If one were to paint an image of internationally renowned artist David Choe using only a palette of psychological disorders, you’d have yourself a portrait of schizophrenia, kleptomania, manic depression and sex addiction. Harry Kim’s documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe” isn’t so much this portrait, but a full-length visual collage of the genius that is David Choe. As an artist who proclaims he, “makes art for people that don’t give a fuck about art,” this documentary is a documentary for people who don’t normally watch documentaries. Think MTV’s “Jackass” but with an intellectual, cultural spin.

Dirty Hands is made up of nearly a decade’s worth of footage following Choe in his earlier days as an LA-based street tagger, his time in Japanese prison, to his eventual success as an artist. The document’s footage and stories are rough and uncut but simply mirrors the spirit of Choe, a trouble-making, troubled (yet highly successful) young artist. What’s most intriguing about this documentary and Choe’s artistic career, is the amount of socially deviant acts ranging from assault to vandalism that are captured in Dirty Hands. Usually, it’s easy to say that a social deviant doesn’t amount to much in in life. Unless your name is David Choe and your art has been featured on limited edition RVCA t-shirts, Adidas and Converse sneakers, Jay Z albums, magazines (Juxtapoz, Vice, Nylon, Giant Robot to name a few) and TV commercials. Not to mention murals around the world from The Republic of Congo to Vietnam. In addition, Dirty Hands picked up the grand jury prize award at the 2008 San Diego Asian Film Festival and was the most attended film at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival.

Dirty Hands easily has two (dirty) thumbs up from me. The next screening of the film is Tuesday, March 17 at the San Francisco International Asian Film Festival. For more information, visit the official Dirty Hands site here.

Check out the Dirty Hands trailer below: