In the early 90s a group of fringe artists — Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korine, Greg Lamarche, Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, Clare Rojas, Jo Johanson, Terry Richardson, Margaret Killgallen, the list goes on — unknowingly created a new movement that would definitively alter the future paths and intersections of art and culture. These artists found themselves sharing the same spaces and creating completely new spaces, both social as well as conceptual, as a result of their common interests in graffiti, skateboarding, punk rock, and surfing, things that for their entire lives had made them outcasts. The door had been opened by numerous modern and contemporary artists, from Duchamp and Warhol to Koons and Goldin, and with the road paved, these artists we able to introduce new subject matter, and thus a new movement, to the fine arts world.
As the “Beautiful Losers” ball began rolling, these newly recognized artists found themselves introducing mediums and imagery that had previously been considered too “low” for the mainstream art world — a lot of their success and attention can be attributed to Jeffrey Deitch and his gallery, it should be mentioned. This fresh, highly inspired artwork encapsulated the essence of DIY communities, forcing the public and mainstream media to re-examine these often stereotyped niche cultures.
In 2004, the Beautiful Losers exhibit opened at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati and toured the globe until 2007. The Beautiful Losers book, which coincided with the exhibition, was released by Iconoclast in 2004 and documents the artists involved in the project. For those who weren’t able to view the show firsthand (like me), it offers a thorough look into the art, the artists, and the lifestyles that influenced their work.
The bottom line? If you’ve read the book or caught the show — or especially if you haven’t — it’s time to view the Beautiful Losers phenomena on film. After all, it has permeated marketing, advertising, fashion, and pop culture quite unexpectedly. The official US premiere is next week, August 8, 2008, at the IFC Center in New York. The film tells the stories of select artists from the group and examines the effect of subcultures turned loose on the mainstream. If you live in NYC, make it a point to see this film during the month of August, it leaves the IFC Center on the 22nd. And if you live in select cities around the country, check this calendar to see if the film will be screening near you.
the function key 