For those considering a journey with British artist Tony Foster, the adventure comes with a stark warning. Prospective companions must sign a contract acknowledging the very real dangers, including a clause requiring sufficient personal insurance for your body to be flown home in case of fatality. The 79-year-old painter doesn't mince words, cautioning that there will be moments on his expeditions when you wish you were anywhere else.
A Life on the Edge for Art
Director David Schendel presumably accepted these grim terms before joining Foster on a raft trip down the Green River, which flows through Wyoming and Utah. The result is a deeply engrossing documentary portrait, Tony Foster: Painting at the Edge, which follows the artist as he quests across the planet to find the perfect vantage point for his watercolours.
Despite being described by a longtime acquaintance as two toothpicks in a potato, Foster is improbably hardy. For over three decades, he has trekked into some of the world's most remote and challenging environments, from the great American outdoors to Bolivia and even the slopes of Mount Everest. His dedication is absolute; on one occasion, it took him a staggering 16 days simply to locate the right spot to set up his easel.
Luminous Panoramas from the Wilderness
Once he finds his location, the self-taught artist creates luminous, airy panoramas with a jewel-like clarity. His process appears to be less about imposing his personal feelings onto the landscape and more of a meditative practice. The work seems to be about what the vast, unspoiled wilderness puts into him.
The film explores the roots of Foster's fierce self-sufficiency, which began when he grew up in rural Lincolnshire. He rebelled against traditional schooling and, for a time, was even homeless on the streets of London during the swinging sixties—a period he initially refuses to discuss. Yet, the documentary doesn't fully pinpoint the driving force behind his decades-long mission.
The Political and the Personal
Foster declares himself a political artist, aiming to capture wildernesses that are rapidly disappearing from our planet. He is also profoundly aware of geological time, speaking of feeling like a molecule on a gnat's eyelash when faced with nature's monumentality. What remains unclear is whether this perspective offers him comfort or, Werner Herzog-style, is something to be defiantly challenged as he continues his arduous travels into old age.
The film's energy dissipates slightly when Foster returns to his studio in Cornwall to put the finishing touches on his paintings. He is visibly crestfallen when his hard-won collection from the Green River is shipped off to the gallery. While some of Schendel's shots on the trail are almost as splendid as Foster's own creations, the director didn't have to endure the same physical toll. Tony Foster: Painting at the Edge arrives in UK cinemas from 14 November.
