The artist on display

John Waters’ works at O.C. art museum show personal side of filmmaker’s artistic endeavors.The Orange County Museum of Art has given filmmaker John Waters carte blanche this fall, and he has responded with a multimedia showcase that’s as reflective as it is diverse.

Waters, best known for films such as “Hairspray” and “Serial Mom,” presents his cinematic hits alongside rarely seen movies shot on 8 millimeter film early in his career. He shows audiences his most prized artistic works right along with a photograph of his moldy refrigerator.

“Being John Waters” or “The John Waters Film Festival” would both be appropriate titles for the artistic fare debuting this month at the museum.

Waters was in Newport Beach over the weekend to help open “John Waters: Change of Life,” a traveling exhibition that displays the artist’s recent photographic and sculptural collection. This is the last stop on the tour and the only West Coast showing.

Waters spoke at the museum event. He also taped commentary about his work, and that commentary is available for visitors to hear on museum-provided iPods.

“It made a whole lot of sense to hear from John,” said Irene Hofmann, the museum’s curator of contemporary art who visited Waters at his summer home to gather the quotes. “People always like to hear from the artist. Not every artist talks so well about his work.”

Many of Water’s comments are introspective: “I’ve always tried to make fun of whatever celebrity I have,” Waters said on tape.

Much of that fame was derived from a series of socially conscious films, directly by Waters, that came out in the 1980s and 1990s.

Four of those movies, beginning with “Hairspray” tonight at 7:30 p.m., are being shown as part of the free Orange Crush series, which ends on Jan. 12.

The series is held in conjunction with the Newport Beach Film Festival and includes some of the movies that inspired Waters -- chosen by the artist himself.

“We felt it was a perfect complement to the installation of John’s work,” said Gregg Schwenk, executive director of the Newport Beach Film Festival. “These are films that influenced him and will help shine light on his career.”

The accompanying art exhibition, which focuses heavily on the movie industry, runs through Jan. 15 at the museum.

Waters said in the audio commentary that some artists had warned him to not venture into photography.

Their advice was ignored.

Twelve years ago, Waters used a camera to take still shots of images of his movies and other films appearing on his television.

Waters said his intention is to play with the public’s perception of celebrity. He does so by manipulating images and portraying unconventional topics in his art. He places a popular Hollywood hairdo on top of a variety of heads in one piece. In another, he focuses on the elbow of a young actress.

The artist provides an insight into his world with “My Diary,” a large piece that comprises scribbles on notecards that Waters writes on daily. In what is called the pop-up room, Waters shows visitors what it is like to be inside his house.

Hofmann, who spent most of the weekend with Waters, said she was struck by the artist’s openness.

“He’s very revealing about his life,” Hofmann said. “Some of these works make you want to revisit older films he’s done.”

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: “Films By John Waters” opening film, “Hairspray”

* WHEN: 7:30 tonight

* WHERE: Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach

* COST: Free

*INFO: (949) 759-1122 or visit www.ocma.net20051103ipcue8knDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Magaly Lopez of Newport Beach looks at a 3-D representation of John Waters’ library in an exhibit at the O.C. Museum of Art.