author of 'Artful Scribbles' Howard Gardner, shows in this book that it’s all there at the beginning of child development.

10.) Think about Art. Look at Art. What would you buy if you could buy a work of art right now? Develop your own sense of taste. More than likely you have favorite musicians, who are your favorite artists?

*People ask me, what’s hot, who should I go look at, where do I start…

11.) Is your own painting something you can ‘live with’? If you can’t live with it, why would someone else choose to purchase it and hang it on their wall?

*I’m all about easy on the eyes, I don’t need art to be political or to challenge me. 

12.) Style and Subject matter, what is it? Where do you fit into the mix?

*David Hockney Masters Class at SMFA

13.) Is it finished yet? When do you know that it is finished? Don’t be afraid to tear it up or go over it. Have you gone too far? Worry over it, if you must. There have been great artists who have gone over their work years later, for some it is never quite finished.

*My wife artist Holly Sievers can be a stickler about this, she pushes me to make it better until it is actually much better. Sometimes a new eye is exactly what you need. Think of your work as if you are a chef, does it need more salt, more herbs, is it overcooked or is it perfectly done.

14.) Take criticism as a learning moment, don’t take it personally. No one loves everything and not everyone will understand or love what you do. Grow, keep learning. BUT, not everyone is a great art critic, there are very few that can be truly helpful. 

*Drawing professor Skip Milson made me cry during my first critique. I have made many students cry as well. Things get emotional but it is also cathartic and can help to release all the fears and bad habits you’ve gotten bogged down with. It’s about problem solving, how to edit, how to do it better.

Anselm Kiefer At San Francisco Museum of Art

15.) IF you are knowledgeable about art, share your knowledge,

*During deep conversations at Museum exhibitions with friends and family, there have been times when I’ve noticed people following us listening in on the conversation. People thrive to know more about the art they are looking at. Learn to talk about art.

16.) Resume, CV, Artist Statement, pull it together. Write it in simple terms, don’t get too technical. Write about yourself as if you truly want ART making to be your job, your life’s work, put your best foot forward. Be positive and don’t use cliches such as I’ve always been an artist, I’ve been making art since I was 5 years old ad-nauseum. The same thing when talking with the press, do not use cliches.

17.) Pricing is important. Learn where you fit into the marketplace by going to art galleries and learning price points and why. 

*Do not price yourself out of your marketplace (overpricing), and do not come down in price.

18.) Keep your head up and make art, be proud that you chose this career, or get off the boat. Develop a style, and keep working on it. Discouragement is all around you, you may be making more art than you are selling. Asking yourself why bother and why are you making more art when nothing is selling is your worst enemy. 

19.) Copying other artists will not get you far in the art world. People have a sense when someone is being derivative of someone else. You will get called out on it. Influences are one thing, directly copying work you see online or in local galleries gets you nowhere.

*Something I learned from Travel Writers (thank you Meryn Johns and Carol Cain) people want a scoop, something different from what everyone else is writing about. Be different. 

20.) Notice how you paint. Do you move the brush up and down or side to side? Are you constantly swirling around searching? 

*Artist Marcia Oliver explained a great lesson from her mentor and artist Agnes Martin to me this way: "She asked me to bring a brush and a glass of water over, then asked me to ‘paint’ onto the canvas without paint. As she watched my movement she decided that I knew what I was doing and that she could mentor me, that I was worth her time and effort." 

Philip Guston at Philadelphia Museum of Art

Addendum:

21.) Learn to 'troubleshoot'. Problem solving and decision making are enormous priorities when making art.

22.) Lastly, and most unapologetically, YOU will only excel at THREE forms of art. Choose wisely and pare down all of those art forms that are distracting you. Only a true genius can excel at more than three. Realize that YOU ARE NOT A TRUE GENIUS, this will save you much time, grief and embarrassment. 

Never stop learning.

Although I am no longer teaching, I am willing to do artist studio critiques. If you believe a studio visit may help in your development as a visual artist, I am available on a limited basis. My fee is $75. per hour in the Taos & Santa Fe areas only. Please note, I'm a terrible critique for photographers and sculptors.

Cactus Pete the Maine Coon Cat in Taos

Cactus Pete the Maine Coon Cat stepped into our lives in November of 2005, he was a feral kitten of about 6-8 weeks old. He walked into the Two Graces Plaza Gallery, found our large potted Cactus plant and plunked himself down in the potted dirt and fell asleep. I called Holly and asked her what to do, but wanted to know if we could keep him. At that time we already had two cats both of which were rescued and both of which were tortoise shell cats which I thought had the sweetest personalities of any cat breed. That is until I met Cactus Pete. Last night at 2AM Cactus Pete succumbed to his battle with cancer as he lay in our arms. As you can imagine Holly & I are beside ourselves with grief over this little buddy of ours. We didn't expect to see him pass away at only 13 years of age. The cancer diagnosis was devastating to us We did everything we could to make him comfortable. At Salazar Veterinarian Clinic, while Dr. Love was examining him, he was quite scared. I began to pet him as she listened to his heartbeat. She told us as soon as I started petting him his heart rate dropped and he calmed down immediately. So that is what I've been doing for weeks on end, petting him and sitting up with him through all hours of the night. I'm absolutely fried and frazzled. Last night I knew he was saying goodbye, so we both sat up with him and petted him until he passed. This morning I built him a little coffin and dug a spot under the Butterfly Bush in the garden where he loved to sit in the shade and catch Hummingbirds, Lizards, Snakes, Mice and even Rabbits. A good spot for him to watch all those little critters scamper around him. I've edited and loaded photographs of Cactus Pete here onto my blog as a little tribute to him and for the friends who ask, "How's Pete, I love when you post photos of him, I wish you'd post more." So here they are, some of my favorites with all his personality. 

