Dale frank -
mad artist
Producers: Jenny Hicks & Sarah Beard
Director: Jenny Hicks
Camera & Sound: James Marshall
Editor: Lindy Harrison
This feature documentary is an intimate portrayal of Australian abstract artist Dale Frank. The story follows Dale as he creates his work in the months leading up to his 40th annual exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Sydney.
The film paints a portrait of a prolific, eccentric and internationally successful artist overcoming formidable personal challenges to create art that continually pushes the boundaries of what art is.
A hermit and workaholic, Dale charges through life with passion, humour and grit. Eventually Dale must confront his social phobias and travel to Sydney to sell his wares and pay his bills. At the grand opening of the exhibition, together with gallerist and Sydney art doyen, Roslyn Oxley, Dale must try and work the room and ‘be nice to’ the crowd of collectors and business people from the Sydney art world.
This story is told with a mixture of verité observations and interviews. We film with Dale at home in his 19th century mansion in The Bush, in the botanical garden he is creating out of the surrounding paddocks and in his studio working with his two assistants. We also film with Roslyn Oxley, both at home and at work in her gallery, discussing the business side of the art world.
In addition we have formal interviews with collectors, curators and art experts and historians. They tell Dale’s story in the broader context by revealing the evolution of his body of work from the late 1970s to today and by discussing his relevance, uniqueness and significance to Australian art and culture.
This story is told with a mixture of verité observations and interviews. We film with Dale at home in his 19th century mansion in The Bush, in the botanical garden he is creating out of the surrounding paddocks and in his studio working with his two assistants. We also film with Roslyn Oxley, both at home and at work in her gallery, discussing the business side of the art world.
In addition we have formal interviews with collectors, curators and art experts and historians. They tell Dale’s story in the broader context by revealing the evolution of his body of work from the late 1970s to today and by discussing his relevance, uniqueness and significance to Australian art and culture.