Director’s Statement

by Leslie Buchbinder

Cliff Westermann was enamored of the creative potential of tools, and their ability to transform raw materials into objects of totemic power. Wanting to respect Westermann’s ethos, I determined that the tools of 3D technology offered the ideal conduit to convey the literal and metaphorical multidimensionality of Westermann’s works in a visually lush,  meditative way.

My goal for this film was to create an immersive infinity space where H.C. Westermann’s artworks could exist within their own world – a Westermann-Land – that offers the viewer powerful, intimate experiences of these remarkable vestiges of his survival of WWII, the Korean War, as well as an ever-looming sense of the existential threats of nuclear annihilation. I took inspiration from Wim Wenders’ 3D film, Pina, that brought the sculptural beauty of Pina Bausch’s dancers to full life, as I wished to do for Westermann’s artworks.

The artist’s studio is a place of solace and meditation – a respite from the 24/7 newsfeed recounting our current world’s own horrors – and for Westermann, a ‘home’ to return to after traveling for exhibition installations, openings, artist residencies, speaking engagements, interviews, etc.  I’ve always been drawn to Westermann’s ability to create a haven for art-making, where empathy mitigates rage, and flow supplants the endless voices that tap, tap, tap our brains. In that hand-built space, he also crafted a safety net for himself and others, woven of a veritable tapestry of letters plus art-gifts to and from his nearest, dearest pals that protected him from falling off life's tightrope into the abyss. There, he could feel radical empathy for all who fought wars, including his enemies, as exemplified by his artwork, “Death Ship Out of San Pedro, Adrift: Dedicated to All the Dead Kamikaze Pilots and to All The Men Killed by Them.”

In making this film, I wanted to pay homage to the companionship and courage Westermann’s life, art, and letters have provided me – as well as to multitudes of other artists beyond those interviewed in the film, e.g. Paul McCarthy, Jim Shaw, Laura Owens, Jeff Koons, Aaron Curry, Amy Sillman, Ed Moses, Larry Bell, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Roger Brown, Karl Wirsum, Christina Ramberg, and KAWS.