Art in Los Angeles has been an increasingly popular cultural activity lately; with the opening of the new contemporary art museum, The Broad, in Downtown LA, the millennial generation has seemed to put a bigger significance on experiencing art in person (whether or not this is just for social media purposes is a topic for another day). Today marks the release of a well-timed documentary that gives art lovers and creative types alike a colorful biography about one of the biggest influencers in art history, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict. 

Everyone who knew Peggy loved her for her eccentricity and uniqueness. An heiress to the Guggenheim family fortune, Peggy often called herself the “black sheep” of her upper-class family. She loved being the center of attention and even shaved off her eyebrows as a teenager in rebellion to her preception of society’s pressure on young women at the time. Peggy reveals her tragic upbringing, which included the death of her father when he drowned aboard the Titanic, to her biographer in audio tapes that were long thought of as lost but thankfully have been found for audiences to enjoy.

From giving Jackson Pollock his first break to being credited as one of the first galleries to mix European and American art, Peggy’s candidness and vulnerability when talking to Weld are both inspiring and heartbreaking.

Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland uncovered the recordings between Peggy and biographer/ author Jacqueline B. Weld in Weld’s basement and upon hearing the tapes, knew Peggy’s story had to be told. This interview would also be the last Peggy ever gave before her death and Vreeland treats the significance of these tapes with the utmost respect and care. The “who’s who” of the avant-garde world, including Marina Abramovic and Larry Gagosian, the art dealer who owns the Gagosian Gallery chain of art galleries reminisce about Pegg and the life-changing contributions she made to the art world. From giving Jackson Pollock his first break to being credited as one of the first galleries to mix European and American art, Peggy’s candidness and vulnerability while talking to Weld are both inspiring and heartbreaking.

Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict is just as diverse and spectacular as Ms. Guggenheim herself was. The film will leave viewers with a sense of wanderlust and admiration for a woman who helped define the art world as we know it. Guggenheim had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and opens theatrically today.

Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict is now playing at the Nuart Theatre.