In short
Podcast Episode Summary: The Treat with Joseph Kosinski
Podcast Information
- Podcast Title: The Treatment
- Podcast Description:
- The Treatment engages in vital conversations about creative inspiration, featuring influential creators across entertainment, fashion, sports, and the arts, who shape popular culture.
Episode Details
- Episode Title: The Treat: Joseph Kosinski
- Episode Description:
- Joseph Kosinski, known for directing high-energy films like *Tron*, *Top Gun: Maverick*, and the Oscar-nominated *F1*, reflects on a significant painting that resonated with him during his youth, symbolizing the solitude experienced by directors.
Key Themes and Discussions Introduction of Joseph Kosinski
- Host: Elvis Mitchell introduces Kosinski, highlighting his notable works, particularly emphasizing his recent film *F1*.
The Treat
- Personal Anecdote:
- Kosinski recounts discovering a reproduction of Edward Hopper's painting *Office in a Small City* during his early years in New York.
- At the age of 22, living alone with limited possessions, he felt a strong connection to the painting’s portrayal of solitude and creativity.
Significance of the Painting
- Artistic Resonance:
- The painting depicts a man in a sparse room looking out at New York City, evoking feelings of loneliness but also introspection.
- Kosinski relates this image to the experience of being a director, where solitude and personal reflection are vital for creativity.
Influences on Kosinski’s Work
- Background:
- Kosinski studied architecture before fully transitioning into filmmaking, which informs his visual storytelling.
- Influence of Antonioni:
- He mentions Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni as a significant influence, particularly his film *L'Avventura*, and how it shaped his own filmmaking style.
- Art as Inspiration:
- The discussion highlights the importance of art in Kosinski's life and how it serves as a source of inspiration for visualizing emotion in his films.
Closing Remarks
- Production Credits: The episode is produced by Rebecca Mooney and mixed by Katie Gilchrist.
- Sign-off: Elvis Mitchell concludes the episode with a personal touch, thanking the audience.
Key Takeaways
- Joseph Kosinski’s connection to Edward Hopper's *Office in a Small City* highlights the reflective nature of creativity and the emotional landscapes within the realm of directing.
- The dialogue emphasizes how personal experiences and art can significantly influence a creator’s work and style.
- The episode serves as a reminder of the balance between solitude and the vibrant energy of big action films, showcasing how introspection can fuel larger narratives in cinema.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOKaczynski's Artistic Journey
0:45 to 3:05
Joseph Kaczynski shares his early experiences with art and filmmaking.
“But the other thing I found was a piece of art, and it was a reproduction of an Edward Hopper painting called Office in a Small City.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00I'm Elvis Mitchell. It's the treat. Director Joseph Kaczynski has put his specific stamp on big action with films such as Top Gun Maverick and F1 which is a best picture nominee at this year's Oscars. For his treat, Kaczynski looks back on something that stirred his interest in visualizing emotion. I am Joseph Kaczynski, and this is The Treat.
0:28I was 22 years old. I was very lucky to get a rent-controlled apartment on the Upper West Side. All I had was my saxophone, so I needed to get something to furnish the place, and I happened to live next to the Salvation Army. So I went down there and found a wassilly chair for you furniture aficionados. But the other thing I found was a piece of art, and it was a reproduction of an Edward Hopper painting called Office in a Small City.
1:04If you know what this picture is, it was something that, for whatever reason, resonated with me. but it's a man in this kind of spare room overlooking New York City and very much felt like me at that moment, a man kind of alone with his ideas and imagination, which very much is kind of the life of a director.
1:31It is a very striking kind of architectural image, but you find yourself, like great art, really zeroing in on this man and the expression on his face, which is very unknowable, but there's something going on in there. And it's just obviously the sign of great art that you can kind of project a whole story behind a singular image.
2:01you know I went to architecture school after engineering that's I was doing in New York so I studied architecture for three years and then I think you know Antonioni was kind of my way into filmmaking and if you look at Laventura I was obsessed with that and all of his films for a while. And if you squint hard enough, you can probably see some of that influence in these, you know, more commercial films that I'm making.
2:32It was something that, you know, stayed with me for a few years until I could buy my own furniture eventually in art. But yeah, that was the image that stuck out to me. And I believe it's in the Met in New York, if you want to see the real thing.
2:53Director of the Best Picture nominee, F1, Joseph Kaczynski, on the forlorn majesty of Edward Hopper's painting, Office in a Small City. The Treat is produced by Rebecca Mooney and mixed by Katie Gilchrist. It's The Treat. I'm Elvis Mitchell.
3:19God bless you.
From the publisher
Director Joseph Kosinski’s films don’t exactly scream quiet solitude. He’s helmed the action packed Tron, Top Gun: Maverick and most recently, the Oscar nominated F1, starring Brad Pitt. However, his films’ protagonists often have to do battle with themselves in the end. For his treat, Kosinski goes back to a painting he discovered as a young man in New York that captured the loneliness of being a director.