© Stacy L Smith, 2014
A lot of what I spend my time doing in the studio along with painting is listening to music and watching films while I work. I spent one evening last week on my own personal Wes Anderson film festival, watching The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, The Life Aquatic with Steve Sissou and I had recently seen the Grand Budapest Hotel the evening before. I somehow skipped Rushmore in my circuit, but I had seen it within the last month, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox too, so one could say that I have had a good glimpse as to the style of Mr. Anderson's films... and here is a brief description of why I like them and am compelled to watch them again...and again!
Each film has something in common with the next, ALL of them have Bill Murray in them (and how could you go wrong with Bill Murray?) along with a string of other actors who frequently find themselves in roles including Angelica Huston and Owen Wilson to name a few. Though in the Darjeeling Limited it wasn't a major role, Murray makes a cameo as a business man in a train compartment in a typical "Anderson Story Telling" scene. Let me explain that phrase… In each film Anderson breaks down areas of action on the parts of the actors, he makes the set become part of the story. In the 'Life Aquatic' Anderson with the helpful narration of Murray points out the various rooms of the ship in a bi-section similar to what you would see on the back of a doll house. The ship has a sauna, a kitchen, lab room, observation bubble... it's actually quite fantastic. In the Darjeeling Limited at the very end we look through train compartments from the main characters to minor characters just as though the train is passing us again with a dollhouse bi-sected view.
I don’t know what it is, but this kind of story telling reminds me of “Dick and Jane” books. The sets themselves are painstakingly detailed, beautifully rendered and have for some reason a wholesome quality to them, something I relate to in my own art. Then there are the stories themselves, they are like fairy tales for adults. They are all about relationships, broken within the family structure, another thing I relate to with my paintings, that separation of happiness, the secrecy between one person and his/her family, or creating a new family from one’s colleagues which is precisely what happens in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I love rooms, especially living rooms, because that is where people either “live” or where they show off, and the juxtaposition between the two has always been a fascination for me. I’m one of those people that wants to see the inside of my friend’s house, to see the decorations, what art they have on the walls, the family heirlooms, those treasured items that we surround ourselves with. Are the chairs worn by use, or is there plastic on the furniture to protect for eternity? What secrets do the people who surround themselves with these things hold into themselves? What happens when chaos takes over and things get out of control, does dusting the figurines on the mantel bring a bit of peace to the occupant?
Before this year I had only ever seen the Royal Tenenbaums before and that was shortly after it came out on DVD some 10 plus years or so. Since rediscovering Anderson's work I have watched almost each of his films twice since then, there is just something about the stories I cannot help but listen to while I continue my own work. If you have never seen Anderson’s work, give it a try. The adventure is well worth it.
Each film has something in common with the next, ALL of them have Bill Murray in them (and how could you go wrong with Bill Murray?) along with a string of other actors who frequently find themselves in roles including Angelica Huston and Owen Wilson to name a few. Though in the Darjeeling Limited it wasn't a major role, Murray makes a cameo as a business man in a train compartment in a typical "Anderson Story Telling" scene. Let me explain that phrase… In each film Anderson breaks down areas of action on the parts of the actors, he makes the set become part of the story. In the 'Life Aquatic' Anderson with the helpful narration of Murray points out the various rooms of the ship in a bi-section similar to what you would see on the back of a doll house. The ship has a sauna, a kitchen, lab room, observation bubble... it's actually quite fantastic. In the Darjeeling Limited at the very end we look through train compartments from the main characters to minor characters just as though the train is passing us again with a dollhouse bi-sected view.
I don’t know what it is, but this kind of story telling reminds me of “Dick and Jane” books. The sets themselves are painstakingly detailed, beautifully rendered and have for some reason a wholesome quality to them, something I relate to in my own art. Then there are the stories themselves, they are like fairy tales for adults. They are all about relationships, broken within the family structure, another thing I relate to with my paintings, that separation of happiness, the secrecy between one person and his/her family, or creating a new family from one’s colleagues which is precisely what happens in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I love rooms, especially living rooms, because that is where people either “live” or where they show off, and the juxtaposition between the two has always been a fascination for me. I’m one of those people that wants to see the inside of my friend’s house, to see the decorations, what art they have on the walls, the family heirlooms, those treasured items that we surround ourselves with. Are the chairs worn by use, or is there plastic on the furniture to protect for eternity? What secrets do the people who surround themselves with these things hold into themselves? What happens when chaos takes over and things get out of control, does dusting the figurines on the mantel bring a bit of peace to the occupant?
Before this year I had only ever seen the Royal Tenenbaums before and that was shortly after it came out on DVD some 10 plus years or so. Since rediscovering Anderson's work I have watched almost each of his films twice since then, there is just something about the stories I cannot help but listen to while I continue my own work. If you have never seen Anderson’s work, give it a try. The adventure is well worth it.