Art Bastard - Press

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  • New York Times – by Stephen Holden
      • NYT Critic’s Pick - "Robust documentary portrait of lifelong rebel and art-world gadfly. Cenedella comes across as a reassuring voice of sanity.”
  • NPR – by Bob Mondello
      • "A REBEL WITH A CANVAS! PROVOCATIVE! Kinetic from the opening shots! ART BASTARD is about a proudly unrepentant troublemaker who tilts at the art-world equivalent of Don Quixote’s windmills!"
  • Roger Ebert – by Sheila O’Malley
      • "Victor Kanefsky's engaging and thought-provoking documentary about Cenedella, is a beautiful portrait of the man himself, as well as a critique of the art world that has ignored him (and others) because they don't "fit."  
  • Variety – by Owen Gleiberman
      • “The madly teeming pop-cartoon paintings of Robert Cenedella anchor this lively look at a self-styled superstar of outsider art.”
  • The Hollywood Reporter – by Frank Schek
      • "An intimate portrait of the iconoclastic artist Robert Cenedella... Socially conscious and often mordantly humorous, the paintings are wonderfully exhibited in this film which benefits from being seen on the big screen."
  • Wolf Entertainment Guide – William Wolf
      • "THE BEST FILM ABOUT ART I HAVE SEEN... A scintillating, visually splendid look at the life and satirical work of socially conscious, talented and articulate art rebel Robert Cenedella. The art establishment should take a fresh look at Cenedella’s work, which certainly deserves a major, reflective New York exhibition at this point in time."
  • The Art Newspaper – by David D’Arcy
      • The End of the World is coming to Manhattan! Robert Cenedella, the “Art Bastard”, brings his vision of the apocalypse to a gallery window just a week before the US election.
  • Art Blog – by Roberta Fallon
      • "A vibrant and tender movie... A thoroughly engaging portrait of a witty and driven artist whose life story is as poignant as his paintings are comical and wild... A sweeping look at an artist driven to speak his heart and to live life true to who he was... You will enjoy your 84 minutes with Bob Cenedella. Like his paintings, he’s one colorful character. Bravo to the filmmakers for celebrating his life and works."
  • The Playlist – by Oktay Ege Kozak
      • "A loving tribute to one of the most delightfully tenacious and ardently passionate voices in modern art... highly recommended to art junkies"
  • The Examiner – by Phil Hall
      • “4 stars! A pure delight! This tribute to a marvelous talent is long overdue, and 'Art Bastard' pays an invigorating celebration to a one-of-a-kind genius.”
  • Unseen Films – by Steve Kopian
      • "I love this film... ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR!" "Track this film down and see it. It will do wondrous things for your outlook on life." "Robert Cenedella is absolutely compelling. Listening to him talk about life and art is one of the great cinematic treats I've had recently."
  • San Diego Reader – by Scott Marks
      • “A feel-good film that, for once, doesn’t denigrate the term. As a serious artist who has spent 60 years of his life making people laugh, Robert Cenedella is my new art hero. His story is a must-see for those who champion free speech and the inherent power of a solid belly laugh."
  • Film Journal International – by David Noh
      • "An artist and bohemian in the truest sense of those words is celebrated in this inspiring doc about his work and gloriously independent life. The roiling, often hilarious and satirically biting art of Robert Cenedella calls to mind the work of Breughel and George Grosz."
  • San Diego Reader – by Scott Marks
      • "4 Stars! You may not recognize the name going in, but after spending 82 minutes watching director Victor Kanefsky cast a heartfelt lens in Cenedella's direction, you'll never forget him." 
  • Irish Film Critic – by Alex Duffant
      • "An up-close and personal examination of an artist, his work, and post-war America."
        "The film finds its strength by simply letting the subject talk and tell his life’s story"
        "brilliantly exploits a relatively niche subject by making it palatable for the viewing audience.…with any luck, you may one day find yourself acing a “Final Jeopardy” question about Robert Cenedella." 
  • Meta Critic
      • “Art Bastard is as energetic, humorous and unapologetically honest as the uncompromising man at its center, Robert Cenedella.”  
  • National Post
      • “NEW YORK ARTIST GET HIS 15 MINUTES … TIMES SIX.”
  • Blog TO
      • “Meet the rebellious New York artist Robert Cenedella.”

Production and Licensing:

Concannon Productions
257 West 38th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10018
(917) 374-0020
chrisc@concannonproductions.com

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Distribution (Domestic & International):

BidSlate
109 S 5th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11249
roland@bidslate.com
www.BidSlate.com 

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ART BASTARD is the rousing tale of a rebel who never fit into today’s art world…

...yet has become one of its most provocative, rabble- rousing characters nevertheless. At once a portrait of the artist as a young troublemaker, a critical look at the modern art world and a quintessential New York story, ART BASTARD is as energetic, humorous and unapologetically honest as the uncompromising man at its center: Robert Cenedella.

A contemporary of Warhol who set himself up in the ’60s as the anti-Warhol, Cenedella has always been in search of authenticity – and from his story of battling family secrets, the money-fueled art establishment and his own demons, emerges a picture of creating a life on one’s own terms.

Highlights from Cenedella's Collection