Nathaniel Mary Quinn Reflects on His Favorite Films at the Metrograph

Last weekend, American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn played curator-in-residence at the Metrograph theater in downtown Manhattan. In collaboration with Gagosian, the artist presented a selection of his favorite films, bringing A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Hustle & Flow (2005) and Lust for Life (1956) back to the silver screen.

The three films were brought together by their exploration of a better life. “Driven by a profound platform of faith, they’re trying to get out of the mud and find a way to walk into the light,” the artist tells HypeArt. “You have to be slightly crazy to believe in the things that, by all accounts, seem impossible.” Whether it be through Walter’s business ventures in A Raisin in the Sun, DJay’s pursuit of music in Hustle & Flow or Van Gogh’s unwavering love for painting in Lust for Life, these protagonists embody a steadfast ambition to make something out of themselves despite the dire world around them.

Ahead of the screening, Quinn reflects on the beauty of Daniel Petrie’s cult-classic A Raisin in the Sun. “When I was a teacher in Chicago, I stayed up all night, painting a mural and watched it back-to-back like 15 times. Sidney Poitier’s acting is a tour-de-force, dancing in a rhythmic fashion throughout the film,” he notes. “Walter grew up in an era of the American Dream and have the full intention of living it out. He has no reason nor rationale about the things he wants to do.” In a conversation with writer and filmmaker Donna Augustin-Quinn, the artist discusses where these films draw him in: “In many ways I still feel like those characters, in their process of creating a life of happiness and freedom for themselves.”

The series coincided with the release of the artist’s namesake monograph, the first comprehensive survey of work from the last decade. The personal and public collide in his paintings, exploring hybridity, abstraction and memory in rich collage-like portraiture. Spanning over 250 pages and 125 color plates, the book includes an introduction by Larry Gagosian, alongside essays by Andrew Winer and Dawn Ades and a conversation with Sarah Elizabeth Lewis.

“Never abandon the child-like happiness that you’ve always had. It’s easy to lose that when you become successful. Don’t let go of the fun, joy and vigor of just making art.”

HypeArt sat down with Quinn when he landed on the Gagosian roster back in 2019. Since then he’s joined the likes of Jenny Saville and John Currin at the gallery, two of his favorite artists. When asked about what he would tell his past self, prior to the privy of his massive success, the artist replied: “Never abandon the child-like happiness that you’ve always had. It’s easy to lose that when you become successful. Don’t let go of the fun, joy and vigor of just making art.”

The artist’s monograph, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, is now available for purchase on the Gagosian website for $120 USD.