THE SUBCONSCIOUS ART OF GRAFITTI REMOVAL
EPFC | November 14th, 2017
MARVELOUS MOVIE MONDAYS!!
Guest curator: Andy Spletzer
Theme: Experimental Films are Funny
Some things (jokes, movies, etc.) are funny because they’re true. Such is the case with Matt McCormick’s THE SUBCONSCIOUS ART OF GRAFITTI REMOVAL (2001), a tongue-in-cheek tribute to art documentaries. The movie compares the squares of paint that city workers use to cover up graffiti to the work of modern artists like Rothko. Through Miranda July’s narration, McCormick posits that graffiti removal is a subconscious art, “a product of artistic merit that was created without conscious artistic intentions.” Not only that, but this is an important art movement. It’s a persuasive argument.
The reason the short documentary works so well is that its ultimate message is that art is everywhere, that human beings create subconscious art on a daily basis, and all you have to do is open your eyes to see it.
Matt McCormick is a Portland, Oregon-based filmmaker whose work has consistently balanced sincerity with a sense of humor. His latest feature-length documentary BUZZ ONE FOUR recently played this venue.
I encourage you to watch this doc and then check out his back catalog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmdRzqLWU_Y&t=1s