As with many of the Denver Film Center's visual arts-related programs,
we were given the opportunity to preview the latest film on the
Center's calendar related to our favorite topic. "Beauty is
Embarrassing" is the latest artist-as-subject documentary to hit
national screens, and well deserving of that status. The movie is the
story of artist Wayne White, someone whose name might not ring a bell
for all, but whom almost everyone is likely to be oddly aware of for
any number of his outstanding endeavors and accomplishments throughout
his career. We love how the film goes in-depth to plumb Wayne's
existence in the arts, and how ultimately the portrait truly informs
the psychology of what it means to be a successful artist. But
there is plenty to love about this film, not least that it's part of a
healthy trend towards looking at living artists as meaningful subjects
worthy of feature-length treatment.
There are great, revealing moments throughout "Beauty is Embarrassing," with megastars like the Simpson's Matt Groening showing deep reverence for White's work, as well as Wayne's lovely and supportive wife who put her own creative talent and success on the side in full support of her husband's desire to live the American Dream through a life-long tendency towards saying "Fuck You." In fact, White loves the use of slang, it becomes the core of the his text-based paintings that are occasionally familiar, such as the cover for the outstanding band Lambchop's "Nixon" album, and almost always uproarious. Throughout the film White comes across as a humble, genuine and inspiring personality, even when he says things like "There's a lot of people in the art world with sticks up their butts, but if you meet somebody like that, all you gotta do is say is "I'll smash this painting over your fucking head." In many ways he's not too far removed from our own beloved Bill Amundson, an artist who is still grappling with notions of artistic success through singular inherent talent and a lifelong pursuit that involves humor, and saying it exactly as you mean it.
Early on in the film, White defines his world and artistic stance
with "I'll settle for laughter any day, laughter's a deep
thing." We couldn't agree more, much of today's best social
commentary coming from sources that make light of their subject in the
most relevant and revealing ways. And it's a grounding force
that absolutely helps many of us get through life. In Wayne's
case, it likely developed in reaction to his surroundings, being born
and raised in the deep south in a typical county and family that quite
naturally wouldn't understand much about "art." Wayne
knew from an early age though that art was his calling, and the film
delivers an outstanding depiction of acceptance between not just
Wayne's generation and his fathers, but more the specifics of his
personal relationship with pops. White's statement that
"Art was something you bought at kmart," feeds greatly into
the films development, as he goes from a country bumpkin to a creative
force pursuing art as a lifestyle in what he initially considered a
"dream job" as set-designer on Pee Wee's Playhouse, to the
draining characteristics that such a lifestyle actually purports. It's
not easy being put through the creative grind, though in the long-run
it allows Wayne to eventually step outside of the realm of notoriety
in the creative sector to that of being an actual visual artist who
makes art for himself on k-mart style throw-away thrift-store
paintings. His story delivers the roots, trunk and the limbs of what
we consider the profession of "artist" to be across America,
none of it being precisely understood by many and even personally what
it's chalked up to be.
There are great, revealing moments throughout "Beauty is Embarrassing," with megastars like the Simpson's Matt Groening showing deep reverence for White's work, as well as Wayne's lovely and supportive wife who put her own creative talent and success on the side in full support of her husband's desire to live the American Dream through a life-long tendency towards saying "Fuck You." In fact, White loves the use of slang, it becomes the core of the his text-based paintings that are occasionally familiar, such as the cover for the outstanding band Lambchop's "Nixon" album, and almost always uproarious. Throughout the film White comes across as a humble, genuine and inspiring personality, even when he says things like "There's a lot of people in the art world with sticks up their butts, but if you meet somebody like that, all you gotta do is say is "I'll smash this painting over your fucking head." In many ways he's not too far removed from our own beloved Bill Amundson, an artist who is still grappling with notions of artistic success through singular inherent talent and a lifelong pursuit that involves humor, and saying it exactly as you mean it.
"Beauty is Embarrassing" opens this Friday, September 21st
at Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. The artist Wayne White will be in
Denver to regale the opening night audience, so don't miss out!
For more information, visit
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