Ugly Winners

Strip away the money and the hype from the art world and what you’re left with is a bunch of nerds who never stopped coloring, or so says Beautiful Losers, a 2008 film that’s this month’s Arthouse Film Series pick at the Standard Hotel & Spa. The film draws a...

By P. Scott Cunningham

July 23, 2009

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Strip away the money and the hype from the art world and what you’re left with is a bunch of nerds who never stopped coloring, or so says Beautiful Losers, a 2008 film that’s this month’s Arthouse Film Series pick at the Standard Hotel & Spa. The film draws a dotted line between various young DIY artists, all of whom are directly or tangentially related to the skateboarding, punk, and street art scenes. It presents a wistful portrait of art in its purest state — before the market seeks to commodify the objects.

Ironically, every artist in the film became commercially successful at a relatively young age (at least among the men) and glancing through the bios, you’ll recognize art and design powerhouse brands such as Deitch, the Whitney, Cooper Union, Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola, MoMA, and the Venice Biennale. The real story here, familiar to art fans and obscured by the greater narrative, is why the female artists haven’t received anywhere near the same level of critical attention.

The screening is free and begins at 8 p.m.
Mon., July 27, 8 p.m., 2009

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