KENNY SCHARF: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
2020 - BRAZIL, UNITED STATES - 77 MINUTES
A FILM BY MALIA SCHARF, MAX BASCH
FEATURING: PRINCIPAL CAST: KENNY SCHARF, KEITH HARING, JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, ED RUSCHA, YOKO ONO, KAWS, MARILYN MINTER, JEFFERY DEITCH, ROBERT WILLIAMS, IRVING BLUM
When Kenny Scharf arrived in NYC in the early 1980’s, he quickly met and befriended Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat; There, amongst the fervent creative bustle of a depressed downtown scene the trio would soon change the way we think about art, the world, and ourselves. But unlike Haring and Basquiat, who both died tragically young, Kenny lived through cataclysmic shifts in the East Village as well as the ravages of AIDS and economic depression.
‘When Worlds Collide’ is about the art of fun, about living life out loud, despite setbacks, and about Kenny Scharf’s particular do-it- yourself, high-tone, technicolor artistic vision.
“a pleasing and insightful documentary that gives an overlooked icon in the world of pop surrealism their proper due.” - The Gate
“guilty of the 'f' word: Fun” - Drew Rowsome
“The documentary is the best way to experience his art and his life and the documentary wraps it up like a huge juicy pastrami sandwich that will leave you full and satisfied.” - Set the Bar Lifestyle
“As Scharf looks back at the loss of many great talents in his circle of friends amid the AIDS crisis, he soberly reflects on the decisions that may have saved his life, such as his desire to shift his focus to his kids and family. The effort obviously paid off, as noted by the subsequent generation of artists who share his name.” - POV Magazine
”the artist grows from a self-possessed ringleader into a loving father for his own children. In the process, we watch an artist face the greatest fear of their career—irrelevance—and then combat it. The film’s greatest asset is its subject. Scharf is completely open and candid—a perfect vessel for his ultimate (lifelong) democratic message that art belongs to us all.” - That Shelf
“an amazing story brought to life” - Cultural Mining