In THE SCULPTURES OF FILMMAKER RICK SCHMIDT 1967-1971, we get to experience his artistic life hanging in the balance, during his years of education at the CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF ARTS AND CRAFTS (CCAC), Oakland, CA (now California College of the Arts). Without a few critical moments of assistance and mentorship, especially from his sculpture professor Charles Simonds and video professor Phil Makanna, there would have been none of the inventive and elegant lacquer-sprayed, cast aluminum, "white" and silicon bronze works displayed in the pages, or his shift to media––video, and later filmmaking. Schmidt's commentary, about both "the making of" his artworks and recollections excerpted from his 2017 memoir, "12 Dead Frogs and Other Stories," are a fast and fascinating read. He straightforwardly reveals the highs and lows of being an artist in the turbulent 1960s, early '70s.
It's interesting to contemplate exactly how he transitioned from casting metal and creating kinetic art pieces (many are based on the dissolution of his first marriage) to feature filmmaking. From sculpting Schmidt goes on to co-direct his first feature, A MAN, A WOMAN, AND A KILLER, with then-roommate Wayne Wang (future director of JOY LUCK CLUB, SMOKE, etc.), and later pens a best-seller that many call "the bible" of independent film. His "how-to," "Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices" (Viking Penguin, 1988, 1995, 2000), gIves start to several important Hollywood careers, including Kevin Smith (CLERKS), and Vin Diesel.