The film industry finally wakes up to what artists have to offer

http://theconversation.com/the-film-industry-finally-wakes-up-to-what-artists-have-to-offer-24246

Steve McQueen’s success at the Oscars has prompted much talk of the connection between art and film.

But gallery artists like Steve McQueen, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard are standing their ground and proving that they can make great filmmakers on their own terms, and on the terms of the mainstream itself.

Artists are risk-takers. Their artistic decisions are visual-led, rather than being drama-led. This is arguably what led to the success of 12 Years a Slave, a film many consider to be the first to look slavery straight on. It did not cut things up into a more standardised editing thought to be more accessible to a mainstream audience.

Artists are trained in a culture of experimentation – they are taught to not respect boundaries. This means that they are not constrained by technical dos and don’ts.

Most of all, artists have begun to circulate within the celebrity system of the art world since the YBAs began to receive popular mass media attention.

Prestigious showcases such as Locarno and the Venice and the Rotterdam film festivals have been celebrating the work of artist filmmakers now for several years, not to mention the recent Oscars. These previously exclusive places are now showing artist-led films that depart from standard narrative. Change is in the air, and discussion and debate are beginning.