The two paintings are elements of the work “KOD, Künstler_In on Demand” by Holger Friese and myself. In KOD we make exploitation of artist images by others as a subject of discussion. My discussion with the figure of Cosmo Vitelli from John Cassavetes’ 1976 film The Killing of a Chinese Bookie – using the medium of painting – takes on a special significance. In the figure of Cosmo, Cassavetes condenses the desire of a “misfit”, who puts all his passion into a project that is doomed to failure: to save his bar, Cosmo commits a contract murder. The film’s plot can hardly be described in words – many scenes revolve around the bar’s artists, who struggle for their audience. Film critics see the character of Cosmo as a self-portrait of the director. I was impressed by Cosmo because he is courageous and in all his failure he shows a chronic infatuation with his own situation, his companions and life itself. Is this a realistic image of an artist? A typical cliché?

Cosmo I (Cassavates), 2012, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm,
Cosmo II (Cassavetes), 2012, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm,
Inspired by “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie”, John Cassavetes, USA, 1976.
KOD, 2012, Mona Jas / Holger Friese