Harmony Korine was never a fringe artist; on the contrary he entered the system of cinema and galleries very young. His first film, “Gummo” (1997), despite its low-definition media, cost a million dollars, a very high budget for American independent cinema. From a hurricane of grotesque images in “Gummo” and the film “Julien Donkey-Boy” (1999), which became the first American film made in accordance with the filmmaking manifesto of Danish Dogme 95, Korine moved on to a film dedicated to celebrity impersonators in “Mister Lonely” (2007), continuing with the raw recording of “Trash Humpers” (2009), to end up in the sunshine of “Spring Breakers” (2012) and “The Beach Bum” (2019).
Youth, ghosts, skateboarding as a lifeline, the fringe and culture of the South are the main themes of his work, which are developed through films, photographs, video-installations, music videos, collages, paintings, fanzines, texts. His work is both repulsive and appealing, cheeky and cynical but honest like a teenager's diary. It is reminiscent of a prank. His films have been presented at major film festivals, he is represented by the Gagosian Gallery, and in 2017 a retrospective exhibition was held at the Pompidou Center with his visual and cinematic work. Our tribute showcases his last three films, “Trash Humpers”, “Spring Breakers” and “The Beach Bum”.
Film selection, programming, introduction: Phaedra Papadopoulou
