The real DUDE

 aka the Spirit of The Big Lebowski

A year ago I met Ryan Beatty in New York right after we saw a a man on stage that shit on a pizza that he was eating as the highlight of his performance at the famous club the box.
We kept in touch and when I came to LA where Ryan lives meanwhile, he suggested me to portray his friend Jeff Dowd, who is a film producer and a political activist best known as member of Seattle Seven. He went to jail following a violent protest against the Viertnam War.

He met the Coen Brothers while they were promoting their first film, Blood Simple. He is the basis for one of their most popular characters, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski. And yes I can say, I met the real dude!

Another fucktional Movie poster. 

When we arrived at his house in Santa Monica, he is watering the plants and asks me a little mistrustfully about my work. Some phrases of me like, "Berlin artist with gallery in Istanbul "and at least my work convinced him to open up and start an artistic collaboration and the process of becoming friends.

Jeff infront of his house

PEACE for all princesses!

The dude likes to smoke. While we shoot, all utensiles of a smoke shop appear. I am impressed in how many ways ones can consume THC.

On this couch he is telling me about future projects, his ideas and the community that was built out of the Movie The Big Lebowski. People still celebrate a festival ones a year (lebowskifest.com) in Tampa.There they dress up crazy wearing interpretations of dude-phrases. He loves the fans and the irony of his community.

Jeff´s pride and Joy is his daughter

Big thanks to Ryan Beatty


"Connecting people together has to be one of the greatest joys that I have personally experienced in my life so far. I choose people in my life as a painter would choose paints. The photos below are the product of 2 colorful individuals whom I had the honor of bringing together to create another masterpiece on the canvas called time."

Ryan Beatty

Photo: Thanks to Ryan Beatty