Cinema & Art

Recently in the NY Times, a feature story appeared regarding an up coming show about cinema and art more specifically the work of Salvador Dali and the affect Dali's work has had in the cinematic world.

The star of the show is a painting Dali executed for Hitchcock's "Spellbound" called 'The Eye'.

When I uncovered 'The Eye' from its temporary resting place in Naples Florida in the mid 90's, it was in the hands of a real estate developer. At that time no one including the owner of the painting at the time knew much about the painting except that it had been a study for the backdrop of the movie's surreal dream sequence.

An image of the work had appeared in a book on Dali by Robert Descharnes, expert on the work of Dali and several attempts had been made to sell the picture but no one thought it was worth much more than what the owner was asking.

When I laid eyes on the piece at a warehouse in NYC, I knew the painting had a soul and spirit that was trying to be released. I immediately immersed myself in the aura of this incredible icon and began a relationship with the painting, walking the path as they say, or the road less travelled.

Over the next two years I was able to find out further information about the picture, had it cleaned and reframed in black lacquer and gave it the respect it deserved. Sean Connery's son approached me for a show he was trying to put together called "Hollywood Collects". But that show never took off.

The painting was offered through an investor who I had joined forces with at the time to promote and market the picture to great collectors in Hollywood and the New York art world but again no one seemed to care much about an oculus that was not considered as valuable to the art crowd as a standard surreal work by this master. I always gravitated towards breaking new ground with art since my former partner and I opened the Jordan Volpe Gallery in New York in 76 and broke ground in the American art world,, pioneering a style of collecting that has become an international phenomenon.

When I saw 'The Eye' plastered on a full page in the NY Times (June 27th) it struck me how little people really know about its existence and what the painting went through to arrive at such a prestigious location.

More information and rather delicious stories about the work's migration north can be read in my memoir "Framed" ECW Press available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

My book was first published in the UK by Mainstream (Braveheart / Catch Me If You Can) and is soon to become a feature film.

In the story of my rise, fall and redemption I refer to 'The Eye' several times as being my savior and my nemesis because by owning that painting for a short period of time, for its magic to pass through my hands, I learned the difference between illusion and truth.

What is really amazing is that the painting in Hitchcock's movie stands for truth when the man accused of killing someone near and dear to him finds out it was an accident and not something he should continually punish himself for.

Life has a strange way of teaching us lessons.

For further info about 'The Eye' please read 'Framed' or contact me at mezmerist@yahoo.com