Ready for My Close-Up!

I got an excited phone call from a woman early this morning; I know, this happens a lot. Her home is being used in a scene for the HBO series The Wire, shot here in Baltimore. Turns out this nice young lady and her husband have collected my work, and in one scene a painting of mine will be in the frame, so the crew wanted my permission to have it in the scene. Yes, and can I deliver 12 more paintings? Is it a crime scene? Will blood be splattered all over the work? Will the actor recite their last dying words, wistfully gazing up at my painting? Close-up! Cut! Print! Do I get one of those mobile trailers?

This did remind me of something Terry Teachout wrote of not long ago. Can you name any well-known artwork used in a movie scene? I include TV also. This is my first, that I know of. The Missus, however, has had many experiences in several movies and TV shows.

Her most famous was the very popular TV show of the 90s, Melrose Place. A poster was made of one of her illustrations with the verse, “My true love has my heart and I have his.” The poster decorated the bedroom of a beach house and two of the characters, passionate lovers, were trying to kill each other. The fight went from room to room, smashing furniture, with much throwing of vases and lamps. We were very excited when they got to the bedroom: “Throw the poster! Throw the poster!” we all screamed. “Kill him with the poster!” Ahh, life and art, it just doesn't get any better.

Think about it. How many paintings can you think of that have been in a movie or TV scene? Are you paying attention? Remember the scene in the lawyer's office, in the movie Kramer vs. Kramer? There was a big Lennart Anderson painting in the background, most likely filmed in the offices of the Salander-O'Reilly Gallery. Let me know, and I’ll post a list.