Beauty Is Embarrassing

Movie Information

The Story: Documentary on artist/designer Wayne White. The Lowdown: A joyous look at a gleeful artist who takes tremendous pleasure in creating his art.
Score:

Genre: Documentary
Director: Neil Berkeley
Starring: Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Woodrow White, Lulu White, Paul Reubens, Mark Mothersbaugh
Rated: NR

Neil Berkeley’s Beauty Is Embarrassing is less a documentary on artist/designer Wayne White than it is a celebration of this determinedly quirky artist — and man — whose name you may not know, but whose work already has some niches in your memory. You’ve seen his work on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, in the Peter Gabriel “Big Time” video and in the striking Smashing Pumpkins video based on Georges Melies’ A Trip to the Moon (1902). Words like “whimsical” and “playful” come to mind when describing his work — and the man depicted here seems to fit those terms, too. If Berkeley’s documentary itself is of the straightforward variety, its only flourish is framing the story of White around one of the artist’s personal appearances, and the film (like the appearance) makes you wait until the end to explain what “Beauty is embarrassing” means (And that might be for the best). It doesn’t need to compete with White for quirkiness, and any such attempt would have undoubtedly lost the competition.

White himself has no great message to deliver — apart from his “just get out there and do what you love” credo. He is equal parts plain-spoken provocateur and self-deprecating artist. White has moved through just about every phase of the art world and has somehow managed to crack the world of serious art with playfully outrageous paintings — and even pictures that are made from mass-produced crummy sub-Thomas Kinkade style landscapes which he has painted (and cleverly reconfigured) lettered slogans to his own ends. These seem to be as much comments on the snobby nature of the art world (for which he has no reverence) as they are on the mid-cult mentality expressed in the bad paintings he’s working from — or maybe on. At the same time, it’s debatable if his cheerfully cheeky — and frequently f-word and even c-word festooned — paintings are really meant to comment on anything other than his own joy in creating them.

White is — as the film demonstrates — equally at home playing the banjo, telling stories and playing the role of a kind of profanity-spouting professional Southerner. (Though born in Alabama and raised in Tennessee, White admits he didn’t really discover his Southern roots until he left the South.) His raconteur style is at once self-deprecating and the perfect embodiment of a man who isn’t interested in taking shit from anybody. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one he plays to perfection — perhaps because he really is really just being himself.

This isn’t necessarily a life-altering work, but there’s no denying that the fun White gets out of his work is pretty irresistible, maybe even infectious. Yes, there are glimmerings of the “tortured” artist buried within some of White’s musings about himself and his life, but they serve as much for background for stories that amuse White himself as anything else. This is definitely worth making the time to see in this crowded movie month. Not Rated but contains enough swearing to warrant an R.

SHARE
About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

10 thoughts on “Beauty Is Embarrassing

  1. Ken Hanke

    If the subject being as crazy as Alan Moore is your barometer, you must see very few documentaries.

  2. Jeremy Dylan

    I actually do see very few documentaries, but that’s not the main reason.

    I find most docs about artists whose work I’m not a massive fan of pretty uninteresting, but if the subject is whacked-out enough – or presented with a whacked-out perspective ala Herzog – I can be persuaded to watch.

  3. Ken Hanke

    An interesting take for someone who’s done a documentary, don’t you think? I don’t in general disagree and I see far more documentaries than I want to. But I enjoyed this guy. He’s looney enough, but not an unmitigated madman. Moore always seems about an inch away from certification.

  4. Jeremy Dylan

    An interesting take for someone who’s done a documentary, don’t you think?

    Maybe I should’ve encouraged Jim to grow a Rasputin beard and open his eyes wider when he talks.

  5. Orbit DVD

    I actually do see very few documentaries, but that’s not the main reason.

    I can supply you a list full of batshit crazy.

  6. Ken Hanke

    Maybe I should’ve encouraged Jim to grow a Rasputin beard and open his eyes wider when he talks

    That wasn’t exactly my point.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.