To raise money for her dog’s surgery, a picture framer must quickly sell a painting –– over the opposition of the artist friend who gifted it to her.

Director’s Vision for ‘Payment in Kind’

The New York art world is full of sharks. A few years ago, I witnessed an event where a friend of mine who works on the periphery of the art world was taken advantage of, by a careerist painter. A feud erupted, centered on a silly-seeming question: whether my friend should be allowed to sell a painting the artist had given her, in lieu of payment.

The tale had so many themes that are of interest to me — the lines between friendship and rivalry, between art and labor, between kindness and victimhood — that I decided to make it the subject of my first short film.