Famous artist couples! What happens when one is better known than the other?
Artists’ personal lives, especially their love partnerships, have long piqued public interest. Filmmaker Jacob Perlmutter notes that there’s a “romantic quality” to artistic couples, explaining that their relationships often mirror the creativity and passion they channel into their work. This fascination takes center stage in a new documentary, Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, which chronicles the lives of renowned street photographer Joel Meyerowitz and his partner, artist Maggie Barrett.
A Year in Tuscany: The Genesis of a Documentary
The documentary was born out of an experimental year-long collaboration. In 2021, Perlmutter and his wife, photographer Manon Ouimet, moved into the Tuscany home of Meyerowitz and Barrett. The idea behind the project was to capture what it’s like for one artist couple to document the lives of another, particularly with such a vast age difference Meyerowitz is 84, while Barrett is 75. This experiment not only explored the professional dynamics between the couples but also delved deeply into their personal lives, providing a rare look at love, mortality, and the impact of time.
Intimacy and Trust: The Heart of the Film
What makes Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other stand out is its raw intimacy. Perlmutter and Ouimet’s approach was to document moments of everyday life, including tender scenes like the couple folding laundry and reflecting on their mortality. This blend of candidness and respect allowed for an exploration of the deeply personal aspects of their relationship, from the mundane to the profound. The filmmakers’ willingness to observe without imposing their own ego created an environment of trust, making the film feel genuine and unguarded.
Love, Death, and Professional Imbalance
Central to the narrative is the exploration of professional inequality, especially as it relates to Barrett’s experience in the shadow of her more famous partner. As a self-published author and artist, Barrett has always been overshadowed by Meyerowitz’s international fame. This imbalance is a recurring theme in the film, one that resonated deeply with Perlmutter and Ouimet, who saw parallels with their own relationship. The couple also reflected on how such imbalances are not unique to the art world but are present in many partnerships, particularly in creative fields.
The Reflection of Gender Inequality in Creative Partnerships
Barrett’s acknowledgment of her limited career trajectory in comparison to Meyerowitz’s highlights a broader issue in the art world. Similar stories of female artists being overshadowed by their male counterparts like Lee Krasner’s overshadowing by Jackson Pollock are well documented. The Modern Couples exhibition in 2018 also explored these dynamics in relationships like that of Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. In Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, these gendered struggles are explored with sensitivity, illustrating how love and admiration coexist with professional challenges.
A Gift of Equality: Finding Validation Through the Film
For Barrett, the documentary has provided an unexpected gift: a sense of validation. While the inequalities in her career were something she had known, seeing them so clearly reflected in the film allowed her to process and ultimately find peace with her creative journey. Meyerowitz, too, came to terms with this imbalance, acknowledging the deeply rooted inequity that affected their relationship. Ultimately, the documentary helped both artists find their own voice and equality within their relationship, making the project a deeply personal and transformative experience.
The Myth of the Artist Couple: Public Perception and Personal Realities
Despite the film’s early success, Meyerowitz and Barrett are wary of how the public perceives their relationship. While they understand the allure of artist couples and the desire to “see the normal human behind the artist,” they caution that these mythologized dynamics can oversimplify the complexities of their lives. As Meyerowitz points out, artists are self-invented individuals who are constantly questioning the meaning of their work and their lives, a process that defies simple narrative.
Through Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, Perlmutter and Ouimet have offered a glimpse into the complexities of aging, love, and professional struggle within the realm of artistic partnerships. The documentary, which is set to release in the UK on March 21, will undoubtedly continue to spark conversation about the intersection of art, identity, and personal relationships in the public eye.
