REVIEW: ‘Aggie,’ new documentary about art collector Agnes Gund
Photo: Aggie is a new documentary that looks at the life and career of Agnes Gund. Photo courtesy of Film Forum / Provided by official site.
Aggie, the new documentary profiling art collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund, takes a deep dive on the influential career of this remarkable woman. She is a former president of the Museum of Modern Art and lifelong supporter of the arts, especially the work of artists who have been under-appreciated and marginalized by the mainstream. Throughout this 90-minute feature, directed by the subject’s daughter Catherine Gund, the audience learns about the world of contemporary art, Gund’s place in that world, and how she arrived at perhaps her most momentous professional decision: to sell a coveted Roy Lichtenstein painting and donate the proceeds to a justice initiative to reduce mass incarceration.
Gund’s decision to sell that piece of art, which resulted in a $100 million donation to the Ford Foundation to establish The Art for Justice Fund, bookends the documentary, but the real heart of the piece can be found in the buildup to this historic sale. Aggie has always been involved in social justice causes and motivated to help artists, in addition to funding new names in the industry and using her platform (and money) to champion social change.
Aggie allows the audience into Gund’s home and private life, offering a portrait that is both professional and highly personal. There are numerous scenes with Gund and her children and grandchildren, all of whom appreciate her obvious love but also her dedication to the family’s edict: be yourself.
The way that Catherine Gund sets up the film is unique. Rather than a series of talking heads and one-on-one interviews with Gund, her mother, the documentarian decides to have other people talk to Aggie, sitting on a couch, around a table, walking through an art studio. There’s everyone from Maria Hinojosa, the respected journalist, to John Waters, a filmmaker Gund supported by bringing his work to MoMA’s collection. These interviews are varying and interesting, covering different ground and a diverse set of questions.
Gund, to her credit, is approachable and open about any and all topics. She speaks beautifully about her dreams and reasonings, and she’s also honest about her art appreciation, asking questions and contextualizing what she sees. At one point, the audience sees one painting that Gund owns by an artist whom she never met. Everything else in her vast collection is from artists she has personally talked with, which comes as no surprise because for Aggie it appears that the personal connection to a piece and its creator is the key to her appreciation. As one example, the conversation between the philanthropist and Lichtenstein’s wife, Dorothy Herzka, seems like a talk amongst good friends.
There are no negatives in the film, but that’s to be expected. One could open an argument about the wealth tied up in the art industry and whether millionaires and billionaires donating their works is the best model for democratizing the arts and supporting diverse initiatives. But the long list of people who vouch for Gund and her tremendous work over the decades is impressive, and their thoughts on Aggie are heartfelt and deserved.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Aggie (2020). Directed by Catherine Gund. Running time: 91 minutes. Strand Releasing. Rating: 
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