User:Kbrzoznowski

Born in Boston, MA, followed a year later by his sister Natasha Minsker, currently death penalty policy director for

the ACLU, the children of Martin David Minsker, lawyer for president Richard Nixon, and mother Judith E. McCaffrey, president of the Washington D.C. women bar association. In 1970 the family moved to Washington, D.C. in the neighborhood of Chevy Chase. Ethan was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 6. He was then enrolled at the Kingsberry Day School and later [http://www.labschool.org The Lab School of Washington D.C]. for children with learing disabilities. At 7 his parents divorced. His mother moved to Glover Park in North West Washington. The siblings split their time between both homes. Being placed in a conference room frequently waiting for their father to finsh working for Nixon, Ethan would create stories on copy paper, and with a stapler, make small books then give them away to friends and family. Cast out of his peer group for being learning disabled he gravitated towards D.C's fledgling punk scene. At 15 he was sent to [http://www.landmarkschool.org Landmark Preparatory School]l in Beverly Farms, MA. Traveling to Boston, MA every weekend he attended his first punk shows at The Rathskeller and Hayden Hall. The following year Minsker was back in Washington, D.C. after the dean of Landmark told him he was not welcome to return because his new Mohawk hair cut violated the dress code.

Film career

Minsker received his first super 8mm camera at the age of 9 from his

grandfather. At 14 he spent the entire summer painting his mothers

house using the money to by his first betamax video camera. At the

same time we was learning animation in school. One of his animated

shorts played on the local PBS station. At 16 he was attending night

classes at Corcoran College of Art and Design for drawing and print

making. He would grugate high school as valevictorian. Using the films

he made with his friends and the animated shorts from high school and

drawings and prints from Corcoran, at 17 he applied to art school in

New York City. At the School Of Visual Arts Minsker spent his first

year in the Fine Art Department focused on painting then switched to

film in his second year. During this time a music video he did for a

Washington punk band, Desiderata was featured on the independent

section on MTV's 120 Minutes. His thesis project Amorosis 30 min 16 mm

narrative film was a finalist at the New York Festival. After

graduating with honors Minsker began working on independent films and

music videos as a grip and electric. Working on music videos for bands

like Notorious BIG, DasFX, Shaba Ranks, Old Dirty Bastards, Wu Tang

Clan and many other Hip Hop and R & B artist. He worked on dozens of

the Shooting Gallery productions. By the end of the 90's Minsker

stopped working on independent productions, saying, "I went to film

school to make my own films, not light other peoples." Minsker went to

grad school at the New School focused on media communications and

received a scholarship.

Anything Boy Can Do...

In 1996 Minsker completed his first 71 min feature music documentary

on women in underground music of New York's Lower East Side.

Production took Minsker 4 years saving up the money by working as a

grip and eclectic on productions. The film was supposed to be

distributed by Film Threat and then Troma. Finally Minsker released

the DVD under the Antagonist Movement and sub distributed by Emphasis

Entertainment group. Many of the location and bands no longer exists.

The film was exhibited at Exit Art Gallery and The Brooklyn Museum of

Art. It won several awards and played in for 50 film festivals world

wide.

The Soft Hustle,

1999-2000 Narrative film 70 min.

The story of a Lower East Side low life who makes a bet for $1,000,

which he promptly loses. "Working on this film would inspire my book

"Barstool Prophets"" says Minsker. This film took 4 years to complete.

Minsker and crew would film one scene every week until the film was

done. Real guns were used since it was cheaper then renting or getting

the city permits that were needed. The drugs in the Atlantic City

scenes were real too. The story is based on real events that took

place in the bar where Minsker began bartending. "We did whatever we

had to do get this film made. We had no money but knew a lot of

talented people who would work for free," says Minsker.

The Stick Up Artists

In 1999 Misnker co wrote a script with Jon Reed. Based on an episode

of American's Most Wanted watched by Minskers were two men dressed in

Sunday dress robbed a video store. The script would be selected as a

finalist in The Slamdance script writing competition, beating out 1500

others and placing at number 6.

