'I'm Mad, I'm Foolish, I'm Nasty`

A Self-portrait of James Ensor

In this film we see how James Ensor, an acknowledged initiator of Expressionism, begins with an essentially Impressionist style, but gradually introduces more fantastical, scatological subject matter, a 'caricature` drawing style and physical paint-handling and more artificial color. The influence on his imagery and color of the spectacular shells, the exotic masks and grotesques sold in his parents' and uncle's souvenir shops in his native Ostend is suggested in the film, as is the atmospheric protean presence of the sea. Subtly suggested are the anxieties and melancholia at work under the surface of Ensor's life. We are left to speculate on the rôle of his dominating mother, and of his dissolute father who died when the artist was a young man. Death, and a strangely whimsical eroticism are his recurrent preoccupations. He never married, and he stayed with his mother until the age of fifty-five: she gave him money for paint, but she never appreciated what he did with it. The demon-ridden, grotesque world of his paintings is peopled with carnival figures, skeletons and masked men - but the masks are true faces, showing the depravity which is normally hidden in everyday life. Critics labeled him `mad, foolish and nasty.`

`...impressive video ... approaches Ensor's work as he might have approached the subject himself ... leads us directly into the personality of the artist, discovering the imagery ... intercutting a feast of rich details from paintings and sketches with photos of the artist at the same locations occupied by his subjects ... a remarkable and poetic portrait of the artist who prefigured Expressionism. The producer's vision and Ensor's vision blend into one unified whole. Its lean, economical editing lets every shot add meaning to the next. This is one of the finest videos on an artist you're likely to see. It is highly recommended.' Video Rating Guide for Libraries, USA

For more information see section 14 and section 19

© 1998-2008 The Roland Collection & Pira Intl.