SWIMMER300 by Herbert Migdoll

Herbert Migdoll

phone: 312.386.8932 cell: 312.636.9935 email: hmigdoll@joffrey.org

SWIMMER300 River Point Proposal

SWIMMER300

BRIDGE VIEW, DEVOS PLACE, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN PAINTING BY HERBERT MIGDOLL ACRYLIC AND OIL ENAMEL ON VINYL MESH. 15’ X 300’

RIGHT: DEVOS PLACE HOSTING SWIMMER300 FOR ARTPRIZE 2010 IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN BELOW: PAINTING BY HERBERT MIGDOLL ACRYLIC AND OIL ENAMEL ON VINYL MESH 15’ X 300’

LEFT: PANELS OF PAINTING 10’ x 15’ RIGHT: panels being carried to installation, Bridgeport, Ill.

SWIMMER300, Park view across from Devos Place

The following pages are commissioned works and works in progress available through the artist.

THE CHOSEN ONE 90” X 786” (63feet) dye sublimation, acrylic, and sumi ink on linen fabric canvas

SWIMMERS painting - mixed media: oil enamel and acrylic on vinyl mesh 8’ x 275’

SWIMMERS Chicago river view in front of the Merchandise Mart

SWIMMERS detail oil enamel on archival pigment painting 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 34â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (entire piece seen below)

TURNING IN CLOSED COURSE Acrylic, metallic oil enamel and epoxy on baked enamel on aluminum 6’ x 37’ commissioned permanent installation at McCormick Center, Chicago

Ping Tom Park GRASSES Flatfile Gallery 2004 Installation 29 panels, mixed media, acrylic and oil enamel on canvas Size Optional 29” x 45’

DOGES painting acrylic,oil enamel and gold leaf on linen canvas 1’ x 20’

Black Gondola Oil, enamel, Acrylic on aluminum 48” x 336’

GONDOLA painting acrylic and oil enamel on aluminum 36” x 324”

Black Gondola Oil, enamel, Acrylic on aluminum 48” x 336’

DANCING DEITIES painting composite (24 vertical panels) 108” x 576”

details from dancing deities

painting from installation in Hawaii

RED, WHITE & TATTOO: Painting (Size Optional) Acrylic and Oil Enamel on Canvas

FLOATING PICASSO: Painting (Size Optional) Acrylic and Oil Enamel on Canvas

Joffrey Ballet dancer in costumed designed by Picasso in 1917 for the ballet: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paradeâ&#x20AC;?

GATOR AND GRASSES

Study for painting

HERBERT MIGDOLL - CURRICULA VITAE COLLECTIONS MUSEUM OF MODERN ART New York Permanent Collection (opposite page, at right) IKONA Gallery - Venice, Italy MOORE VAN ALLEN - Charlotte, North Carolina PHILLIP MORRIS - New York HEATH Gallery - Atlanta, Georgia Private Collectors Pachtuhn Shah - Sacramento, California Lorna and Miles Marsh - Chicago, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. David Kipper - Chicago, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Robert Helman - Chicago, Illinois AWARDS 2005 ADOLPH GOTTLIEB PAINTING AWARD 1989 VOGELSTIEN PAINTING AWARD 1980 NEA career change grant from Graphic Design to Mixed Media Painting 1970 FULBRIGHT Grant to Denmark EXHIBITIONS 2010 SWIMMERS 300 ARTPRIZE, Grand Rapids, MI - Devos Convention Center 2008 DANCING DEITIES HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ART - solo installation 22 paintings configured in one room, a large BHUTAN prayer wall as part of a very large historical show. Steven Little, the Museum Director wanted a contemporary piece inspired by Bhutanese art which he commissioned and purchased. 2004 GRASSES and DRAGON BOATS FLATFILE GALLERY Chicago, a one person show 2003 DEATH WISH THRILL OF IT ALL 3, JAYMORE Gallery 2002 MAN AND SUPERMAN THRILL OF IT ALL 2, JAYMORE Gallery 2001 THE CHOSEN ONE, Columbia College Chicago Gallery circle installation of 21 panels 2001 TRANSFORMATIONS, Chicago Cultural Center, one person show 2000 FAUN 15th EVANSTON Biennial Group Show painting 1997 MAYA POLSKY Group Show painting 1996 FASSBENDER Chicago, one person show painting, photographs and silkscreens 1995 SWIMMING DANCER VENICE BIENNALE’S ARTELAGUNA. 40 ft. long floating 1994 SWIMMING DANCER LONGHOUSE, E. Hampton oil and acrylic on canvas, on water 1993 PARADE MOMA New York and Japan 1980 ONE PERSON SHOW, IKONA Gallery Venice Italy 1972 ONE PERSON SHOW, AMSTERDAM Gallery New York 1971 MOMA Group Show New York, Graphics from MOMA design collection by Mildred Constantine, designed for James Thrall Soby 1970 PHOTOGRAPHY IN PRINT by Jacob Deschin 1968 A SENSE OF ABSTRACTION MOMA Group Show New York

