Ahhh Netflix and It's Artist Documentaries

Yes, indeed, Netflix is great, especially bc I don't have cable! I watched two documentaries this week that were coincidentally INFLUENTIAL

1. Vic Muniz in Wasteland
He's a contemporary Brazilian artist whose work usually looks like reinterpretations or known paintings, but he uses odd materials like... chocolate sauce or something weird like that. In the documentary he goes to the 'largest landfill in the wooorrrllld' in Rio de Janiero. He interviews the 'pickers' who essentially dig through the trash for recyclable materials (due to Rio's lack of a recycling system) to earn a living. He then creates these HUGE portraits of the 'pickers' out of trash from the landfill. The 'pickers' were hired in his studio for this project to assist in creating these portraits. It was interesting to see a bridge between art and community.
2. Basquiat
So the community art Muniz was doing is great and all, BUT C'MON IT'S BASQUIAT! Such a brilliant and interesting artist that boy was. The documentary was amazing. Inspiring to say the least. He created over 1,000 paintings in the few years he was actually a painter! I think he was an active painter for about 7 or 8 years! Can someone say work ethic, or maybe just insanity! Anyways, as I was watching I wanted to get off the couch and get to work. Really.
3. 'Can I put hats on all of the B's'
Direct quote from my 5 year old nephew doing his homework yesterday. He had to write the letter B a bunch of times for homework on that super wide ruled paper you learn to write your letters. So as he was writing, he finished one and drew a hat on top of the 'B'. My mom hurried up and erased it. He wasn't too happy. He said, "I like the hat! Can I put hats on all of the B's?" Of course it was not part of his homework, so he shouldn't be doing it, but I thought it was brilliant. Why not put HATS ON THEM! How cool?! Kids figuring things out or making up reasons for how things work or exist always entertains me, but it's also really interesting. I wish there were more people out there putting hats on their B's.