Comments on: Variations of Failure: HBO’s New Documentary on Painter Chuck Connelly

By: The Hill

The Hill — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:58:30 +0000

The idea that alcoholism is a disease is an uninformed position. There are no pathogens to constitute an infection. Alcoholism is the result of using a habit forming drug through social sanctions like group/family approval. To say it’s a disease is an attempt to let the user off the hook, “Oh he can’t help it.” Alcohol related car accidents alone cause 22K deaths a year in America, yet it is one of the main drugs protected/facilitated/regulated by the Feds, The ATF, along w/ tobacco. That is by far more than all drug deaths put together. I quit drinking when I realized it was taking time away from my kids.

There are Connelly’s in every art school. Their poison is not worth the effort and this one here is as easily forgettable.

By: Suze

Suze — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:44:48 +0000

What a gorgeous artist. Who CARES if he’s an asshole? Is that unheard of in the art world? Among all arts? In any profession. My God, I wish I could buy his work. It’s AMAZING. heartbreaking that his value is based solely on his ability to kiss tush.

By: James Mc.

James Mc. — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:20:37 +0000

…”whose deep personality problems and alcoholism eventually caused his exile from the art world”

Certainly that was one of the major narratives of the film, but to me, it is pat and a bit forced and unconvincing.

To hear the film tell it, he was very successful and on the cusp of superstardom circa 1990, yet somehow his “arrogance” mysteriously ruined everything. He supposedly pissed off Scorcese and an influential gallery owner (a French woman whose name escapes me) and that was that. His career promptly went to shit. Is it really that simple though?

Can anyone really pinpoint why the very few accede to stardom while many enormously talented artists labor in obscurity?

The film amply demonstrates that Connelly is often a bitter, angry drunk (15 years after his apex of success), but perhaps that’s the result of his lack of success rather than the opposite.

The film did have a segment where it blows through several hundred of his paintings in a few minutes. I found myself stopping and rewinding countless times to admire the images.

He’s a great artist.

By: richard martin

richard martin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:45:01 +0000

What an artist, his early works will one day be worth millions

By: amanda morton

amanda morton — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:21:15 +0000

i’m kind of obsessed with this guy…i’m no fool …he’s a blow-hard and a beligerant A-hole, an egoist and a creep…definately a dangerous drunk…but there is something about much of his work..mostly the early stuff that feels very immediate and personal and mystical…on ocassion he’s a tremendous painter but he’s a sad hack too..some of the work is embarrassing to say the least..ugly and bone-headed…
the man needs to quit drinking…he is clearly at a point in his life where the booze has taken it’s toll…a great deal of damage has been done to his mind, his spirit and talent…

original he is not.

at one point he tells the story of an art dealer who dismissed him cruely…
“we are looking for the next great american painter…and YOU are not it…”

“why did they have to be so mean?” connelly whines.

the truth hurts, you big baby…

the real story is how this guy got so close to the big top on a pretty face and a loud but slightly wobbly mediocre gift….this man is no genius…prolific, for sure, but mostly he’s a jerk who went and blew it…god handed him a winning lottery ticket and he chose to wipe his bum…

i love the guy…i love his energy and pathetic, possibly heroic need to push on…i have spent hours looking at his stuff…i want one…he inspires me…but i see through him and as for as his “ruined career” is concerned he gets no sympathy from this aging art brat.

there’s an AA meeting starting at 7 in the basement of every church in every town in every state in the union.

By: cynthia engel

cynthia engel — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:19:14 +0000

Put his paintings on ebay and I will buy several of them…..
Next, why film this poor but talented, sad man. Lets instead raise money with all these high and mighty art dealers and get him help. Alcoholism is a disease. You have made a film exploiting the dark side of this disease for your benefit, yet have given him no help. Remember alcoholics never want help. You should have ended the film with an intervention.

By: Lance Dragon

Lance Dragon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:22:57 +0000

I fancy his missus

By: Jason Coleman

Jason Coleman — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:03:51 +0000

Fair review. Personally, I was very interested by the art itself.

@Brian, RE the 3000 paintings: It would very unfeasible for the filmmaker to include all 3000 paintings in the final montage. If you give each painting .25 seconds, it would still take 12.5 minutes to show them all… and wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.

And think about how long that would take to film. At 2 minutes per painting, it would take 6000 minutes, 1000 hours, or over 4 full days to take snap shots of the paintings.

But who knows. Maybe he was exaggerating… maybe a lot of those 3000 were shit. Considering he has a lot more paintings out in the wild, including $1mil+ of it from the 80s, he seems like a pretty prolific artist.

By: Brian Sherwin Myartspace Blog

Brian Sherwin Myartspace Blog — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:16:51 +0000

I noticed that as well. If he has 3,000 stuffed away they should have included all of them during that. There was just over a hundred shown… if that.

Kinda reminds me of an art student who claims to have more work done, but never seems to bring it in for a critique. I could say that I have 5,000 paintings in my basement, 1,000 in my garage, and 20,000 in my bathtub if I wanted.

By: dan

dan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:46:47 +0000

The documentary did leave a lot out. Maybe the artist wouldn’t cooperate? If i had money, i’d
buy his paintings. If Connelly finds society
as hypocritical and self-centered as I do, his
best revenge would be to stop drinking-(meaning live long) and burn all his work, or donate it to an honest charity.