Art Bastard - Press Articles

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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.”

• Wall Street Journal – by Steve Dollar
  • FILM PUTS ART-WORLD REBEL ON NEW CANVAS "Michelangelo had the Sistine Chapel. Robert Cenedella has P.J. Carney’s."

• 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."  

• Artnet News – by Henri Neuendorf
  • 10 Great Art Documentaries To Watch This Summer You need to see these films if you love art. 

• Los Angeles Times – by Robert Abele
  • "A zesty, engaging documentary about a veteran outsider."

• 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.”

• Washington Post – by Stephanie Merry
  • "A compelling indictment of the way commerce drives the art market."

• New York Post – by Barbara Hoffman
  • “Meet The NYC artist who crucified Santa Claus.” 

• The Hollywood Reporter – by Frank Scheck
  • "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."

• Santa Fe New Mexican – by Jonathan Richards
  • "Cenedella continues to launch spitballs at the establishment, paint terrific pictures, and attract devoted admirers. This film should win him a bunch more." 

• 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.”

• New York Observer – David D’Arcy
  • “ART BASTARD: Robert Cenedella Has Never Been An Art World Darling, And That's Fine” 

• Trust Movies – James van Maanen
  • "A little gem... a witty, joyous, and utterly deserved takedown of the art industry."

• 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."

• True View Reviews – by Mark Saldana
  • "A great film about a brilliant artist who is finally getting his due. I highly recommend it."

• MovieMaker – by Carlos Aguilar
  • “All Due Respect: With Documentary ART BASTARD, Robert Cenedella Hopes To Go Direct-to-Audience.” 

• Minneapolis Star Tribune – by Colin Covert
  • “It’s impossible to see this film without instantly falling in love with him!” 

• Thalo Artist Community – by Laura Blum
  • "GORGEOUSLY COMPLEX, EXPOSES THE SCARS OF NOT BELONGING."

• Huffington Post – by Jack Meyer
  • "An amusing, touching film!"

• 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." 

• Fox 5 San Diego – by Josh Board
  • "The perfect way to celebrate your dad on Father’s Day would be taking him to see this picture."

• Hudson Valley 1 – by Frances Marion Platt
  • “…hear from a gifted, honest, take-no-prisoners iconoclast whose stubborn resistance to the vagaries of aesthetic fashion has been vindicated by time.”

• Toronto Film Scene – by Katie O’Connor
  • “Art Bastard The art world’s ‘best kept secret,’ Robert Cenedella.”  

• The Globe and Mail – By Brad Wheeler
  • "Robert Cenedella the 76-year-old sees as a crooked scene in which the mediocre decide the fate of genius." 

• Plaid Zebra – by Jessica Beuker
  • New film puts one of the most gritty, honest and controversial artists in the spotlight.

• Classical 103.1 – by Marc Glassman
  • “Cenedella is a great doc subject and his painting—satirical, filled to the brim with people.”  

• The Gate – by Andrew Parker
  • “Cenedella is a portrait of a strong and determined artist.” 

• 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.”