Richmond, Virginia: On the outside, Don Childress is just another contractor, he looks and sounds rough around the edges, he doesn’t mind the occasional scar in the line of duty, he’s a smoker despite knowing better, but he also really knows his job. But what people wouldn’t guess at first glance, he’s also an avid art collector, with a predilection for local contemporary, often abstract art. And since he has fixed up many buildings in the Richmond art district, he has a very unique access to the artworks themselves, making many purchases through bartering, and also has struck some rather exclusive friendships with some artists through their professional relationships. And The Builder is his story …

Only, actually it isn’t, as while Don Childress is the center of attention, along the way the film manages to shed a on Richmond’s rather vibrant art scene at large, by not only giving a focus and a voice to many local artists like Ron Johnson and Heidi Trepaneir, but also shining some light on those behind the scenes who keep the art machine running, like collector Tom Papa (who first inspired Don Childress to start collecting modern art) or gallerists Bill and Pam Royall, amongst many other key figures of the art scene. And here’s where the film really succeeds, as despite parading all these luminaries, the film doesn’t feel like a collection of talking heads, but through Don Childress and his access to things as a relative outsider, it manages to get an audience with no idea of the Richmond art scene interested, and shares Don Childress’ fascination for the subject matter, something that really becomes infectious over the course of the movie, and really encourages one to find out more once the movie’s over, even if abstract art isn’t one’s thing at all …

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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