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SOUTH FLORIDA PREMIERE
Sunday, Apr 29, 2007 1:30 PM
Directed by Will Parirnello
US, 2006, video, 55 min
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Ticket Availability
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In "Emile Norman-by his own design" we are introduced to the quite genius of a brilliant artist, a hidden treasure in the pantheon of openly gay artists. From his humble beginnings on a ranch in the San Gabriel Valley, Emile quickly progressed into designing window displays for department stores and creating headdresses for movie musicals. Along the way, he met Brooks Clement, his repairman, and fell passionately in love. They shared their lives for 30 years thereafter, living together as an openly gay couple in the 1940's and 50's in the picturesque town of Big Sur.
His intricate wood-inlay art technique and murals led Emile to New York City, where success was short lived with the arrival of abstract expressionism and the likes of Jackson Pollock. Though relatively unknown today outside of his native California, the artists' famous neighbors Jill Eickenberry and Michael Tucker (of television's "LA Law" fame) decided that Norman's work and extraordinary life merited being documented. Director Will Parrinello does a superb job of showcasing the exceptional artistry of Norman and the tender love he shared with the man who told him to "do the artwork and I’ll show the world what you’re doing".
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