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The Madness of Art is a web series that Jim Kempner started filming a decade ago but only began posting in 2010. It is based on his experiences as an art dealer in Chelsea.

It began as a series of short comic vignettes shot whenever something struck Kempner as funny at the gallery. Almost all of the characters play themselves, including the gallery’s FedEx man, garage attendant, taxi drivers, and collectors. The videos also feature many artists, including Robert Indiana, Bernar Venet, and Tony Fitzpatrick. The producer of the series, Charlie Hewitt, is an artist whose work has been shown at the gallery for 20 years.

Kempner’s background includes stand-up comedy and theater, so these videos are an extension of his pre-art world days.

Jim Kempner Fine Art has been on the corner of 23rd Street and 10th Avenue since 1997. The gallery specializes in Contemporary Master works on paper and represents many mid-career artists, such as Charlie Hewitt, Jay Kelly, Carole Feuerman, and Boaz Vaadia. Jim Kempner Fine Art also shows sculpture and photography, including works by Eduardo del Valle and Mirta Gómez, Christopher Beane, and David Mitchell.

Episode 1 features Contemporary artist Robert Attanasio’s pithy analysis of the relationship between artist and dealer. Also, Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick drops by and tries to explain the old adage “time is money.” Jim Kempner Fine Art Gallery—where the absurd, the obscene, the glamorous, and the routine converge!