Art Bastard

ART BASTARD is the mischievous tale of a rebel who never fit into today’s art world… yet has become one of its most provocative, rabble-rousing characters nevertheless. By turns funny and touching, this rollicking portrait of New York painter Robert Cenedella – a contemporary of Andy Warhol who set himself up in the ‘60s as the anti-Warhol – uncovers a fascinating story of family secrets vs. personal identity, art vs. money, and conventional success vs. creating a life on one’s own defiant terms.

What ART BASTARD shows, in stunning cinematic detail, are the living, breathing, storytelling canvases that Cenedella has created for six decades. Set to a rollicking soundtrack, the film not only tours Cendella’s life, it also tours his eye-poppingly intricate, New York-centered paintings as one might travel the city – peering into every corner to uncover Cenedella’s characters, commentary and emotions. The result is a visceral art documentary that also has the sweeping impact of a feature film –at once an investigation of a man’s identity, an inquiry into what art is and who it’s for and a feisty portrait of the ups and downs of a life lived on one’s own terms.