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” Jean Cocteau

These last few weeks he's been on a couple of medications. Holly would feed him CBD oil along with cod-liver oil and any liquids he'd take just to get him through.

Head butting me and snuggling me trying to get some attention and take over his spot on the couch.

Watching his world through the front windows, sunsets, rainbows, birds and rabbits all right out there before him.

Roaring. We tried to keep a bell and collar on him, usually he'd slip it off. We wanted the critters outside to stand a chance to hear the bell, but I'd seen him leap straight up into the air to catch a hummingbird. He was at one point 22 pounds, but fast as lightening when he wanted to be.

Holly in her upstairs loft studio. Cactus Pete and Miss Tulip would go up there to hang out with her whenever she was painting and drawing in her studio. Photo thanks to Brian Snyder.

He just looks so in charge here. What a personality.

More love head rubs.

Stopping to smell the flowers in the garden that Holly works hard at to maintain. 

Hey look, there's a bird out there, either a flicker, a bluebird or a magpie, all of them caught his attention, but they gave him what for if he got too close.

When it's nap time, it is truly nap time.

Rubbing his scent all over his domain.

This was towards the end when we were just trying to keep him happy and maintain his pain.

Miss Tulip and Cactus Pete waiting in the kitchen for supper time. Holly has always been on schedule feeding them, but if she was 10 minutes late, they'd let her know it.

Our ever present dining companion. As soon as Holly would set the table he thought this was an open invitation to join us for dinner.

Wine snob.

At least he was a polite dinner guest, even though he never did learn to use a knife and fork or even a napkin.

Miss Tulip and Cactus Pete, as always waiting for MORE food, on top of the Shiburri tablecloth Holly made. Before I buried him, Holly wrapped him in this tablecloth which was one of his favorites.

Sometimes he'd bring US dinner.

I learned how much he loved butter, the smell of it even during his last days was something he would never resist. Here he is going after buttery Chocolate Chip cookies on the counter waiting to be baked.

Smorgasbord with Cactus Pete and Miss Tulip.

He's on the prowl.

Sitting on the porch waiting for me to chase him back into the house. As soon as I moved towards him he'd take off into the sagebrush and play a game with me. Never letting me get too close to catch him. He'd walk right up to Holly because often she'd give him treats for being a good boy and coming to her.

Always stopping to smell the flowers.

The garden was part of his domain, now it will always be.

Alice in Wonderland statue in the garden watching over him.

During the last days we put area rugs everywhere for him to lie on top of to make him comfortable, even in the garden. He loved being dragged around on the small rugs throughout the house for his very own magic carpet rides.

Bird watcher.

Each first snowfall Cactus Pete HAD to go out and explore, he'd sit under the sagebrush and watch the snow fall around him under cover. A few times he'd stay there under a bush even with the snow piling high around him. A Maine Coon is built for moments like this. Afterwards I'd take him inside and rub him down with a towel to dry him off and warm him up,

 

Whether it was time to put the Christmas tree up or take it down, he joined right in to help us with all the wrapped up Christmas ornaments. 

The classic Cat in a bag, hiding out. This is one of the few photos I have of him when he's still quite young. Even at the end he loved crawling into bags. Holly would pick up the bag and talk out loud to him while she carried him to and fro.

Paper bag that he shredded two weeks ago, still in on the cat bag thing he loved to play at.

During his last few weeks we figured out that his comfort zone was to nest in the laundry basket. The sweater that Holly had first wrapped him in when he was a kitten was always available for him to snuggle in.

 “Soft kitty, warm kitty

   Little ball of fur

   Happy kitty, sleepy kitty

   Purr, purr, purr…”

Warm and snuggly by the fireplace.

Even a few weeks ago Cactus Pete still had the strength to climb straight up into the studio loft space up the wooden ladder. He'd also climb up the garden gate to get out into the backyard and go on adventures until he just couldn't do either any longer.

Always joining in to help Holly maintain the Two Graces Plaza Gallery. A knack at Website computer coding!

Helpful as always with my researching articles I'd be writing for Taos News Tempo.

Warm laundry fresh out of the drier meant a happy place for Cactus Pete.

Whether helping me paint and choosing colors or keeping an eye on me to make certain my hand remained steady when completing repair work, Cactus Pete was always ready to lend a hand.

Many of the photographs here are by Holly Sievers. She'd send me PM Facebook messages with photos of her on days when she was at home with Cactus Pete and Miss Tulip giving her support and love as she worked with them nearby.

Every flat cozy space in our home became places to nap or hang out for Cactus Pete and Miss Tulip. Holly always laid out blankets and sweaters for them to be comfortable. I on the other hand always needed to make certain there were no breakables in the way of their cozy spots.

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.” Charles Dickens

This is the only photograph I have of the three of them all together, all of them rescued through various circumstance. Cactus Pete (from the Ranchos Church Plaza Feral Cat colony), Rosie the Pink Toed Cat (found by friends abandoned in the New Hampshire woods) and Miss Tulip (rescued at Taos Pueblo after her mom was killed by a car) hanging out watching out the front door on top of the china cabinet full of Fiestaware. Every Veterinarian they've encountered has been a bit in awe of the names I've given them. There have been times when friends ask me tonnage their cats as well. What's in a name you ask? Everything.
Eventually when the right one finds us we will adopt another cat, I'm hoping for a Maine Coon with a great personality.