THIS WEEK IN THE ARTS
Let's get snooty in 2026. Let's be 'Better Than' everyone else. Live by example. Our modern day mantra is simple and civil. Everyday, let's leave everywhere we go, better than we found it. We want to leave everyone we meet, better for the encounter. It even has a whiff of elitism.
We give you just a little bit of Lawrence Weschler today, not the usual headline. We have an 'all art and no politics' policy and he has a political essay this week. But he does present a beautiful and beguiling Wayne Thiebaud from 1983 which I must share. "Road Through" 24 × 29-7/8 inches. What a beaut.
This writer and educator is always worth reading. Lawrence Weschler is a man of mind and experience. The resume, credits and awards of this polymath are massive, just Click Here. To keep it short, he wrote for the New Yorker for over twenty years. 'Nuff said.
There is a double bill I'd like to see. The pair are similarly themed. First should be the critical fave Paul Thomas Anderson's big hit "One Battle After Another." To be followed by the upcoming "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die." Click Here to see the popcorn fun trailer.
The director of the new film is Gore Verbinski, who has had an odd Hollywood career, with a spectacular fast rise to glory and a faster drop to ignominy. He has directed many big budget, revenue producing movies, from 'The Ring' to three 'Pirates of the Caribbean' hits to the well-received animated 'Rango.'
The UCLA Film School grad started out with music videos and kept moving upward. In 2013, his Disney film 'The Lone Ranger' with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, ended the Hollywood love. Critics hated the film and the box office was a bomb. The production was troublesome with script issues, studio interference and budget issues. Verbinski lost his taste for tentpole blockbusters.
His hiatus or excommunication may be over. The buzz on the new film is strong and hopeful.
For an artist, the simplicity of canvas and paint is highly attractive. Making cinema is far from simple. The director has talent and strong ideas. We're rooting for you, Gore.
Art Report Today .com