This Is Berlin Not New York

In 2008 Minsker completed 72 min feature art documentary on

underground artists making art and friends on the other side of the

world. Incorpating new elements like stop-motion animation Minsker's

style begins to emerge. "There are few interviews in this film. I

attempted to convey the story by capturing conversations. It's about

the life of artists and living creatively." Again Minsker used local

bands to score the soundtrack. The film could be found at places like

St Marks books and The Brooklyn Museum of arts gift shop.

The Dolls Of Lisbon

In 2011 Minsker completed a 72 min feature art documentary on

underground artists. It featuring artists from The United States,

Ecuador, Portugal, and fellow Antagonist Artists in Europe. Minsker's

style progressed into animated sequences of paper cut outs as well as

stop motion. "We did a lot of interviews in artists studios, I think

you really get a feel for who these people are by what they surround

themselves with," says Minsker.

Literary Career

East Coast Exchange Fanzine

In 1988 Minsker began ECE a self published magazine centered around

the hardcore and punk scenes of Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Modeled after fanzines like Flipside and Maximum Rock and Roll.

Minsker slowly moved away from simply covering the underground music

scene into the arts by adding illustrations poerty and and seeking out

up and coming writers. "I grew up being picked on for my learning

disability. It was like a chip on my shoulder so I decided to become a

writer to prove them all wrong," says Minsker.

Psycho Moto Zine

Fanzine 1992-2006, The new incarnation of the fanzine took on a role

of suporting young artists. "I quickly came to the realization that

there are few opportunities for strugglng artists, so when I presented

them with the chance to be included they were happy to do so."

Minsker's experience with producing a fanzine would inspire the

formation of the Antagonist Movement.

Rich Boy Cries for Momma

2010 Book fiction

Rich Boy Cries for Momma is a coming-of-age novel that is set during

the period of D.C.’s now legendary hardcore music scene and follows

Minsker's boot prints - the privileged son turned punk rocker . "My

book is drawn from my experiences growing up in Washington, D.C.

during the 70s and 80s as the son of prominent lawyers. My father was

one of Richard Nixon’s attorneys during the Watergate era and, for

decades after that, in connection with the Nixon's tape case. At age 6

I was diagnosed with dyslexia," says Minsker. By producing the book

through the Antagonist Movement meant there was an effort to create a

piece of art rather then a product. By not using clip art and

selecting up and coming artists to add illustrations. The book was

edited by a team, with managing editors, copy editors and feedback

editors. Instead of being thanked in the acknowledgements everyone who

worked on the book received credit much in the same way they would in

a movie. Cover art by the artist Kevin Cyr and inside illustrations by

Ted Riederer. In August of 2011 "Rich Boy Cries for Momma" was

featured in the art show "I Bleed Black" at Marianne Boesky Gallery

Barstool Prophets

2011 a fictional memoir of real events, Minsker's next book would be

about his over 10 years bartending in the bars of the Lower East side.

Described as fictional memoir of true events. The story follows the

lives of a wild spectrum of characters, narrated by a young writer

working in a bar in New York’s East Village. Barstool Prophets

chronicles this iconic neighborhood over a period of 20 years, from

its seedy early 1990s to its recent gentrification into a Manhattan

hot spot. Cover art by Dan Krupin inside by Dan Krupin and Un Lee.

This book was produced in the same vain as Minsker first book Rich Boy

Cries For Momma. "The book was meant to be a mix of "Confederacy of

Dunces" meets anything by Charles Bukowski," says Minsker.

