DUMBO artist couple explored in new documentary
‘Cutie and the Boxer’ to open Aug. 16
Opening this Friday, Aug. 16, “Cutie and the Boxer”, a documentary by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Zachary Heinzerling, intimately follows the love story of Brooklyn-based artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara. The film examines the couple’s workspace in DUMBO, a space they have also called home for nearly 27 years, observing the neighborhood undergo extensive change throughout their residence. “Cutie and the Boxer” paints a comprehensive portrait of Ushio’s and Noriko’s relationship, revealing that their love has ultimately triumphed over ongoing bouts resentment and disenchantment.
Heinzerling’s film begins in Brooklyn, where Ushio and Noriko are scraping to get by. The film chronicles each artist’s distinct beginnings, as well as the foundation of their relationship. Ushio became infamous in postwar Japan for his avant-garde “boxing” paintings, after which he moved to New York City in 1969, hoping to gain international fame. In 1972, at just 19, Noriko came from Japan to New York to pursue her studies as an artist. Upon meeting Ushio, who was then middle-aged and an unruly alcoholic, she cut ties with her wealthy family and abandoned her education to marry him. A year after they wed, Noriko gave birth to their only son, Alex.
Now, having been married for 40 years, Ushio and Noriko are in distinct places but are inextricably intertwined. Ushio, at 80, is still extremely active as a painter and sculptor. But despite his early success, he now struggles to achieve recognition; his recent show was poorly received, selling no work.