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His Life, His Words
Filmmaker Michael Durand celebrates the flamboyant life and times of artist Jirayr “Jerry” Zorthian with a new documentary
By Desiree Morales 09/01/2005
When video and television producer Michael Durand first met artist Col. Jirayr “Jerry” Zorthian at a party in 2000, he found him “endlessly interesting.”
The documentary, “Jirayr H. Zorthian — His Life in His Words,” makes it immediately clear what Durand means.
Zorthian, who was 92 when he died in January 2004, appears in a top hat reminiscent of the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland,” that is if the Mad Hatter had chosen to wrap his hat in turquoise xxxelry and snakeskin, donned a Middle Eastern robe and explained the difference between “naked” women and the “nude nymphs” who attended his infamous primavera birthday parties.
Armed with cameras and a small crew, Durand made several trips to Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, the 45-acre mountainside home that Zorthian shared with his wife of 46 years, Dabney. The functioning ranch includes livestock pens alongside a memorabilia- and art-filled house, and the property appears to be divided by sculptures comprised of strange garbage — “collage sculpture” features the rusted shell of what was once a pickup, and various stone walls are cemented together with small statues and old machinery.
In one of the few moments of narration in the documentary, Durand said Zorthian referred to the ranch as “the center for research and development of industrial discards, with an emphasis on aesthetics.”
“We set the cameras up and asked him to tell the story of his life,” Durand recalled.
The resulting footage has been refined into 20 chapters and more than two hours of Zorthian telling the stories of his life, which range from his childhood memories of Turkish violence against Armenians (he survived two Turkish massacres before his eighth birthday, according to www.zorthian.com) to highlights from his more than 50 years as a Pasadena and Altadena resident.
Durand’s laidback production style allows Zorthian to saunter from one anecdote to another, laying out the geography of his family, education and his prolific art (according to Zorthian, he painted 42 murals in federal buildings across the East Coast during the Roosevelt administration).
Zorthian talks about his wild primavera parties during which he appeared as “Zorbacchus,” a combination of his name and that of the Roman god of wine and intoxication, and surrounded himself with a multitude of friends, including the aforementioned “nymphs.”
He also discusses his friendship with Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, whom Durand refers to as “the smartest man in the world.” Throughout the documentary, Zorthian’s stories are spliced with shots of his artwork and a walking tour of different aspects of the Zorthian Ranch.
An energetic vitality seeps from Zorthian beyond the riveting anecdotes and adventures that he recounts. Durand said he felt it was important to capture the joy with which Zorthian approached his life.
“He was the other side of the mirror, what most of us wish we could be, living spontaneously and pursuing our passions,” Durand said. “Everyone I talk to about him just lights up because he really had a positive impact. His love of life really shone through and people took to that.”
The renown that came from Zorthian’s wild parties seems to have discredited him as an artist, Durand said. “Jirayr H. Zorthian — His Life in His Words” regains a sense of Zorthian’s reverence for the human experience, regardless of his irreverence for social mores.
Durand’s respect for Zorthian’s attitude seems to be echoed in the way he approaches his own life. In 1995 he started Durand Productions and his company Web site, www.durandpro.com, proclaims, “Michael is fully aware of how lucky he is to be able to work at three of his loves,” referring to music, event planning and video and television production.
Since 1999 Durand has produced more than 60 episodes of “All the World’s a Stage,” a 30-minute arts and culture program “highlighting the best of Pasadena and surrounding communities,” according to the company Web site. This is the first full-length documentary that Durand has produced, and it aired as part of “All the World’s a Stage” in six 30-minute installments on Pasadena Community Access Channel 56. Durand also wrote and performed all of the music featured in the documentary. Durand said he is now working on distributing the DVD version, complete with extra footage from a memoriam celebration that took place in 2004 called “Planet Zorthian.”
Durand said he has received positive feedback regarding the documentary, including several emails which appear on his Web site from Zorthian’s widow, Dabney. Dabney Zorthian was unavailable for comment.
Zorthian’s artwork is currently included in a show at Gallery 825 titled, “The First 80 Years.” The show is presented by the Los Angeles Art Association along with Gallery 825 to commemorate the gallery’s 80th anniversary and runs through Sept. 24. For more information, visit www.laaa.org.
The DVD of “Jirayr H. Zorthian — His Life in His Words” is available at locations throughout Pasadena, including Rancho’s, a local bar on North Lake Avenue that Zorthian once frequented.
Durand will donate a portion of the proceeds from DVD sales to a charity of Dabney Zorthian’s choice, and she is leaning toward an as-of-yet unnamed Palestinian-Israeli nonviolence support group.