Kevin Kelley, Director and Producer of Jackson Pollock's "Mural": The Story of a Modern Masterpiece, recently reflected on his involvement in the project and why the painting, and the film, are so important to him. 

Tell us a bit about your creative background. How did your interest in film develop?

As a kid, I liked to draw and paint and got an art scholarship at the Des Moines Art Center. I grew up with Disney films and wanted to work as an animator someday for Disney Studios. One night (without my parents' permission) I watched Alfred Hitchcock's movie Psycho on late night TV. That experience made me want to become a filmmaker rather than an artist working for Walt Disney. My mother collected S&H Green Stamps and she wanted to cash in her earnings for a toaster oven. I talked her into a Kodak super 8mm movie camera. I never appeared in any of the home movies because I was always shooting them. Certainly, I was much more interested in making my own experimental films instead of the home movies, but it was a good compromise. 

I studied fine art with a concentration in painting all through college because it seemed like a more practical to get a job in teaching, but I was always making films. Filmmaking was not really accepted as a serious art form when I was a student, but most artists loved movies, especially the classic ones by Orson Welles, Fellini, or Kubrick. I could not find a job in teaching art, but I did get a temporary job making educational videos at a community collage. I was 24 years old at the time, but I never stopped making films.

What compelled you to tell the story of "Mural"?

Being an art student in college, I was personally interested in telling this story. When I first came to the University of Iowa the two things I wanted to see most were the Writers’ Workshop and Jackson Pollock’s "Mural". My colleague Ben Hill had already made a terrific film about the Workshop, so for me, the Pollock painting had to be next on the list. When I first proposed the project the response was pretty much, “Are you kidding? Of course we should do this.”  

Roughly how long have you been working on this project? What's the process been like, for you?

I started working on the Mural project in early April of 2014. I did research and producing duties up until October and then we started filming. We began editing in February and finished up in late June of 2015. 

What were your goals in setting out to create this documentary?

I just want to tell the most compelling story with the highest quality possible within the limitations we have. I would like as many people to see this film when finished as possible. It is an important University of Iowa story that people should know about and I feel honored that the administration has allowed me to work on this project. Knowing how long these projects take, you have to really love the story and make sure you do the intense research it takes to tell it accurately. If a documentary is made properly, it lasts a long time and a new generation discovers it over and over again as the years go by.

I tried to make it a point that this was not going to be an in-depth film biography about Jackson Pollock. I wanted to just tell the story about the painting “Mural” and how it got to Iowa and follow all the other events that happened. Turns out, it's hard not to talk about Pollock the artist and all the influence he had on others throughout the history of contemporary painting. It was interesting to learn what the experts had to say about what his influences were in creating the painting. 

What makes the story of "Mural" particularly important, in your opinion?

The piece changed contemporary painting in America and around the world. "Mural" is a constant remainder that creating a work of art can have a profound effect on all of us. Erika Doss says it best, "'Mural' represents modern art's mobility”.  Every artist since has been influenced in some way by Pollock, and possibly by "Mural". It helped launch the abstract expressionist movement. 

It's also the most expensive and daunting work of his to physically move for an exhibit, and the effort that went into displaying and restoring it throughout the years definitely deserves remembrance and recognition. 

How has this experience deepened your appreciation of Pollock's work and Iowa's art scene?

I probably shouldn’t say this but at first I didn’t like Jackson Pollock paintings.  But in the mid 1970’s when I saw Mural at the University of Iowa for the first time, I was blown away. So as a cocky art student, I set out to copy his work.  It was an incredibly fun experience; Pollock refers to the process as “action painting”. When I was done and all covered with paint, my copy was terrible! So I already came to the film with a very deep appreciation of his work. I didn't know a lot of the history behind Mural and why it was in Iowa. The whole process of talking with the University of Iowa Museum of Art staff and others has really deepened my appreciation of the piece, as well.

What was most encouraging was the Iowa City community turnout back in October at a lecture by Getty conservator Yvonne Safran about preserving "Mural". The room was packed full of people with standing room only, which just goes to show that Jackson Pollock’s Mural really does belong to Iowa.  

What do you think makes Iowa City and the UI such a unique artistic community?

It’s the people. Many Iowa City people are artists themselves in one way or another. They have a deep appreciation for the arts and are incredibly supportive of local artists and events.