Monday, July 27, 2015

Peggy Guggenheim - Art Addict

So the last of todays film festivals viewing was another documentary - Peggy Guggenheim - Art Addict.  Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, her world changed when her father died on the Titanic when she was 13.  Left with a mother she didn't get along with she had a bit of a rough time, having a breakdown.  After working at a bookshop and meeting a variety of artists she decided that this would be her future.

So off to Paris in the wild twenties where she spend time with artists an authors having a wild old time.  Then over to London for a brief marriage, a couple of children and an art gallery trying to sell modern art, before turning it into a museum. 

When the war intervenes, she heads back to Paris to buy as much modern art as she can before it is destroyed as degenerate by the Germans.  Escaping to New York, she sets up another gallery championing new artists and displaying modern art not seen before. 

In her middle age, an autobiography describing her numerous lovers scandalises American society, so she decamps to Venice to start anew. 

What an amazing lady with such an interesting life, one that people wouldn't blink an eyelid at nowdays, but I am sure was much frowned upon fifty years ago.   Not sure that I liked a lot of the modern art - not quite my thing.  A worthy 4/5.

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