Self Medicated: A Film About Art

2015 • 92 minutes

About this movie

Whether you are a successful artist, an unproven entity, or struggling to create while working a 9-5, there is a common thread amongst most creative types: a depression that is kept at bay by producing new works. Art can serve an artist much in the same way any drug might.
“Self Medicated” is a new film about art, artists, and their struggles to stay happy. The Antagonist Movement was formed by a group of unknown artists in 2000. Begun in bars and clubs of the Lower East Side, the movement promoted lesser-known works by up-and-coming talent. Over the last thirteen years the Antagonist Movement has grown and expanded from its base in New York to show in cities around the world, including Berlin, Lisbon, and Quito. This film documents the entire history of the Antagonist Movement and the artists involved, employing animation, stop-motion film techniques, interviews, and a killer soundtrack that spans the globe. From the street to the gallery and back again, “Self Medicated” reveals a new wave in art from the last American art movement.

Ratings and reviews

It's uplifting to see a group of creative people who have come together and help each other out like a family. It affirms the importance of community as well as the need that many of us have for creative expression. The individuals interviewed and their stories are what make it really interesting. I loved the animation and being witness to a slice of New York street life.

Loved the music, editing, and the interviews. The film captures the escence of many of the Antagonist Art Movement artists, whom have been in a collaborative process position their work with the help of the others locals and abroad

A wonderful film about the thought process behind unique art and the artists. Seeing the Vivian Girls around the world was something I sought after for years.