Sometimes I can’t tell if Brad Pitt really is this sad, lonely figure or if he’s performing “sad loneliness” because that’s his new brand/persona. The persona was basically the only one left to him in the past three years since Angelina left him. He’s not spending much time with his kids, and for more than two years, he couldn’t even see his kids without a neutral third-party observer present. He tried to make “Brad’s new girlfriend” happen a few times and it always seemed rather… forced. And so the one persona left to him is “the guy who sits alone in an art studio and sculpts.” Don’t get me wrong, I love being alone and being in a quiet, pretty art space for days, weeks and months at a time sounds like heaven. Maybe it’s heaven for Brad too – a chance for him to reflect and think and create art. He seems pleased with all of his sculpting too. He chatted with The Hollywood Reporter about it:
A couple of years ago, Rambling Reporter incorrectly reported that Brad Pitt skipped the Academy Awards on the night when his Plan B-produced Moonlight took home the top prize in favor of sculpting at Thomas Houseago’s headquarters. But Pitt recently revealed to The New York Times that actually, on that particular evening Feb. 26, 2017, he had zero eyes on the small screen when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway screwed up the best picture Oscar hand-over because he was focused on a plate of spaghetti at the home of filmmaker friend James Gray for one the latter’s legendary Sunday night dinners.
What’s true is that Pitt was, at the time, beginning his exploration of the art of sculpture with Houseago’s help — and he’s still doing it. “I’ve been in training, you know,” Pitt told Rambling Reporter at the L.A. premiere of his and Gray’s space epic Ad Astra on Sept. 18. He’s spent hours learning the craft, even traveling with Houseago to the Venice Biennale and checking out exhibits from Paris to L.A. “I’m learning a lot and I love it. It’s a really solo, all on your own venture.”
As for whether the world will ever see the works he’s creating, Pitt was characteristically coy. “If I were to find something that I felt was original to my own vernacular in that way and it had something to add, then yeah. But If I felt it was too derivative of the greats, then no.”
You know what I wonder? I wonder if Brad’s sculptures just look like knockoff Thomas Houseago sculptures. Brad is basically apprenticing with Houseago and I would imagine that Brad is just learning how to sculpt exactly like Houseago. That’s not a bad thing – that’s how many artists start, by copying other artists’ work to see if they can understand and master the techniques used. I would be curious to see Brad’s work just to see if my suspicions are true. I’d also like to know if Sculptor Brad is just a phase until he figures out his next persona.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Not campaigning for that Oscar right, Brad?
I like being alone so I can relate to that. However, that’s only for like few hours a week.
Brad do seem lost and he has only himself to blame.
as so many have noted over the years, he seems to take on the style/interests/persona of whomever he’s in a relationship with. like, he NEEDS to be alone for a LONG time so he can figure out who he is, without having someone to copy.
Not just romantically alone because he seems to be doing the same thing with Thomas Houseago now.
Well, men can get away with a sad and lonely phase. It won’t follow them or attach to them like it does to women. Look what happened to his first ex wife. I personally think it’s a façade. Just as I never believed Aniston couldn’t find a man, I will never believe Brad Pitt can’t find a woman. I also don’t believe that he tried to float that he was with Charlize and she “shut that down”. Come on! Stop! I believe they were never together, but not because Theron shut it down. I laugh when I see people who believe that the woman who allowed Sean Penn on top of her turned her nose up at Brad Freaking Pitt. Stop it. If he wants her, he could get her. You know, rather famously, shortly after he married Aniston, Julia Roberts said to him “you could have had me” and he said, “I could still have you.” Now, I don’t know if this is true, but it’s a great story. Very Julia, no?
Sorry no need to put Charlize down just because you worship Brad.
Most sane single mothers won’t get involved with a man who was accused of abusing his children.
I mean, you say don’t put Charlize down, but then you go on to say “Most sane single mothers won’t get involved with a man who was accused of abusing his children.”
But she literally still dated Penn. Madonna had filed a report that she was hospitalized after he took a baseball bat to her f-cking head. She dropped the charges because he was ALREADY facing 60 days in jail for assaulting a photog. Then in another incident he tried to tie her up and prevent her from leaving the house for over 9 hours.
So let’s not pretend that there’s some sort of agreed upon rule that women – mothers or not – won’t continue to date shitty rich white dudes. I don’t doubt that if Sean Penn can keep getting attractive women to date him that Brad Pitt can do the same. And that’s absolutely not a glowing review of Pitt, I think his actions were horrendous. I just don’t doubt the power that rich, famous dudes have over women.
“I also don’t believe that he tried to float that he was with Charlize and she “shut that down”.”
Isn’t that exactly what happened though? I’d bet money that rumor came from his camp, as did the ones about Neri Oxman, and Charlize’s team put out a denial right away.
I believe he could still very easily find women to date, but I don’t like the “if he wants her he can get her” idea, because women have agency and not everyone wants him.
Sculpted Brad seems like a keeper of a phase to me. If he needs lessons on being alone successfully he should talk with Keanu Reeves who did it for decades.
Dilettante.
Philistine (Brad, not you. I love these old timey insults)
This is EXACTLY the word I was thinking!!! (had to look up how to spell it, tho)
I thought this was about him sculpting his body and was going to say it’s paying off. A guy needs a hobby, I guess. Good for him?
I sculpt. In a studio. With other people. If he’s doing it in someone else’s studio, he very likely isn’t alone. Yes, you’re alone on your path with whatever it is you’re sculpting but you’re not necessarily alone in the studio. You can interact with others as much or as little as you want but you’re the only one touching your piece and deciding what to do with it. I have nights when I just completely immerse myself in my rock, paying no attention to anyone or anything around me and then other nights, when I barely touch the thing because I’m so busy chatting, usually about politics.
That is pretty interesting! I am a writer–but I find I cannot be with others (namely my best friend) while I am writing or trying to do any work beyond plotting because I talk like a magpie. Unless we are talking about a plot, I will literally get nothing done unless I am alone in a room.
I’ve always kind of wanted to be artsy, in the sense of being able to draw but I feel like I am not patient enough–but sculpting has always interested me in abstract, as you could at least add what you want back on…..or just reform it and start over again.
I find writing to be a very different process. I write for work and when I’m working on a brief, I need a distraction free environment with no noise around me. The coworkers in the offices next to me understand and form a buffer zone. Drawing, which is where I have some actual talent, I can do with other people in a lively environment just as long as someone isn’t looking over my shoulder, then I freeze up. But sculpting for me is social time. I learn from others around me, watching them with different tools and materials, everyone sharing.
I’m part of an art association, and we have a couple of times a week where it’s open studio and people can go in and work, and it’s great – it’s nice to get feedback and see what others are doing, and have time to create. I paint by myself too, and I’ll put on an audiobook or music or something, but it’s fun working in a group too.
Writing would be way too difficult to do in a group setting though! It must use a different part of the brain.
It’s better he’s finding himself alone than through other people. Should have done that ages ago. Would have saved a ton of drama. I never understand why people jump into relationships to find themselves. That work has to be done individually, not solely dependent on another.
I think people jump into relationships to lose themselves not to find themselves. It at the very least to avoid doing the hard work on themselves
Good point. Some people want to take shortcuts until they don’t have any left.
I think he is soon to reveal a girlfriend. Yesterday we noticed from his interview from Variety that he removed the A tattoo on his forearm. So I think that’s his next phase happy not lonely anymore Brad ready for Awards season.
Meh, I can’t hate on him for this.
Me either and I don’t know why anyone would. I don’t think Pitt has a sad persona now. I think he was legitimately sad three years ago when his marriage ended so publically and, seemingly, abruptly. Angelina has spoken of her sadness as well.
the duo formerly known as Brangelina are each trying to navigate their post split lives. Pitt has taken up sculpting and other projects to fill the void in his life. Angelina has moved back into acting and has decreased her U.N. work to restructure her responsibilities. It’s sad, usually, for everyone even when both were unhappy which I think was the case with these two. I
Both seem busy and have established new norms. That is good for the entire family, imo.
Art can be GREAT therapy. I hope it is helpful to him, and anyone doing it.
It bugs me that he can’t just do it though, he’s got to study with someone famous, go to big events, and brag about it to the media.
By the way look at that Us story that came out today. His PR team still working for him and that part of moving on it sounds like the rollout to reveal a girlfriend
Still Gaslighting Angelina. She moved on the day she left, yet as usual portrayed as the evil ex who just won’t let go.
The headline was dramatic, but the story was benign. She resents him for turning their lives upside down and she won’t get married again. Anybody could see and assume that she feels that way because anyone would feel that way. I don’t think his pr team would want quotes blaming him for turning their lives upside down though.
I suspect that Thomas Houseago was/is acting as a kind of an alcohol free support/companion/mentor. Just a hunch.
Eh, as long as he’s not hurting anyone so what.
Still handsome for his age. He has so much class and charisma.
Even Raphael had to grow out of Perugino’s style influence. That takes time and practice.
Making art is such a positive thing to do no matter who you are
Being creative just does something good for the brain and the soul.
He seems to be very art for the sake of art but in saying that I’ve only skimmed his interviews. Some of these people are super interesting but others aren’t grounded – and grounded as in to reality on a daily basis and grounded as in their art has no relationship to actual social realities but is just that David Foster Wallace, James Joyce, and co showing off technique or being as impenetrable to the – ugh! – layperson as possible. That’s as corporatist – pro-specialisation, pro-professionalisation – as you can get and something these *professional* artists don’t seem to be aware is inimical to the rightful spirit/heart of art.
Just wait until his “art” makes someone ill because he has no idea what he’s doing, and then watch him try to disavow it quicker than he can spell “responsibility”… Assuming he can.