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Ethan H. Minsker (August 25, 1969, born Ethan Hart Minsker) is an American writer, filmmaker, artist, fanzine publisher and founding member of the Antagonist Movement.

After moving to New York City in 1988, working in independent film production then publishing his first fanzine, East Coast Exchange, by the mid '90s, Minsker changed the name of the fanzine to Psycho Moto Zine, which he would continue to produce for the next 20 years. The fanzine was featured in a youth exhibit at the New Museum Contemporary Art. In 1997 Minsker completed his first feature documentary, "Anything Boys Can Do...," based on obscure women rock and punk bands of New York's Lower East Side. The film would go on to play in more than 50 festivals worldwide. In 2000 Minsker founded the Antagonist Movement, a collective that supports unknown artists by providing venues and pushing artists to create new works. Concurrently, Minsker began work on a series of three novels based on his life, "Rich Boy Cries For Momma," "Barstool Prophets" and "The Antagonist." In 2008 Minsker completed "This is Berlin Not New York," an award-winning documentary that was featured on Netflix.

Life and career[edit]

Early life and family[edit]

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 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 Landmark Preparatory Schooll 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