Hola Dannie aqui!
Received a copy of "Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End" and I have to say WOW! It is everything I live for in an art documentary, and the subject matter of provocative artist Mr. Fish (a.k.a. Dwayne Booth) is right up my alley! I was so incredibly delighted that at only a couple seconds into the film it caught my heart and interest immediately.
This is the story of a true noncomformist, that would never even conform to that label.
The only label I believe he deserves is that of... a truly fearless and unrelenting ARTIST with a damn poignant message to deliver with each piece of thoughtful work, criticizing all sides as a true satirist would of our chaotic fucked up world. I hate to say it but, I have too... This man has AC/DC big balls! (and brains too boot!)
At seven years old he (Mr. Fish) started his endeavor into deviant and dangerous art, and truly he was talented even then. However, he grew up in an environment that rejected, ridiculed and plainly did not understand his subversive, unconventional, and at times repulsive genius. In the same vein as Ron English, Robert Crumb and 'Banksy' is Mr. Fish, an artist/cartoonist (same thing really) that bites his thumb at the mediocrity and hypocrisy of our modern age of being more connected than ever but still disconnected from, well, humanity and the humanity within us.
His art made me laugh, cry, angry and awoken the spirit truly of the first amendment. This man is a true Artist, one that will provoke a guttural response one way or another, with this documentary I have found a new art-hero. A new artist I will follow forever, for his perspective to me and this documentary is truly important. The film hit my heart and brain with such velocity that it literally made me sit on the edge of my seat in waiting and awe, of the story and to be absolutely honest in waiting of soul-wrenching and inspirational ART! I mean wowza I love this artist.
I have seen his work through different publications, however, I have never seen the myriad, placed in the timeline of his/our lives in a way that educated me on the spectrum of his work. It is impressive and beautiful to see the evolution of any talented artist, however this documentary edits the artist work, in a way that is flawlessly flowing with the artist dialog, that totally enraptures me via the subject matter being spoken of and the ART illustrated on screen, that at times is immensely breathtaking in subject matter. Mr. Fish is an insanely multi-talented Artist, from his simplistically drawn but satirically stifling cartoons to his commercially driven mock advert greatness, or his photorealistic manipulations of conscious!
Something else that struck me was the economic narrative of an unconventional and unrelenting artist in the dying industry of print, as he grew through time and how the weight of the reality and the financial world forced him to truly make decisions that would either support his families life or put them under the unruly thumb of an "artist-tyrant philosopher" and thus poverty. Growing up with artists, and being one, this is a hard fact of life. Specifically with political art it is extremely difficult to make a living. For the past twelve years my art has been my sole source of income.... So, yeah I identify with Mr. Fish's plight, as well as most of the artist I have known throughout my life will probably too.
Besides politics and propaganda as an inspirational focus he also draws from his currently collapsing environment, climate change, pollution, religion, and social taboos are all fodder for his artistic fires! His wife in the film shows immensely great support, however, does not always understand or approve of his shocking low/high brow humor. Many times his art dealers, wished perhaps he would tone the art down to a more socially acceptable eighth-grade level. This does not happen thank the gawds! Mr. Fish at no point backs away from illustrating the vulgar nature of our current existence, and the blatant hypocrisy we wade through on a daily basis.
The intimate telling of Mr. Fish's artistic realm of reality and life will be showing in New York at DOC NYC this Sunday, November 12th, 2017 at 4:30 pm at Cinepolis Chelsea and on Monday, November 13th, 2017 at 10:15 am at the IFC Center. I highly suggest all New York geeks see this film no matter which political side of the spectrum you land on, Mr. Fish will probably offend and delight you. That is his purpose to provoke a thoughtful or even a knee-jerk reaction to primal and social insecurities currently haunting our world, and that have since the beginning been the most important quandaries. Below I have attached the trailer for this poetically kick ass art documentary that won the Audience Award at the 2017 Austin Film Festival.
"There is no more savage yet brilliant wit than that possessed by Mr. Fish, who will never compromise on his deep artistic insight or the outrageous honesty of his social commentary. In a sellout culture he is that rare witness to unfettered truth" Robert Scheer.
This film belongs on my shelf in my studio with "Ron English's Popaganda", "Beautiful Losers", "Crumb", "Basquiat" "Exit the Gift Shop" and the fifty plus other art documentaries/films I own, worship, and draw endless inspiration from. If you are an artist or a creator on any level this is a film you can not miss. If you are not artsy at all this is still high entertainment and may inspire and cause thought... be warned! Needless to say, I highly fucking recommend this documentary and wish it all the success in the universe as well as the genius Mr. Fish and his beautiful family.
Stay Strong, Live Good, Love Movies!
Dannie aka Pekosa Peligrosa aka Sister Satan
