Koert Davidse studied photography and visual arts at the St. Joost Academy in Breda. Subsequently, he has worked as a scriptwriter for both fiction films and documentaries. Since the late 1990s, he has also directed documentaries himself. In 2004, he established the seriousFilm production company together with Marc THELOSEN. Tadanori Yokoo is a renowned Japanese artist whom Davidse has a great admiration for. He expresses this admiration by literally inserting himself into several of the paintings as an extreme form of identification with the artworks, and also as a means to come as close to these particular paintings as possible.
Quoting Masterpieces is screening at Camera Japan
In that fashion, the 12 minutes short begins with the camera passing through Yokoo's paintings, while Davidse is narrating, essentially commenting on the paintings, and particularly some small details in them that highlight how closely he has studied them. The purple nails of a man and the scenery in the bottom of an ear are just some of the themes he comments upon, thus connecting the movie with its title. The next sequence has him trying various attires in an atelier of sorts, being painted on his hands and head before being photographed in various poses. He is then inserted in the paintings, taking the place of various men on them, while commenting on the impact his presence has on the works.
Death becomes a central theme, as Davidse explains and interprets how the various aspects of the painting “Death Makes Everyone Equal” highlight the fact. The next effort has him taking the place of a baby, with him commenting on the messages regarding war on the rather multileveled painting of “Adieu My Hometown” which does end, though, on an optimistic note.
Evidently, “Quoting Masterpieces” is a film that is as much a tribute to Yokoo as it is about the director. In that fashion, the part that introduces the artist to the ones who do not know of him or analyzes deeper for the ones that know but have not thought as far, is quite pleasant to watch, particularly since the paintings are as artful as they are layered. His participation in person, however, seems to move into paths that are too personal, even if what he does is also art.
As such, the short emerges as a mixed bag, but definitely deserves a watch for the highlighting a truly significant artist
