MANUEL OCAMPO: GOD IS MY CO-PILOT Documentary

Philippine-born contemporary artist
Manuel Ocampo and his unforgettably
provocative paintings have been a staple
of the Los Angeles art scene and galleries
throughout the world for the past decade,
mixing religious iconography with
debasing images of regal cockroaches and
rats shooting heroin, and in turn
delivering a jolting re-appropriation of
anti-colonial, multicultural themes
through a pop prism.
Ocampo answers probing questions about
his life and work, resulting in a documentary
that examines not only Ocampo’s
impact but also the art world that
embraces him, including the rich patrons
who buy his paintings (including Dennis
Hopper) and their own reservations about
displaying artwork fraught with offensive
images like swastikas and Sambas. This
invaluable portrait of the artist is also a
candid snapshot of art as commerce.