Ancestors and icons play central roles in these short portraits by Jem Cohen, who returns to the National Gallery to discuss his work in conjunction with the Philip Guston Now exhibition.
His recently completed film The Ballad of Philip Guston, made with collaboration with the Guston Foundation, finds Cohen connecting personally with the work and legacy of the visual artist through first person reflection. Also included are portraits of musician and poet Patti Smith, Long for the City (2008); Makeshift (For Mekas), an homage to Jonas Mekas, co-founder of Anthology Film Archives produced for the Criterion Channel (2019); and a sneak preview of Cohen’s June Leaf Pt. 1, a work in progress portrait on the established visual artist and life-partner of photographer Robert Frank. Total running time of program approximately 65 minutes, followed by discussion with the artist.