First Art Show

Solid Advice on Getting You Started

First Art Show SUMMER 2010

12 Tips

for Portfolio

Success plus!

What Curators Want

Defining Your Style from Within

Buddy Up! Art Partners

Rolling Out the First Mix Analyze Your Work

myfirstartshow.com

Editor Stuff

that first show did it!

My first art show at the Princeton University Forestal Center was way back in 1980. It had a lot of etchings of dogs and farm animals because . . . well, that’s what I did. It was rather easy for me to carry small loads of pictures for what would be a workable day of hanging my artwork.

Not so for my co-exhibitor (and good friend) John. His paintings were very large–so much so that he needed to hunt down a van so his work could make the hike from Philadelphia to northern New Jersey. It didn’t help that at the time of taking down the show I was away in South Dakota pursuing a career teaching painting and photography at a community college bordering a Native American reservation.

I’m not certain how the show ever got broken down. John, if you’re out their reading this–I’m really sorry that I wasn’t available for that.

Get to me on Linked In or Facebook. We need to talk.

The thrill of that first opening was really what made it so worthwhile.

It was a uniting of family and friends like no other because, lets face it, it’s all about you and opening up your deepest self–right out there for all to see!

Maybe that’s why they call it an opening. Getting an entire body of work together that represents your vision is a difficult task, but when you can say to yourself–“I’m ready to exhibit”–that’s where we come in.

First Art Show is the key to helping to make it work with advice and inspiration to get you started.

I hope this issue brings you closer to your artistic goals in every way possible.

Kevin Myers First Art Show My first exhibited work. I liked farm animals.

Don’t get the wrong ideas–I know what you’re thinking! -Kevin

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Your Style Does an artist need one style or genre to be successful in this competive field? Building a cohesive body of work and defining your look is not the mystery you thought it was.

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Gallery 101 What do museum curators really prefer from an artist submitting their work for consideration? Competition standnouts from the pack and that “just right” presentation unveiled by the experts.

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Selling Ready to approach a gallery you think you’ll show in well with. Some important strategies to consider in an interview situation.

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Profile Artist Eric Fowler offers advice on mixing professional practices and successfully working the gallery curcuit for over 25 years.

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Lessons Long before Salvador Dali’s trademark mustache and Andy Warhol’s wig, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec understood the power of self-branding.

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Influences Suffering from creative constipation?

Working with others that share your same artistic values might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Spaces The Opera Gallery is a Soho gallery experience at its best and a candy store for the art enthusiast.

Your Style

defining a style Does an artist need one style or genre?

My love affair for creating things started at a very early age. Along the way I was advised that formal art training would be a good idea. By the time I finished, I had a portfolio of figure drawings, landscapes and numerous subjects from all over the conceptual horizon of possibilities.

I couldn’t help but ask myself “am I the most stylistically schizoid graduate this university has ever seen?

After my very traditional training, I already wanted to give up my profession and, as I recall, I found I had nothing but trunks full of school projects in several different styles and mediums. I was well schooled in the use of proportion, contrast, and color harmonies, but I loved so many different art movements and artists that any type of unique vision I could attain was diluted. I was somewhat bitter about my education for not providing me with the necessary tools to get me where I needed to be.

Gradually I understood that–yes, I am entering a profession where one does well to break rules–but as the great poet T.S. Elliot once said, “It’s not wise to break rules until you know how to observe them.” That’s where my formal education came in.

I now realize that an essential part of my artistic development–understanding that experimentation was key to my growth as an artist­­­–was not

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time wasted. It was extremely helpful in deciding on what medium and style would help me to navigate towards my artistic goals. Having centered in on a stylistic approach and genre that comes naturally for me, I still play with several styles, but as a professional, I understand that the artists that become masters are those who master one style at a time.

How easy is it to spot the style and dedication to theme in the landscapes of Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet or Paul Cezanne? These where artists with a singular vision that lasted almost their entire lives.

