Julian Schnabel reflects on his friendship with Jonas Mekas and describes him as a fearless individual who found freedom in creativity and praises his ability to document the world poetically and his unwavering commitment to authenticity in artistic expression. Schnabel delves into the definition of avant-garde art, his approach to filmmaking, and his ongoing experimentation with different artistic mediums.

Painter and Filmmaker Julian Charles Schnabel was born on October 26, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York, as the youngest of three children. His father was an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and his mother was from New York. In 1965 his family moved to Brownsville, Texas, a small Gulf Coast town on the Mexican border. In 1973 he earned a BFA from the University of Houston and was accepted to the Whitney Independent Study Program in New York. His multidisciplinary practice extends beyond painting to include sculpture, film, architecture, and furniture. His use of preexisting materials not traditionally used in art making, varied painting surfaces, and inventive modes of construction were pivotal in the reemergence of painting in the United States in the late 1970’s and the rest of the world. In 1978, he began to make Plate Paintings, works with sculptural surfaces produced by layering shards of broken dishes with thick applications of auto-body putty, dental plaster, and oil paint on wooden structures. His unorthodox, highly experimental approach to the using of materials, gestures, and form and large-scale and shaped paintings have blurred the distinction between abstraction and figuration, making the battle between the two obsolete. Throughout his practice, he sustained the use of objet trouvé and chance-based processes, transforming painting and opening the door for new generations of young painters today.

From the 2022 Documentary FRAGMENTS OF PARADISE about Lithuanian filmmaker, Jonas Mekas. From his arrival in New York as a displaced person in 1949 to his death in 2019, he chronicled the trauma and loss of exile while pioneering institutions to support the growth of independent film in the United States. Internationally known as the “godfather” of avant-garde cinema, he inspired countless independent artists.

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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Opening
00:18 - Julian Schnabel Introduction
02:09 - First meeting Jonas
07:55 - Max's Kansas City
09:40 - Jonas’ artistic identity
21:39 - Julian and Jonas’ fearlessness
26:42 - Permutations of avant garde
33:00 - Artistic styles
38:09 - Reflecting on “At Eternity’s Gate” and the artist’s role

Julian Schnabel, Painter & Filmmaker
Interview Date: May 16, 2021
Interviewed By: Katie Davison

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