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Born Just Now documentary At Pompano Cultural Center Sept. 26

Posted on 19 September 2019 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

For Marta Jovanović, art is everything. Her medium of choice is herself, whether she is smashing eggs, being tied up, or having pig hearts pelt her body. Her performance art is entrancing and inviting, as she welcomes the viewer into what she is trying to convey. She covers topics from what it is to be a woman and an artist, to finding beauty in unique places, to the brutality and heartbreak of war and conflict.

The unfolding of her story is brilliantly told by documentary filmmaker Robert Adanto. With captivating and, at times, disturbing visuals, he follows the life of this Serbian artist, who has suffered through an abusive relationship, the misunderstanding of her work and the accusation that she has wasted her life on art rather than creating a family.

You can feel her angst, her anger brewing inside waiting to bubble out. Like a rebel punk, Jovanović is filled with fury but, instead of exploding it out, she channels it in specific and thought-provoking ways that push the boundaries. She sets fire to convention in the same way she lights her old wedding dress on fire, burning away thoughts of her ex-husband and letting that dream that once was die away, while perhaps unveiling something about relationships and what they should and should not be.

There is a certain freedom in it and that is something she seems to have in spades, but does she really? Like all of us, she struggles with her own identity, but, in her case, she holds it up, like an open wound for the world to see, throwing caution to the wind and shoving it in the faces of art-loving bystanders whether they like it or not.

Documentary filmmaker Robert Adanto.

Adanto has created another masterpiece with this film. Like his previous films: The Rising Tide, Pearls on the Ocean Floor, City of Memory and The F Word, Born Just Now focuses on art and culture and makes celluloid magic. His films have been shown in over 40 international festivals, as well as having exhibitions in museums and elsewhere worldwide. Adanto is a fellow of the Sundance Institute Documentary Program and earned his MFA in Acting at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He was the head of the Film and TV Production program at NSU University School from 2012 to 2016, but now is teaching speech & debate and Model UN at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx, NY.

Adanto met Jovanović in 2013 when doing follow-up interviews for The F Word, which explores feminist performance. One of the people he interviewed suggested maybe adding Jovanović into the mix for that film, but when he read a book she gave him about Jovanović, he realized that her work would be better showcased in a film all its own. He spoke with her and decided to start shooting in 2016. Production began in Belgrade and he had a small crew of locals there help him with shooting, in addition to shots he had a second cinematographer capture in New York.

Born Just Now made its UK-premiere last week in London and will be screening in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of the month. Clips from his past art documentaries are in a special exhibition at the Art & Culture Center in Hollywood called F.A.R. (Female Artists Revealed), which will be on display until Oct. 27.

Born Just Now is coming here to the Pompano Beach Cultural Center (50 W. Atlantic Blvd., in Pompano Beach) on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. as part of their Montage film series. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.ccpompano.org.

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Laurence Gartel — Digital Titan

Posted on 21 December 2018 by LeslieM

Artwork currently on displayBy Rachel Galvin

What is a Titan? In Greek mythology, the Titans were the ones who were here before the gods. They came first. So calling someone a “Titan” is a pretty big deal. But that is the moniker that has been bestowed on local artist Laurence Gartel. Known for his prowess in the digital art field, this Boca Raton resident is world renowned. His biggest claim to fame may be that he taught Andy Warhol how to use a Commodore Amiga computer almost four decades ago, but he has continued to use his skills since to establish himself in the art world even to this day. He has worked with the likes of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. He was the official artist for the 57th Annual Grammy’s and did art for this year’s Monaco Intl. Film Fest. He has had art exhibits around the world, including a very successful tour in Italy, featuring his new mega thick book called Hyp Pop, which features art from himself and Andy Warhol …Talk about Clash of the Titans! Now, he has opened yet another local exhibit right here in Palm Beach at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre at 415 Clematis St., in West Palm Beach. The exhibit runs through Jan. 5.

Gartel had an opening event on Nov. 16, which included some of the crème de la crème of the cultural elite as well as a mix of the bohemian set, making for a diverse and quite creative crowd. Code Rum gave out some samples and people mixed and mingled. Gartel’s family even attended and he had a chance to speak to those in attendance. He noted that he was showcasing within the exhibit, for the very first time, his very first artistic creation, featuring a young girl. Next to that piece was a long colorful collage mural with a woman featured in the middle. He revealed it was the same woman 40 + years later… he marveled at his own longevity, saying that having an artist be able to create something and then utilize the same subject over four decades later was unheard of.

Following the soiree, there was an after party at the nearby locale Voltaire (526 Clematis St. ) Below a neon sign sporting the establishment’s name, there was an almost hidden door. Guests could give a password and be let in with a wristband and free drink ticket and allowed to ascend the staircase and seemingly enter a new world. Aglow with hues of lavender and decorated with floral trees, vintage bar and comfy and classy couches, this club was quite the place. With a stage for a band on one end and lounging areas and a sushi bar on the other, it seemed like a place that did not quite fit, but no one seemed to care. It was the kind of place, and the kind of night, you did not want to leave. Part of it was the comfy ambiance and edgy vibe and part was the clientele who followed Gartel’s lead… He was he said, “Creating the ‘scene’ on this night. There is a scene in New York and in LA. There is no scene here. We have created the scene tonight.” Like a pied piper, wherever he went, people followed until he sat like royalty having plate after plate of sushi and trying to relax, but, yet, people continued to want to breathe his same air. From suited businessmen to music moguls, to underground celebs, one after another people came up to grab a picture with Gartel.

What I’ve seen tonight, I’ve never seen in my life,” enthused on enamored fan.

There is a closing night party Jan. 4 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Voltaire.

Next, Gartel will have his works at Fotofusion, also taking place at the Palm Beach Photographic Center, from Jan. 22 to 27. He is organizing a special networking luncheon Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, e-mail gartelpr@gmail.com.

To find out more about this Digital Titan, visit https://gartelmuseum.weebly.com/commissions.html.

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