Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle poster

Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle

1999 · 48 min

Documentary

★ 10.0
not streaming

Trailer

Painter, fisherman, visionary, eccentric - Forrest Bess lived his life in obscurity, at an isolated bait camp off the East Coast of Texas. From 1949 through 1967, Bess showed at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York City along with artists like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. But Bess' art was only part of a grander theory based on alchemy, Jungian philosophy, and aboriginal rituals, which proposed that hermaphrodism was the key to immortality. Narrated by actors Willem Dafoe and Ruth Maleczech, the documentary combines the beauty of Bess' art with the drama and tragedy of his personal life. Interviews with people who knew Bess, including art historian Meyer Schapiro (his last interview) and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman bring life to this forgotten artist. Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddleis a fascinating look at one of America's most unusual artists.

Crew

  • Director Ari Marcopoulos
  • Director Chuck Smith

Cast

Crew

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🔥 Hot takes

warming up the wall…

Intermission

GO DEEPER

Turn the obscurity dial up. There's a lot further down to go.

Deal me more →

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