I have wanted to make a film about the art of John Torreano for many years now. I kept putting it off thinking the last thing John wants is the unblinking eye of the camera studying his every move in his studio. Years passed but then one night I dreamt that I was filming him. I woke up and told my wife and she said ‘that’s a great idea, you should do it.” That day, out of the blue, John called me because he was getting rid of some lighting equipment and wanted to know if I could use it. Needless to say, my interpretation of John calling me on this, of all days, meant that the stars had lined up and this film was inevitable. 

“Tribeca and Sag Harbor-based artist John Torreano enters his studio with a mantra: “it’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about being.” This mantra overhangs every image as director Richard Sylvarnes closely observes John make a singular work of art. Inspired by images of the Veil Nebula recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope and using preliminary drawings he first maps out ideas that will expand into a painting. As John works he often reflects on other artists, the history of downtown New York, and his artistic struggles. With his biting humor he swings from the sublime to the ridiculous as he confronts issues of his own mortality and life’s simpler challenges. While painting he also reveals the thoughts behind the decisions he makes. The finished painting, a vibrant swirl of dots, acrylic gems and colors, raises the question, is a painting ever really finished.”