In 1985, the day after Thanksgiving, two unknown persons sliced a painting by Willem de Kooning out of its frame where it was on display as part of the collection belonging to the University of Arizona Museum of Art. The painting, “Woman-Ochre”, was estimated to be worth between $200,000 and $400,000 at the time of its disappearance, but in 2015 was estimated to be worth around $160 million, thanks to the sale of another of de Kooning’s pieces, “Interchange”, which was completed the same year as the “Woman-Ochre” painting, 1955. In 2017, the three owners of a local antique store,. Manzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiques, were contacted to help handle the estate of a couple of schoolteachers, Jerry and Rita Alter, where they found “Woman-Ochre” in a tacky gold frame hidden behind the door of the master bedroom. David Van Auker, one of the three, began searching to find out if the painting was in fact real, as one customer believed, and once he ascertained it was, he immediately endeavored to return the painting to the university. In 2019, director Allison Otto (The Love Bugs, 2019) decided to dig into the story of the theft and the discovery, and unearthed quite a treasure trove of information, in the form of journals, photographs, travel logs, and a book of short stories, and began to piece together what would become this documentary.

For a few years of my life, I worked as a security guard for the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA - I became familiar with some of the conservators and preparators, one or two of the curators, and of course, with a lot of the art. One of the strangest pieces in the entire place was an abstract piece entitled “Woman VI”, hanging in the late modernist abstraction gallery, which the security guards simply called “Scaife Rover Two”, because three guards roamed the Scaife galleries, and the second guard position wandered through all the abstract stuff - the painting of pure white which was important because the artist was experimenting more with paint as sculpture; the Gerhard Richter and the Jackson Pollock; the videos; and of course, the one painting called “Woman VI” that everyone would look at and say, “There’s no woman here!” So for me, this documentary started on a good foot, talking about art and the painter commenting on standards of beauty using modern technique, and looping it gradually into the story of a couple, one of whom was actually also an artist, photographer, and musician, exploring adventure and notoriety.

The film itself is terrific - the footage of interviews juxtaposes incredibly well with photos taken from the Alters’ own collection, with art from their home, and with fanciful and tongue-in-cheek recreations (starring Glenn Howerton as Jerry and Sarah Minnich as Rita) of not only the theft of the actual painting, but also of snippets of Jerry’s book, The Cup and The Lip, a selection of short stories which he told his nephew were based on “real life events”. I actually caught myself a few times paying more attention to the music, composed by Daniel Wohl, which was at times engrossing, but overall lent very well to the story being told. The photographs of the couple’s travels and the variety of interviews really helped to paint a three dimensional picture of them and their desires, even going so far as to wonder whether there was more to the couple than met the eye, or even could be speculated on based on what they left behind.

The overarching story of the documentary is the discovery of the painting and the unfolding tale of who Jerry and Rita Alter might have been: a wonderful couple whom everyone loved; simple schoolteachers who had a knack for interesting travels; daring adrenaline junkies who sought out thrilling escapades; art thieves who felt the painting was somehow owed to them; or maybe even murderers; and it does a wonderful job of pulling in the viewer to not only learn more about art and one of the most well known yet unsolved art thefts in history, but also learn about the people behind it. At various points throughout the film, the people being interviewed read snippets of Jerry’s book, in addition to supplying their own commentary about the couple. It’s like they were chasing notoriety, and “I think in death (Jerry) got what he wanted.” But the highlight of the film seems to me to be the return of the painting to the University of Arizona Museum of Art, where “Woman-Ochre” has been returned after a short stint for restoration and exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Rorshach Rating:

Mental Health Moment: A lot of the speculation around Jerry Alter’s writings ties into an idea of wanting to be known, of being notorious, or at least feeling like the world owes you something. One line in particular is cited from his book: “To own wealth is to be possessed by it.” Coming from a man who spent his entire life feeling like the world had passed over him, whether because he didn’t get famous as a jazz musician or because he was somehow owed notoriety for the theft of “Woman-Ochre”, or he just wasn’t repaid for his efforts as a music teacher, this sentiment is one of longing, but coming from the man who stole “Woman-Ochre” and kept it hidden in his bedroom for thirty-two years, it is very telling. To have something is to both be its owner, caretaker, and possessor, and also to be able to lose something, and the man who stole a $160 million painting surely had that fact imprinted in his mind. In desiring fame, one also has a responsibility to care for oneself.

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Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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