Lucebert, Time and Farewell
Director: Johan van der Keuken
Year Released: 1994
Rating: 2.5
Collection of three separate short documentaries about Dutch artist/poet Lucebert ranging from the 60's to the 90's - Lucebert died before Keuken could interview him, so special emphasis is place on the artist's absence, and how what ultimately matters is what we leave behind when we get whisked the hell off this smoldering planet. Those aware of Keuken's aesthetic should pretty much expect to learn little about Lucebert himself, his life, his past, his motivations, his reputation or anything like that, but I've always gotten a thrill out of watching people paint and looking at paintings themselves, and there is no short supply of imagery. Analysis of the quality and/or meaning of the artworks - lots of screaming, horrified faces and distorted shapes reminiscent of Pablo Picasso crossed with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Karel Appel - is left solely up to the viewer.
