The Multitalented Mr. Schnabel

Schnabel clearly feels the negative criticism is aimed at the artist, not the art, but since he seems to regard himself as his greatest work of art, the confusion can be understandable.

He's been married twice, the father of five children. Down through the years he's painted portraits of them all.

"At the beginning I definitely didn't think about him as a husband, no," says Spanish actress Olatz Lopez Garmendia, Schnabel's wife and the subject of a number of adoring paintings.

Asked what she first of Schnabel when she first met him, she tells Safer, "Charming. And scary."

Asked how he was scary, she says, "Maybe because he's a very intense person."

She has appeared in two of Schnabel's films. It was five years from the time they met to the time they married. "We kept bumping into each other. He was like courtshipping," she says.

And she says he was persistent.

He began a series of huge paintings bearing her name, and sent one to her house in Paris. "They needed to bring it up through the outside of the building. And I guess I took it as a love letter," she remembers.

But love is a tricky thing. Since that interview, the Schnabels' marriage seems to be on the rocks. And while the fickle New York art world may not have fallen out of love with Julian Schnabel, it has embraced newer, younger shooting stars. But he does remain a darling overseas.

He admits he has a good sized ego. "I guess I made the paintings. I guess I made the movies," Schnabel says. "I never made a compromise. For a guy to be able to say that, does that mean he's got a big ego?"

"But there's nothing wrong with having a big ego…," Safer remarks.

"No, but I think it's, its, you know, would you ask Marlon Brando if he had a big ego?" Schnabel asks.

"Probably," Safer replies.

"I mean, you know, do you have a big ego?" Schnabel asks.

"No, not me," Safer says.

Schnabel's response? "Okay, I'm sure you do."


Produced by David Browning

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[dalokster70]

fsasdfsd

[bernie.mcginn]

interesting guy!

[benfrenchnyc]

Test.

[benfrenchnyc]

Test.

[bernie.mcginn]

definitely an interesting guy!

[grandma_king]

Julian Schnabel should have slugged you, you arrogant snob. I am so sick of you reporters trying to drum up controversy with mentally sick behavior (triangulation). You were his guest. You were very rude and arrogant, and so narrow-minded that you only know your own agenda. I sure hope people can see your rudeness and quit watching as I have.
By the way, I love Andy Rooney, infact, that''s the only part of 60 minutes I like, but that''s not enough to keep me watching.

[banartist]

As an Artist who struggles daily with the grind of trying to be, I feel saddened by the lack of response by Mr. Safer and previous writers to address what I feel are his key comments. "I probably paint like a Jazz musician". "I"m Sort of leaning towards a divine light". Morley would have made this interview infinately more interesting and educational by asking him to expand on this, rather than pissing him off with worthless questions. If I myself could answer those questions verbally, I''d probably be a writer... or director. Crossing over to another discipline as seamlessly as he does is indicative of great talent. To quote George Santayana, "Expression depends on the union of two terms. One is furnished by the imagination, and a mind cannot furnish what it does not possess. Therefore, the expression of everything increases with the intelligence of the viewer".

[apadilla3]

One last thing and I''ll zip it. He is hiding his lack of talent behind his belligerence. He attacks those who criticize him to divert their attention to the fact that he has no ability.

[apadilla3]

Yeah, um, I don''t get it. Maybe I''m turned off by the fact that he replicated a painting someone else did that wasn''t good to begin with (that''s how it ended up in a thrift store), and this schmuck says "his" painting is worth a million. He sounded like an overgrown five year old crying because someone didn''t like him. Waa, waa, waa. Then he has the nerve to call his nemesis critic lazy. I find his artwork to be lazy and disrespectful to the world! Yeah, his take on directing, ". . . throw everyone in a hole and see if they can climb out." They climb out because they''re talented actors, no thanks to him.

[efactor2]

His movies are quite good, and his art is all in how you interpret it and that interpretation is a product of your backround. I personally know an artist who is struggling to pay the bills, but believes deeply in the value her artwork hasin this society and knows someday she will achieve success on her own terms and without selling her soul. Check out her website at maricelaalvarez.com You may not necessarily understand her work upon first view, but it will speak to you if you give it time.