Must-See Movie: “Jimmy and the Demons:” Incredible Sculptor Shares His Story, Prepares For Retrospective

Must-See Movie: “Jimmy and the Demons:” Incredible Sculptor Shares His Story, Prepares For Retrospective

This film was really incredible. It’s about a talented artist who is famous the world over, though many don’t know his name. There are certain pieces he created that everyone has seen, but maybe they didn’t know who made them. Shirts, posters, and sculptures alike, among other creations, all bear his name.

In this grand masterpiece, or magnum opus as it can be called, the artist creates a beautiful lifelike sculpture of Jesus, who is carrying the cathedral (or church of the whole world) upon his back as he strides through a field of demons. You heard that right: demons. Incredibly detailed little monsters with scary faces and expressions that really seem like they’re straight out of Dante’s Inferno.

And with all of this, similarly to another film we recently reviewed about a well known photographer, Jimmy is not Catholic – or Christian – but rather Jewish. The scholar of everything Disney, Mark Pinsky, is also Jewish but explores themes related to Christianity.  In this case, it makes the subject matter even more unusual. It’s true that demons aren’t unique to Christianity – but Jesus and the church certainly are. However, there isn’t really any contradiction. And the artist takes such impeccable care with the sculpting that it will inspire everyone who looks at it.

While carving this sculpture, we learn much about the artist and his wife who has stood beside him for many many years now. Their relationship is one of those really sweet stories of true love and first meetings, and they’ve been together for so long they know everything about one another. We also learn about how he funds his work: a wealthy collector asks him to create this piece to place inside his private collection. This private collector has funded many such pieces and is always impressed with what comes out of the process.

But first, a museum in Connecticut hears about this awesome sculpture. And they’re so excited, they want to have an opening, available to the public, and have his entire artistic story be told – a retrospective. But that was not to be. One board member threw a wrench in the whole project. They couldn’t get funding for the show. They wanted the artist to pay for it – which meant it wasn’t happening. On top of that, they said funding was good, but it had to be members only. At that point, Jimmy just withdrew. Much excitement was built on their social media accounts, but it just wasn’t going to happen in a way he was comfortable with.

He thought it was all over. But then…this organization that has renovated an old church, I think a Gothic style one, decided that they could do the same show for him. Quite appropriately inside of this old majestic church – a cathedral within a cathedral – with a miniature person inside the mini cathedral, praying – representing the collector and all of us.

And so, it was all on again. This show was the culmination of a lifetime of sculpting beautiful things and sometimes ugly things, sometimes ordinary animals and sometimes fantastical unicorns or dragons. But always so intricate and perfectly done. Just incredible.

He is also an artist who became intimately familiar with….cardboard. Yes, you read that right. Cardboard. Literally paper waste obtained from recyclers and other suppliers. Painted to resemble beautiful things. And this artist’s favorite thing to do with these intricately painted and sculpted cardboard creatures….was to leave them out in the elements and watch by time lapse as they disintegrated into nothing.

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His views on life and death, religion and spirituality are rather unique, and he creates such intricate and lovely pieces. The film is excellent, interesting to watch, and inspires empathy among viewers. It is highly recommended and I would give it five stars.

Trumpet Detail, Jimmy and the Demons. Credit – Scott-Ruderman

From the film’s public relations team: