Jeff Wall Selects

Artist Jeff Wall curates a selection of films that have influenced his practice, continuing a programmer-in-residence series co-presented with Gagosian.

“My main interest in film is the photography, its character and quality. But in order for it to excel, it needs to be photography of something worth photographing. That means a film ought to be about a subject worth narrating, so the scenario—the writing—is important. And it means the scenario needs to be well-realized, so then the art direction and performances are important, too. When all those things are outstandingly done, the film can become a more serious work of art, and I can look at it the way I look at a painting by Matisse or the way I read a story by Chekhov. But there can be beautifully photographed films where the performances are poor, where the settings and so on are badly done. I often like them, too… not all art is the very best art and less-than-best can still be good, satisfying, exciting. I chose the films for this series because I think they’re in the upper registers of achievement, each in its own way.” —Jeff Wall

Co-presented with Gagosian

Pre-screening presentation by artist Jeff Wall on Fat City, Saturday, November 9th

Portrait: James O’Mara, courtesy Gagosian