Last night’s swell screening and after party at MoMA for “The Price of Everything” had a lot of revelations about the art world– and one about Woody Allen.
The HBO documentary is from Nathaniel Kahn, son of the late legendary architect Louis Kahn. It’s a fascinating look– I loved it– about the current state of the art world from prolific and successful artists like Jeff Koons to long time stealth star abstract painter Larry Poons.
Just as “The Price” begins, the scene is set at Sotheby’s for an auction of paintings from the collection of disgraced Sotheby’s chairman Alfred P. Taubman. As the camera pans the room of possible bidders, there is– unmistakably– Woody Allen himself. It’s not clear if he bought something, but he certainly had a paddle and was interested.
More than a couple of people in the MoMA theater could be heard saying, “Isn’t that Woody Allen?” (To which many replied, It can’t be.)
It was.
So what happened? Kahn told me that it is indeed Woody, who can be seen in three-quarter profile. “And turnabout is fair play,” Kahn said. “In Woody’s movie, Match Point, which was filmed in London, you can see a movie marquee clearly that was playing my film, My Architect, by my father. So, without planning, all the films are now connected.”
Coincidentally, Louis Kahn’s life was as complicated as Woody’s. He had three children, but only one with his wife, who outlived him by two years and died in 1996. Kahn’s other two children during the marriage were from other relationships. Nathaniel brought his mom, Harriet Pattison, to the premiere last night. She’s a vibrant 90, and is very proud of her Yale-educated filmmaker son.
“The Price of Everything” starts an Oscar qualifying theatrical run today at the Quad Theater (13th St. between Fifth and Sixth) before it hits HBO in November. Don’t miss it– it’s really terrific, if for nothing else how it traces Poons and George Condo each as they create their amazing art in real time.