COMMISSIONS 2008 DANCING DEITIES mixed media painting installation as prayer wall,10 ft. x 20 ft. x 2 ft. purchase by Honolulu Academy of Arts 2007 TURNING IN CLOSED COURSE Commission, 6 ft. x 37 ft. mixed media permanent installation, McCormick Center, Chicago 2002 SWIMMERS Chicago Public Art Commission, 8 ft. x 275 ft. mixed media on vinyl mesh 1994 BILLBOARDS created stage set of 5 billboards for Gerald Arpino’s production for The Joffrey Ballet 1990 ST. LOUIS BLUE Commerce Bank 10 ft. by 20 ft., acrylic and oil on canvas 1981 POSTCARDS stage backdrop commissioned by Robert Joffrey for The Joffrey Ballet incorporating abstracted elements of The Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower 1964 TWENTIETH CENTURY ENGINEERING for Arthur Drexler - book design MOMA 1962 MOMA Published three greeting card designs for MOMA (one was the best seller) and two New Year cards commissioned for two consecutive years by James Thrall Soby PUBLICATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS DANCERS DANCING Harry Abrams 19 Color Plates TWENTIETH CENTURY ENGINEERING MOMA designed book for and with Arthur Drexler ANTONIO GAUDI designed cover for MOMA, monograph and title signature for MOMA exhibition by Arthur Drexler. WILD FLOWERS exhibition and installation commissioned for Park Avenue exhibition sponsored by Lady Bird Johnson EARNST HAASE for MOMA designed entire installation for exhibition while working in graphics department. JACK LARSEN designed catalog for his installation at the Louvre, Paris MAGAZINE COVERS TIME, LIFE, HORIZON, SATURDAY REVIEW, FORTUNE, DANCEMAGAZINE, SUNDAY NY TIMES ARTS MAGAZINE EDUCATION Graduate Art Degree from Cooper Union, New York City Undergraduate studies at Berkeley, MIT, Pratt, and NYU CURRENT EMPLOYMENT part time at The Joffrey Ballet, Chicago...(sets, graphics, photography) PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT MOMA Graphics Design Staff for Galleries & Exhibitions, 63-67 Dance Magazine Art Director 25 years 68-93 The Joffrey Ballet, Director of Graphics and official photographer 79-06

HERBERT MIGDOLL - BIO My paintings evolve from a digitally acrylic under-painting completed with hand-applied coats of metallic oil enamels. Creating paintings using this concept began in 1980, just prior to my receiving an NEA grant. This award was given to me to pursue my transition into mixed media painting, from my work as a Graphic artist and a fine art photographer. Following two years at Pratt Institute, I entered Cooper Union and progressed with Neil Wellever, who taught painting and Brietenbach who instructed photography. After graduating from Cooper 1959, I completed my art studies at Berkley in California and at MIT; also, I studied independently with the painter Cusumano. My first professional job was as a graphic designer at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) from l960 to l963, which contributed to the continuation of my education as an artist. My three years at MOMA honed my focus and vision of American painting. I had the extraordinary opportunity to design and collaborate with Arthur Drexler on his MOMA publication, Architecture USA, published by MOMA. I studied under Drexler at Pratt for one season and then became the graphics designer in the design department . My work is in MOMA’s permanent collection. LOS TARASCANS, Dye Transfer, permanent collection MoMA

