In the 1990s, Julian Schnabel's artistic journey took a notable turn as he ventured into filmmaking, beginning with his first feature film, "Basquiat" (1996), a biopic on his friend and fellow Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat. This film not only showcased Schnabel's directorial prowess but also provided an insightful glimpse into the New York art scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, exploring themes of artistic genius and the complex personalities that shaped this vibrant era (www.wikiart.org). Schnabel's move to filmmaking didn't signify a departure from his bohemian and sometimes controversial persona in the art world; rather, it expanded the realms in which he could express his artistic vision. Despite his success in cinema, Schnabel did not abandon painting. His work from this period shows a shift towards a simpler, less materially dense approach, with paintings like "Untitled (Lo Tango)" from 1990, emphasizing narrative and expressive brushwork over the textured, material-heavy compositions of his earlier plate paintings (The Art Story). This period also saw Schnabel experimenting with a range of surfaces beyond traditional canvas, as demonstrated in his work "Fakires" from 1993, indicating his ongoing exploration of material and form (The Art Story). Schnabel's exhibitions in the 1990s, such as those at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Museo Correr, underscored the rich interplay between his painting and film work, highlighting his diverse practice and the thematic continuity across different media (Wikipedia). His approach to painting during this time, characterized by chance and circumstance, reflected a broader engagement with life's grand themes—sexuality, obsession, suffering, redemption, death, and belief, employing a wide array of materials from broken plates to digital reproduction (Gagosian). Through his work in the 1990s, Julian Schnabel solidified his position as a multifaceted artist, one who transcends traditional categorizations to explore the intersections of visual art and cinema, materiality, and narrative. His continued impact on both the art and film industries exemplifies his unique ability to navigate and redefine the boundaries of contemporary creative expression.