The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists

""Why do art at all? For the sake of the work. Alone.""

1995 0h 54m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 7

DocumentaryMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

What happens when a dedicated husband and father quits his job, adopts the persona of a Western-Movie Singing Cowboy, takes on the entire art establishment (including Christo and Andy Warhol), and refuses to accept money for his art ? Meet Gerry Gaxiola, AKA The Maestro, an ex-wage slave who gave up everything to make art for art's sake. The Maestro's story could inspire a whole new generation of Van Goghs.

“"Why do art at all? For the sake of the work. Alone."”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Gerald Gaxiola
Self (as Gerry Gaxiola)
Alice Gaxiola
Self
Peter Mollica
Self
Peter William Brown
Self
Nadine Starbuck
Self
Kent Cabral
Self
Charlie Frizzell
Self
Dennis Hartelius
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Les Blank
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 54-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Les Blank: Always for Pleasure" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Les Blank, shot by Les Blank. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Maureen Gosling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Gerald Gaxiola and Alice Gaxiola and Peter Mollica carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""Why do art at all? For the sake of the work. Alone."".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Les Blank directs. Les Blank behind the camera. Maureen Gosling cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 54-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Les Blank: Always for Pleasure" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Les Blank, shot by Les Blank. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Maureen Gosling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gerald Gaxiola and Alice Gaxiola and Peter Mollica carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: ""Why do art at all? For the sake of the work. Alone."".
9IMDB entry: tt0113734 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Les Blank
Editing: Maureen Gosling
Runtime: 54 min · 0h 54m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists (1995)

Part of

Les Blank: Always for Pleasure

An uncompromisingly independent filmmaker, Les Blank made documentaries for nearly fifty years, elegantly disappearing with his camera into cultural spots rarely seen on-screen—mostly on the peripheries of the United States, but also occasionally abroad. Seemingly off-the-cuff yet poetically constructed, these films are humane, sometimes wry, always engaging tributes to music, food, and all sorts of regionally specific delights. This collector’s set provides a diverse survey of Les Blank’s vast output, including fourteen of his best-known works and eight related short films.