Three friends from art school struggle to start their careers in the bizarre NYC art world while trying to get by in life and figure themselves out.
“Paint” tells the story of three friends Dan (Josh Caras), Kelsey (Olivia Luccardi), and Quinn (Paul Cooper), who are beginning their careers as artists after finishing art school. Each of them lives a cynical and martyrized lifestyle compliant with their misconceptions of the struggling artist. Dan believes great art comes from personal trauma and pain which conflicts with his nurtured upbringing. He’s had a good life with supportive parents and struggles to draw inspiration from his picturesque life. Kelsey is judgmental and snobbish with everyone around her, essentially looking down on everyone from her artistic pedestal. Quinn lives the life of a starving artist complete with a landlord who shut off his heat due to owed rent. Together they experience their own chances at breaking into the art world but must confront their morality and the truth of the world they want to be a part of.
“Paint” takes the romanticized ideas of artistry and displays the satire and narcissism that hides behind its thin veil. Dan, Kelsey, and Quinn each have talent as artists but are held back by their toxic personalities. Each of them finds ways to act out obnoxiously and justify it with their artistic philosophies. While they search for opportunities to enter the art world we voyeuristically get a peek into their mindsets as we witness the thought process preceding their bad choices. If taken at face value, the film seems to encourage and justify the crude behavior of the main characters. Instead, I like to think this was more of an exposé of those who use art to excuse their own arrogance and pretentiousness.
We watch these aspiring artists callously go through life without true consideration or care for others because of their focus on improving their art in turn improving themselves. Dan grasps at anything he can find that doesn’t fit his picture-perfect life to dwell on and try to find “true’ darkness in his art. So, he chooses to explore a topic that would quickly garner attention. He chooses to paint his mother nude. Next, we have Kelsey explore a relationship with a has-been artist that is obviously wrong but because she knows his work, she fuels her sense of superiority while flaunting him in front of her roommates. Finally, the cream of the crop is Quinn, who essentially does whatever whenever because his only real dedication is to art. This allows him to be a total douche and skate through life hurting and using others to his advantage without guilt. All their choices lead them down paths they hadn’t anticipated and reveals to them truths they never considered while living by their self-serving artistic principles.
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