Julian Schnabel

A darling of the New York art scene in the 1980s and 1990s, Julian Schnabel rose to prominence as a sculptor and painter of oversized canvases that overflowed with raw energy and emotion. A tireless self-promoter, Schnabel's work reflected his personality and his work ethic, which could be comfortably described as larger-than-life. His interests expanded to film in the late Nineties with "Basquiat" (1996), a biopic of his late friend, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, which received mixed reviews. His talent behind the camera developed quickly, leading to positive reviews for his subsequent features, "Before Night Falls" (2000), which introduced the world to Spanish actor Javier Bardem, and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007), a highly praised film about journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby's life after a debilitating stroke that earned Schnabel an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. He followed up with the rather disappointing "Miral" (2010), but always maintained a steady presence on the art scene. In fact, Schnabel considered himself primarily an artist despite directing films with some degree of consistency. Despite such self-protestations, Schnabel was a gifted director whose audacious style crafted beautifully rendered films that were evocative of the human spirit.