beautiful losers

i just saw a movie that made me smile. really smile.

it was part of the fall film series here at mica. every tuesday at 7 pm they show something different. usually no one goes. people are busy. other things (like projects and papers and paintings) are more important. i didn't go to any last year (not counting helvetica...) and i regret it. laurie, my book arts teacher, has brought up many times how these things (visiting artist lectures, film screenings, symposiums, etc.) are the gravy of going here. they're pretty much thrown in your lap. (never again will it be this easy to just show up at something and be creatively nourished.) she reassured us that when we look back at our education, those will be the things we remember. you never know when something might strike a chord with you and push you in another direction or give you a boost. and it shouldn't be that hard to carve an hour and a half out of your week night.

tonight falvey was packed. the film was called "beautiful losers."

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential cultural moments of a generation. In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of likeminded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop & graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture. Starring a selection of artists (barry mcgee, ed templeton, margaret kilgallen...) who are considered leaders within this culture, Beautiful Losers focuses on the telling of personal stories. It speaks to themes of what happens when the outside becomes "in" as it explores the creative ethos connecting these artists and today's youth.

it made me fall in love with color even more. and made me want to just grab a huge white wall and go to town with some house paint. above all, listening to the brilliant artists reminded me not to take myself so seriously. "it's just all such nothing." and at the end of the day if you want to see something made, you just gotta make it yourself.

go rent it. it's worth it.