Film Fest Fave "Con Artist" Snatches World Television Premiere on Ovation

Documentary on Controversial Modern Artist Mark Kostabi Debuts on Ovation Saturday, May 14 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Santa Monica, CA – April 19, 2011   Darkly comedic documentary CON ARTIST, which follows the circuitous and bizarre career path of controversial contemporary artist Mark Kostabi, will have its world television premiere on Ovation Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT.   

Ovation, the only network dedicated to arts culture, was an early backer of the film before it won glowing reviews and audience response at national and international film festivals and theatrical screenings across the country.

“CON ARTIST is a real life allegory for what can happen when modern media, Capitalism and an insatiable ego collide,” notes Kris Slava, SVP of Programming, Ovation.  “Mark Kostabi rose to fame in the heady 80‘s, alongside golden boys like Basquiat, Haring, and Koons.  He became a legitimate art star until his brazen cheekiness veered into open contempt and the art establishment cast him out of the garden.  Ever since he’s been trying to get back in -- as we see in this film.  Kostabi may never recover from his career miscalculations, but he’ll go out trying.”

Mark Kostabi grew up in Whittier, California, leaving his Estonian immigrant parents in his late teens to explore his talents in the exploding 1980‘s East Village art scene.  Initially, he was seen as an exceptional talent and soon rocketed to international fame and fortune during the art/punk/hip hop boom years.  He accomplished this by engaging in a Warhol-inspired gimmick: mass producing literally thousands of paintings per year, executed not by himself, but by a revolving stable of hired hands.  He then signed and sold the paintings and proclaimed to the media that “Modern Art is a con and I am the World’s Greatest Con Artist.”  

Though Kostabi’s flippant remarks landed him on the talk show circuit and catapulted his fame, his overt antagonism eventually caused the New York art establishment, as well as his most-trusted employees, to turn on him.  In the early 90’s, recession struck and created the perfect storm that resulted in bankruptcy and a remarkable fall from grace.  CON ARTIST focuses on his current obsession with getting back on top; an obsession that manifests itself in bizarre attempts to regain prominence and find happiness. He openly equates finding fame with finding true love.

Produced by Plug Ugly Films in association with Ovation, CON ARTIST was shot in New York City, New Haven, Southern California, Venice and Rome.  It features interviews with art, film, music and media personalities, as well as special appearances by Bill Clinton, Jeff Koons, Dennis Miller, and Pope Benedict XVI.

“From early on Ovation was an important part of this film’s cultivation,” said Michael Sladek, CON ARTIST Director and President of Plug Ugly Films, Inc.  “Now that CON ARTIST has rolled out theatrically across the country, we’re very excited to see its world premiere on a network so dedicated to progressive film, art and cutting-edge culture.”