FILM TYPE:

Feature

SYNOPSIS

In "Scooter LaForge: a life of art," the iconic queer artist reflects on his career, his struggles and triumphs, and the impact that current events have had on his life and the lives of so many artists in NYC. Originally from New Mexico, LaForge exhibits a signature style that is instantly recognizable, yet perpetually reinvented. His bespoke painted clothing, which claimed the attention and subsequent partnership of famed designer Patricia Field, has become a specialized luxury, sought after by celebrities such as Debbie Harry, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj. Layered with childhood fantasy and adult themes, classical inspiration and modern social commentary, his pieces are woven together using paint, found objects, fabric, and anything else that strikes his fancy.

DIRECTOR BIO

Ethan Minsker's descriptors include writer, filmmaker, artist, publisher, and zine creator. His work chronicles the lifestyles and cultures of overlooked and underappreciated artists. He was a founding member of the Antagonist Art Movement, a New York City-based group of artists, writers, and musicians who promoted work by up-and-coming talent between 2000 and 2011. Ethan was the recipient of the Acker Award for Visual Arts in 2017. He was also the creator and editor-in-chief of Psycho Moto Zine, which has been in publication from 1988–present. He received his B.F.A. in Film with honors from School of Visual Arts and his masters in Media from the New School. Ethan has written three novels, produced nine feature films, and continues his relationship with artists as a board member and president of Citizens for the Arts, a nonprofit group whose mission is to promote art for kids in underserved communities.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

I am dyslexic. Diagnosed at age six, I was sent to a special school to learn to cope in a world I didn’t conform to. Shortly after this, my grandfather gave me an old hand-crank Super 8 mm camera. My first films were flashes of light and shadow, shaky and hard to watch for anyone but myself. But during those moments I could forget I had moved schools, left behind my friends, and been branded as different.

Being an outsider, I gravitated toward subcultures, most specifically the punk rock scene of Washington, D.C., where concepts that challenged standard practices were encouraged. Feeding from that passion, my films attempt to break predictable formats. The viewer should be continuously amused, informed, and inspired to see the world differently. I aim to create the feeling of a caffeine rush, an adventure that leaves the viewer spinning.

All of my films are micro-budget, self-funded, and can take five years or more to complete. Every piece of a film is approached as a work of art. My props consist of found materials, objects that are deemed to no longer have value, proving their worth through unorthodox transformation.

While others have labeled me as handicapped, I believe dyslexia helped develop my clear and definitive style, and film has allowed me to share my view of the world. Being open about my life and processes can hopefully help normalize what it means to be a person with a learning disability.