From MOMA, I went to work for The Joffrey Ballet, and evolved into their Design Director; creating their graphics, photography and three stage sets to date. My stage set for Robert Joffrey’s work entitled POSTCARDS was on view as part of the Joffrey program in Chicago 2008. One of my montages, created for the mixed media ballet Astarte 1969 by Robert Joffrey, landed the cover of Time Magazine. From l979 to the present The Joffrey Ballet has been a simultaneous career while pursuing my life as a fine artist. In l969, I received a Fulbright to explore landscape and ballet in Denmark. My trip to Paris in l974 was part of a commission from Robert Joffrey to create a backdrop for his world premiere ballet “Postcards.” Seeing my work the size of an opera stage made an indelible impression on my aesthetic aspirations. Through Grace Mayer, Edward Stiechen’s assistant at MOMA, I met Ziva Kraus, Director of Ikona gallery in Venice, Italy. Kraus gave me my first one-person show in l980 in Venice, Italy. Venice was a revelation and propelled me in pursuing modular elements as a focal point in my work. At this same time I received my NEA grant and was able to seriously pursue my new direction in working as a painter with mixed media.

In 1989, following my development in working with poured enamel oils, I received a commission through the David Heath Gallery to create a 10 x 20 Foot multi-panel painting for the Commerce Bank of St. Louis. SAINT LOUIS BLUE In 1992, I got an interview with Leo Castelli by way of the director of the American Artists Association Wilder Green, who I knew because of my association with him while we were both working at the Museum of Modern Art. My hope in going to Leo was to get a recommendation to show my work to Illeana Sonnabend. Leo was very responsive to my work and called Illeana while I was present to suggest that she look at my work, Upon going to Sonnabend Gallery I was greeted by the then new Gallery Director, Mr Homen who set up a second meeting with Illeana which never occurred. Leo also agreed during my interview with him to show my Venetian Regatta piece in his then newly opened Graphics Gallery if Sonnabend said no. My show was to follow an exhibition by neon artist Dan Flavin. Castelli fell ill and died about a year later during which time I was unable to formalize an exhibition due to Castelli’s illness. Leo was so gracious and supportive I shall never forget his positive impact on my own spirit and sense of value as an artist.

In 1996, I was invited back to Venice Italy in 1995 to take part in an exhibition within the Biennale, entitled Art Laguna. For this exhibit I created a 40 feet long x 40 inches wide painting in 5 segments. The work was of oil enamel and acrylic on canvas and was constructed for flotation. The piece floated directly in the lagoon waters as part of the l00th anniversary of the Venice Biennale along with the works of l7 other artist’s pieces, mine being the only painting. Philip Ryland assistant director at the Guggenheim in Venice was very supportive of my piece and considered it as one of the best in the show. Philip gave me a small discretionary stipend to help with my expenses in Venice during the installation of the piece in the lagoon.The director for the 1995 Biennale, Jean Claude, selected the work for the show. In this large floating painting, I poured oil enamel directly onto the image both concealing and revealing its figurative substructure. This highly interactive relationship between a digitally acrylic painted photo being either partially or totally obliterated by the pouring of oil enamel, acrylic and polyurethane over it, established my aesthetic. The maiden voyage for this floating painting “Swimming Dancer” took place in a lap pool on the estate of Jack Larsen in East Hampton. Larsen contributed to the production of the work and it was included as part of his annual Gala for Longhouse.

