The Multitalented Mr. Schnabel

Morley Safer Profiles Julian Schnabel, A Titan Of The Film And Art World

(CBS)  Julian Schnabel is an American painter, a highly controversial one, at least in the sense that critics have both slammed him and praised him. A few years ago, he switched gears and decided to become a film director, a move that gained him almost universal praise, particularly for his most recent movie, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Since he first came on the art scene in the 1980s, Schnabel has shown a great talent for attracting attention to himself - a poster boy for the "me generation," who likes to go out publicly in pajamas or a sarong.

As correspondent Morley Safer reports, you can't help but notice this man, even admire his belief in his own genius. Love him or hate him, you must admit he has an ego the size of Manhattan.

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One of his large paintings, according to Schnabel, sells for around a million dollars.

Buy it or dismiss it, people have been arguing about Schnabel's art for 30 years. And it has paid for some spectacular real estate: one home in Montauk on Long Island, and a palazzo in New York's Greenwich Village.

The Greenwich Village palazzo - known as the pink palace - is his base of operations. Outside, there are 360 degrees of killer views. Inside, touring the place with him, you feel like Gulliver in the land of the giants, surrounded by huge sculptures, 20-foot high ceilings, and Schnabel paintings that are both larger than life and larger than some New York apartments.

The living room is dominated by one of his favorite works, a painting of a girl's head. It's one of a dozen similar big girls Schnabel has painted in recent years, all of them inspired by a small amateur painting he found in a junk shop years ago.

"My father said to me, 'How come you painted her eyes out?' And I said, 'So you look at her chin,'" Schnabel remembers.

What's it all about? As Schnabel well knows, explaining art can be an elusive and treacherous pursuit.

He's constantly on the prowl for new surfaces, painting on old tarpaulins, rugs, and velvet. His current passion is for a stash of old navigation charts that seem to say to him "color me purple."

"I probably paint like a jazz musician. I know where to begin, but I don't really have necessarily an idea of how the thing's going to turn out. And I'm sort of leaning toward a divine light. And I think maybe it'll hit me, maybe it won't. But in making a movie, it’s the same thing," he told Safer.

Divine light or earthly savvy, there's no questioning his success as a filmmaker: his movies were nominated for five Oscars, and he himself won top prizes at the Golden Globes and the Cannes Film Festival.

"I thought I was too old to be a movie director. But once I was doing that, Dennis Hopper was on the set. He said, 'Looks like you’ve been doin' this for 40 years,'" Schnabel remembers.

There was "Basquiat," the tragic biography of the young artist who died of a toxic mix of drugs at age 28, a victim of the overheated New York art world of the 1980’s, a culture Schnabel knew firsthand.

"Before Night Falls" was an uncompromising portrait of the persecuted Cuban novelist Reinaldo Arenas, who died of AIDS, believing that writing was the best revenge.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is a true and compelling story about a French man-about-town suddenly imprisoned by a rare and almost total paralysis.

Making the films, Schnabel quickly developed his own method for working with actors: short on rehearsal, long on improvisation. "My technique is, you throw everybody in a hole and if they can climb out, you go home at the end of the day - and that includes me," he explains.

What if they don't "climb" out?

"If they don’t, then the movie dies," Schnabel tells Safer.

[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.

[aka10003]

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is one of the most sensitive, original and artistically rewarding films I have ever seen; think what I will of his individual art pieces, they come from an artist with a true vision.

Morley Safer''s mention of Hughes'' negative criticism was a journalistic low-point considering that Schnabel has such an impressive track record by now.

How would Mr. Safer react if when himself interviewed, he is being asked to answer to scathing criticism by a reviewer who understands no English? That would be laughable. And what if it is not happening in the relatively straight-forward world of journalism, but in a field where visionaries often have to endure years of abuse by those who are practically blind to their work? Mr. Schnabel has a cause to be upset.

Unless Mr. Safer was specifically assigned to this article as a rep of the artistically-defensive population, 60 Minutes should really do better job matching in the future.

[lonecampwoma]

I met Julian in the late 70''s. I was a restaurant owner in a city in TX. I instantly recognized and was drawn to his Genius. He told me he was a cook and if I ever needed one to call him. I said,"Our chef just ran off to Austin and I need a cook tonight" Julian said O.K. Neither of us questioned that it would work beautifully and he cooked that night to raves from customers. Yes, I am "OLD"--64, but it''s too bad that there is no room for genius in this world anymore. I''m glad I was around to experience it. Julian is not just a genius but a true hero--he saved me! and his existence makes life richer on this planet for all of us. None of his success has surprised me. I expected it. I especially love the plate paintings (as a restaurant owner who heard many plates hit the floor over the years) and the movies are a gift to all of us.

[tuflgal]

I guess the saying ''Beauty is in the eye of the beholder''. For myself, I am stating my own opinion. I beheld nothing. I saw nothing amazing in his artwork. I am not familiar with his directing or writing ability.

How does he as an artist get to that level of fame?

If you want to see REAL art... photo realistic..done by hand..not airbrushed..or dumped/splashed on a wall or canvas.. take a look at www.melendezmurals.com

Here is a true and unknown artist with real talent, who struggles to get his work seen and known.

Pass the word on gang...let''s give REAL talent worthy of the title... ''Artist''.

Thanks!

[Nitraaaam]

Man, your paintings have no soul and that's probably why you're unknown.

[godseyesore-2009]

I have never been drawn to Schnabel''s paintings but his film work is another story. Diving Bell & Butterfly is now on my list of favorite films. Very impressive work.

[gianna2009-2009]

Morely Safer''s interview was off his usual performance. He didn''t seem at ease with Mr. Schnabel. People often criticize artists and art they don''t understand. The ego questions detracted from the interview. And for those who haven''t heard of Jullian Schanbel, well, he hasn''t heard of you either.

[chuck1522]

Your guest Schnabal reminds me of a paper weight I had in 1956. He throws paint on the wall and calls it art. I suspect Mr. Safer knows better. You can hire a chimp to do that "art" at 4 bananas an hour. (that is union scale.) Your program is too good to let Schnabal push this *** on you!

[davidcc472]

Mr. Safer,

Your interview with Julian was very fair, but going into the Robert Hughes hook was a little tacky. It made for great television but I bet you knew it would send him over the edge. I enjoyed this segment but it didn''t do Mr. Schnabel any good coming off as such an A*#&hole. The ending about ego was terrific. You go Morley!

This is what you get when a spoiled baby brat grows tall.

[lyle943]

Mr. Schnabel reminded me of many years ago when an "artist" presented some sort of *** to the public, and when one had the temerity to doubt his/her talent, we were told "You just don''t GET it!"
Mr. Schnabel has no talent, but apparently there are enough people who don''t want to be told that they just don''t get it, so they buy his garbage and hang it proudly, telling their guests, "You just don''t GET it! It cost me a fortune!". Schnabel = Schlock

[eudaly]

Mr. Schnabel was quite right to be appalled by Mr. Safer''s presenting Robert Hughes''s opinions of Schnabel''s art for comment. Hughes is to art criticism what Bill O''Reilly is to journalism.