MIDDLEMAN through paint
- Painting through life-
As Baltimore's industrial harbor is transformed into luxury apartments and tourist attractions, artist Raoul Middleman captured the transitions of the city that shaped him and the people who surrounded him over the course of six decades. Driven by a love of burlesque and Baltimore's working harbor, his paintings record a history of Baltimore that is now being re-developed and rebranded. Filmed through the lens of an artist 60 years younger, we follow Raoul in his eighth and final decade as he comes to terms with his life’s work. In October 2021, Middleman passed away peacefully, leaving behind some 10,000 paintings in a East side warehouse, most never before seen.
Thank you to the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund at Johns Hopkins University and Maryland State Arts Council for support. The film will premiere in 2023. Check out the Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund covered by the Baltimore Sun. Also check out an interview on WYPR’s Midday. Thank you Six Point Pictures, Kate Lindsay, Elizabeth Stapleton, Travis Levasseur, Julia Golonka, Sonya Norko, Nikki Powell, and editor ReAnn Orr for your work, collaboration and ongoing support. Nearly six years of filming, researching, and gathering archival materials would not have been possible without you… and it’s not even over yet.
