Animated Panels

See the groundbreaking work and legacy of American artist Gregory Gillespie (1936 – 2000) in this feature documentary. A beloved talent and visionary, Gillespie radically altered the path set for “new realism” painters by “rorschaching” into the mysteries of his own psychological demons while lifting cues from his careful study of Renaissance masters to conjure truly original postmodern masterpieces.

Director Evan Goodchild, in his debut, takes art fans on a riveting journey from Gillespie’s sacred studio space in Western Massachusetts to The Whitney in New York, The Hirshhorn in Washington D.C., and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, meeting the people who loved him and learned from him. Drawing on archival footage – much of it seen and heard here for the first time – and extensive interviews with former director of The Whitney Adam Weinberg, artists William Beckman and Jane Lund, artist and critic Alexi Worth, author A.J. Verdelle, and many more, The Painted Life of Gregory Gillespie investigates Gillespie’s breakthroughs in technique and invention over a rarefied career.

ARTIST BIO