Movie making is a collaborative process that involves the writer, actors, director, costume designer, set designer, lighting designer, camera operators, and whole bunch of other people.

In contrast I always thought art was created by one individual.

Oh how wrong I can be.

The artists are finishing up on New York’s Governor’s Island today in time for the VIP and Media opening reception tomorrow at noon.  There are about 30 artists involved in this exhibition and some of the pieces are really cool.  Now I’m not usually into modern art (‘contemporary art’ is what they’ve started calling it) but I really like some of these creations.

And it took a bunch of people to do it.

Visitors will read the little name plaque identifying the name of the piece and who the artist is, and they’ll assume that this one person created the work before their eyes.

I’m here to tell you,  nearly every one of those pieces involved at least several volunteer assistants to glue, cut, twist, tape, hold, carry, screw, hammer and paste together.

Andy Warhol had a factory, and apparently didn’t even touch some of ‘his’ work.  I’m told this happens often.

One of the other volunteers raised the question with me this morning: Is the person who thought of the idea the one and only artist, or are we all artists because we all created the piece?

Movie stars and directors get the credit but I know who really made that movie possible: the guy who fixed everyone lunch.

—

I’m going backcountry hiking the next seven days. No phone, no internet, no shower, no ice cream.  If I’m not eaten by a bear I’ll be back online Saturday, June 12, with a finished feature film script in hand, ready for our August shoot.

-Paul