The Moderns. Set in Paris in 1926, during the period of the so-called "Lost Generation," (period of decadence, gender-bending, absurdity of the American Dream, and an unbridled hope for the future, all of which surrounded and included artists, poets, writers, performers, and musicians...and all of which are seen in this film)  we trace the lives of a painter, an art critic, an art influencer and her partner Alice. Gertrude Stain was a force to recon with in those years. She was an art dealer, and art collector. She promoted many painters, writers and poets, and those who lived in the orbit of one of the most engaging and experimental times in Modern Art. Much of what I present in these three videos occurs during this time period.

 

In this 5-minute clip we see the opening credits with archival footage from 1920s Paris. Then, alone with a drink and drawing pad, we are introduced to struggling American artist Nick Hart (fictional), who is sitting in what is probably le Café de la Rotunde in the Montparnasse area of town, a place frequented by many artists and writers at the time. After Hart leaves, we see him walking down the street with his friend and art critic Oiseau, which is French for 'bird.' They are heading to an evening salon at the home of Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas. To be invited or accepted into this "hallowed hall," so to speak, was for many "to have arrived." Of course, much of that art scene, like today, is pretense.

 

This is a brilliant 1988 film by Alan Rudolph. It ranks as one of my favorite Top Five films. For you film buffs, notice the brilliance of the long shot when we first see Gertude Stein 'holding court' and pontificating on her views of contemporary art. Natalie, the woman in red with the cigarette, anchors the movement of the camera. What staging and camerawork!

 

I lived and attended school in Paris from age 11 to 15. I loved to explore many of the places this film portrays. Often alone, riding the subway. Walking through museums such as the Louvre and l'Orangerie filled me with pictures, works of art, that were as old as the pyramids of Egypt and as recent as yesterday. And always with my Polaroid  camera. In 2004, I began a commissioned photography project in the famed cemetery where many artists, writers, and filmmakers are buried: Cimetière Père Lachaise. For you photographers, I used a 6x9 Fuji GW690, the so-called 'Texas Leica.'   What an effin' great camera; my negatives are sharp as razor blades.