METAMORPHOSIS archival pigment prints (a series of twelve images) 34” x 47” (size is optional)

2000, much of my mixed media work form Venice and some segmented figure paintings, like the Silver Faun were the basis for a one person exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, curated by Greg Knight. Knight decided to curate this exhibit after viewing my work shown the previous year at the Fassbender Gallery, in Chicago. I was awarded a commission from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, lead by Lois Weisberg, in 2002. Through this commission I created a painted mural installed on the Chicago riverbank site. “Swimmers” was 8 feet high and 275 feet long, and composed of acrylic and oil enamel on a vinyl mesh sub strait. It was viewed from Michigan Avenue Bridge in Chicago and also from the architecture tour boats, which were docked directly across from it. 2004, the Flatfile Gallery in Chicago featured my new gallery work GRASSES, which is focused on a 45 feet long modular mural composed of 29 stretched linen panels with acrylic and metallic silver oil enamel. This work reveals the unique imagery created when a subject is segmented. The resulting modular details embody the magic of motion and stillness conjoined. The Dragon-boat paintings along with GRASSES comprised my first one person show at Flatfile Gallery. 2005, I received the Gottlieb Award for painting.

2006, based on the recommendation of Gallerist, Paul Klein, I received a major commission from the McCormick Foundation to create a mixed media installation, TURNING IN CLOSED COURSE 6 feet by 37 feet based on the Polar Bear, Lee who while swimming in his humongous tank in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and he did indeed turn in closed course. This commission is permanently installed at the McCormick Center in Chicago, and is very well received. 2008, I was commissioned by Steven Little , Director of the Honolulu Academy of the Arts to create a major painting installation DANCING DEITIES, which required my going to Bhutan to photograph a unique festival in which the Monks , both farmers and priests, come together to dance for one another, for the people of the area and for the Princess of his beautiful acetic Palace. It was extraordinary. My next work will be a result of the studies I created while in Bhutan. 2010 I created a large scale painting SWIMMERS 300, an installation for the Grand Rapids ArtPrize 2010. This is a modular work composed of 30 panels comprising one horizontal figure 15 feet high and 300 feet long. It is a mixed media painting combining acrylics and oil enamels on vinyl mesh

ARTISTS STATEMENT There is an intrinsic uniqueness to each medium in the arts. Oils have an innate vitality in their physical presence. When paint is poured onto a surface I literally hold my breath in anticipation of the forms and textures which the essence of this medium creates. If you give paint its head it becomes a kind of collaborator between the artist and the mediums’ physicality. Oil has its own life force when unleashed within the boundaries of a work. This involvement with oil enamels is best seen in my most current work, SWIMMER 300

SWIMMING DANCER at right

Painting: acrylics, oil enamels, and epoxy on canvas. 4 feet x 40 feet. This floating painting was selected by Jean Claude for the exhibit arte laguna as part of the venice bienalle 1995, it floated in the canal as one of17 works. Swimming Dancer was the only painting among a field of sculptures. Seventeen artists were included, each from a different country. the image pictured here was of a trial maiden voyage which was photographed in jack larson’s lap pool in east hampton, for one of his longhouse galas.

SWIMMING DANCER at left with text by Gamal El-Zoghby, Architect May 16, 1995 MIGDOLL EXPANSION RECONSTRUCTION & RE-EMERGENCE (Text from Venice Biennale catalogue 1995 for Art Laguna Exhibit) At once, the many split moments extend and expand the imagery of the present time into a pure sense of motion. At once, the active bodies in the ordinary experience of motion are separated and reconstructed in a spatial sequence. At once, the literal photographic impressions are submerged and re-emerged in transformational painting aesthetics. These terms of the metaphysical, the constructional and the transcendental are to premeditative fields in the art of Herbert Migdoll. Herbert Migdoll’s multi-layered technique begins under the surface of the canvas where the photographic image pushes itself into the fibers’ weaving, and it’s built upwardly the addition of thick interactive fluid mixtures, the flow regulated according to the artist’s controlling sense of concealing and revealing, to achieve his artistic signature.