Art career

Antagonist Movement

In 2000 Minsker and Sergio Vega, Anders Olson first came up with the

concept of the Antagonist Movement while working in a bar on the Lower

East Side. Thursday nights were always slow and they wanted to create

an event that would also incorporate their individual passions; art,

film, music, and writing. The first art show was in the basement of

the bar Niagara January of 2000. It featured art by Minsker, Anders

Olson, Dima Drjuchin. The night was successful and the owners of the

bar asked the group to do the pop up art event every Thursday for one

year. They would end up doing the one night art shows for more than 11

years. Over those 11 years the group had shown more than 3000 up and

coming artists. After the first few shows The Antagonist began to add

live music, such as Champions Of Sound, Dead On A Friday, Vic Ruggiero

and many more. The films grew out of the larger events the group were

doing in other cites and overseas. "We want to control our own

history," says Minsker about the films. Two years later The Antagonist

began a writers night at Black and White Bar on Sunday nights. At the

writers nights the actor and comedian Jona Hill was discovered

preforming. Past hosts of the writers night have included Bryan

Middleton, Richard Allen, Brother Mike Cohen, and many others. In 2003

Minsker begun running the group after Sergio Vega and Anders Olson

moved on to other projects. In 2001 the group begun working with art

directors who would guide the artistic direction of the Movement,

gabriel coutu-dumont and Anders Olson, 2000- 2005, Ted Riederer took

over that role from 2005 to present.

The Resurrectionists

In 2006 Minsker assisted Ted Riederer on his art project by creating

video. The video portion was in part funded by the Antagonist

Movement.

Minsker cowarded 4 camera as they filmed the destruction on music

instruments. Minsker then edited the footage together. The completed

projects was exhibited at PS1 and Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery as well as

many more.

Creative Style

Whether it's his films, writing or art, Minsker creates an intimate

connection with the audience. As a writer his voice is conversational.

He wants his stories to bounce between comedy and tragedy. As a film

maker he wanted to investigate the unknown artists. "It's as if we are

just having a great one sided conversation," says Minsker.

Personal life

On April 3, 2011, Ethan Minsker and his wife Un Lee had their first

child together, a daughter named Blu Leela Minsker.

Ethan Minsker stands 6 feet with blue eyes. He has many tattoo but

most are covered by pants and shirts. He has been know to trade

artwork for tattoos. He does not smoke or use drugs and most often

will not drink.

Reference

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/2625

http://www.marianneboeskygallery.com/exhibitions/2011-08-11_the-art-handler-showi-bleed-black/pressrelease/

http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/5663/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-11-14/entertainment/9711140021_1_star-madchen-achy-obejas

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0591659/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2088926/

http://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/2011-interview-with-ethan-minsker/2183

http://current.com/green/76379542_nyc-underwater.htm

http://current.com/entertainment/77484391_make-your-own-damn-shirt.htm

http://current.com/entertainment/music/88985626_album-armor.htm

http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/archives/2000schedule/midnight2.htm

http://antagonistmovement.com/

http://youtube.com/el3VSm71Ero

http://theantagonistblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ethan_minsker/

http://thepineconegentleman.com/contributors-2/ethan-h-minsker/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10833203-rich-boy-cries-for-momma

http://www.emphasisentertainment.com/Antagonist-Art-Movement.htm

http://miff.com.au/60_years_of_miff/film_archive?movieid=21362

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/This-Is-Berlin-Not-New-York/70119032?trkid=1660

http://www.discogs.com/Desiderata-Desiderata/release/1589970

http://www.royalflushfestival.com/rff/2011/film

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_New_York_Underground_Film_Festival

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/01/tower_record_st.html

http://www.broadwaydamage.com/pages/bdcred.html

fan pages facebook

http://www.facebook.com/BarstoolProphetsthebook

http://www.facebook.com/RichBoyCriesForMomma

http://www.facebook.com/Anything.Boys.Can.Do

http://www.facebook.com/ThisIsBerlinNotNewYork

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolls-Of-Lisbon/166294286766001

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Soft-Hustle/116874361754594

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=743991040

on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_gnr_aps?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AEthan+Minsker&keywords=Ethan+Minsker&ie=UTF8&qid=1321653052