claytoncubitt:

NIN: The Making of the “Closer” Video (via Fette)

28 minute behind-the-scenes with commentary by director Mark Romanek.

‘Closer’ was a great example of Picasso’s (alleged) dictum that “good artists borrow, great artists steal”, since almost every visual in it was lifted from other artists, including Joel-Peter Witkin, Man Ray, The Brothers Quay, and Francis Bacon.

But it was put together with such craft that it achieved its own mash-up originality and was clearly a respectful homage.

And for those of us at the time whose art education came from television, movies, and books, not from art schools, it was a fantastically dense puzzle to decipher (although credits would have been nice)

Also: I can’t believe it’s 15 years old.