We just watched a documentary that Ken Burns did for PBS 20 years ago, "Thomas Hart Benton." The film included interviews with Tom Benton (hey, that's what everybody called him), his daughter and some of his students, his colleagues and his critics.
It seems like creative people eventually find what they were meant to do. They do it until the well runs dry and critics carp. They put their bucket in another well and critics carp. There has never been any shortage of critics of the work of Tom Benton. One museum even told him to take his paintings back. A critic featured in the film said that Benton's autobiography was really well done and that Benton should have been a writer, not a painter.
One of Benton's harshest critics in this documentary was his colleague Vincent Campanella. Campanella was a painter who taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, among other places. If they do his life story, Alan Arkin can play the role. Anyway, Campanella told the camera that Tom Benton died in Kansas City. Artistically, he died.
Literally, Tom Benton also died in Kansas City. And when Mr. Campanella began to talk about getting that news, he suddenly put his hands over his face and fell apart. This telling was a dozen or more years after the fact and still his emotions got the best of him. It was a good moment in the film. Old friends.
It seems like creative people eventually find what they were meant to do. They do it until the well runs dry and critics carp. They put their bucket in another well and critics carp. There has never been any shortage of critics of the work of Tom Benton. One museum even told him to take his paintings back. A critic featured in the film said that Benton's autobiography was really well done and that Benton should have been a writer, not a painter.
One of Benton's harshest critics in this documentary was his colleague Vincent Campanella. Campanella was a painter who taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, among other places. If they do his life story, Alan Arkin can play the role. Anyway, Campanella told the camera that Tom Benton died in Kansas City. Artistically, he died.
Literally, Tom Benton also died in Kansas City. And when Mr. Campanella began to talk about getting that news, he suddenly put his hands over his face and fell apart. This telling was a dozen or more years after the fact and still his emotions got the best of him. It was a good moment in the film. Old friends.