Who is Marvin Israel? is a documentary about the life and work of the enigmatic artist, designer, art director, and teacher in the words of those who knew him. Unseen and unrecognized by all but a small group of people, most of whom were not yet famous, Marvin Israel became the friend and provocateur to many of the photographers who defined the medium in the last half of the twentieth century. Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, and many others honed their aesthetic on the unforgiving whetstone of Marvin Israel’s unpredictable intuitions.

Although his own paintings were described in the New York Times as “utterly astonishing” and “the work of a master” he never achieved broad recognition or financial success as an artist.

As a designer, he reinvented the nature of the photography exhibition, transforming it into a dramatic visual adventure that has set the standard ever since. In his brief tenure as Harpers Bazaar’s art director, he helped trigger the eruption of interest in fine photography by publishing, in the unlikely context of a fashion magazine, Walker Evans’ subway photographs, portraits and architectural photographs he commissioned by Bill Brandt, and seriously offbeat projects by Arbus and Friedlander. He also designed books for his friends, many of which stand as icons.

Robert Frank, when told about the making of this film about Marvin Israel, immediately agreed to participate, and added “what took you so long?”