Do Some Body Building There has been considerable debate whether Picasso ever even said, “weak artists ­­borrow–great artists steal.” As a student I once did an exact copy of a Rembrandt self-portrait then adding a ridiculous cowboy hat. That made many laugh, but that process of copying his techniques really got under my skin–so much so that when I had the chance, I hunted down his work all across Europe. His brushwork still sticks with me today (the cowboy had did come back once for a cover, but we’ll let that go).

When building a body of work and defining your style ask yourself these questions:

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Was there some particular artist or artist’s style you felt comfortable emulating?

Did you enjoy this process? Think of those Caravaggio paintings illuminated by a single light with subjects portraying biblical scenes in the modern outfits of the time.

From 1564 to 1614 this approach was totally unique to the world of painting in Italy.

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What subjects move you and are close enough to your heart to consider creating as a body of art? Do you love animals? Is the human form something that you are in awe of? Is there something metaphysical that inspires you? That Salvatore Dali guy made a career out of analyzing dreams and creating images based on them? You probably figured out that those melting watches are symbolic of something in Dali’s psyche–he was very fearful of male impotence.

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Was there an eye opening moment in your training that helped you see clearly to a project’s successful finish? Can this be applied to a style or artistic genre? At some point of enlightenment Andy Warhol applied his career experience as a graphic designer in advertising to make the commonplace products (like soup cans) into his fine art. Are there flashes of observation that might be an adaptable part of your work? -FAS

Gallery 101

what curators want What format works best for selling your work

What do museum curators really prefer from an artist submitting their work for consideration? The fact is, just as people are very different in their personal likes and dislikes, there is not one universally best way to submit your artwork. However, there are a few angles to consider. While a good number of owners or curators except the standard CDs and slides, others prefer some type of promotional postcard booklet to be left behind.

With a curator’s limited amount of discretionary time, inserting a CD can be somewhat of an ordeal–especially when considering the numbers entering a gallery on a daily basis–not to mention the platform problems between Windows and Macintosh.

When it gets right down to it–a curator is likely to prefer having a simple booklet on hand to browse through when pursuing a potential exhibitor.

Gallery owners view this simple binder portfolio solution to be a much more immediate and natural way to view potential artists for their gallery.

New York painter Eric Fowler (page 10) likes to submit postcards with quality printed images (up to two or three) and contact information. “I think people like to have it out because visual people like to have piles of printed matter to look at and say oh yeah, that guy” says Fowler. If they

Package Yourself So your submission to your favorite show finally arrives at its intended destination.

Most likely the assistant curator will be compiling these in one central location.

There might be 100 or more disks to log in.

On top of that, a good number of them are marked illegibly with a marker.

The digital packages that stand out and are the most memorable have thought through the packaging to some extent to stand out from the crowd.

Does creative packaging give your art a disc a viewing advantage? Most curators think so. Packaging with some amount of flair is a helpful reminder of the disk’s contents without having to load it into a computer.

There are some relatively easy and inexpensive ways to do this. Several office-supply outlets carry CD labeling programs that are easy to use. They offer options on jewel case designs as well. Start now and create your own special brand. With a little effort you can get there.

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keep those CDs piled up in a drawer it’s out of sight and out of mind–so you have my postcard–check out my website and you get the best of both worlds.” Fowler still gets requests for CDs, but still prefers printed images and likes to print up miniature booklets to leave behind. Eric finds it’s a convenient method when traveling. “If I’m visiting a gallery in a city or town I keep this mini-portfolio in my car.”

Eric adds, “A lot of competitions I enter in ask for the original art, no slides, no CDs nothing that can be manipulated.

They want to see the physical and that levels the playing field.”

When creating a mini brochure or postcard to leave or to send off to a competition make it simple in structure. Some of the online print houses do a very good and inexpensive job. Utilize both front and back with the front of the postcard holding the main image and the back a few others.

Make sure it’s concise and does not include too much information. If you have a website, make certain it’s on there in a dominant position. This will give the recipient a clear idea of exactly what it is that you create and how to find you quickly.

What’s the best portfolio size?

Did you ever purchase batteries for an electronic device and found that they were the wrong size? Artist portfolios are like that. There is the right size for the right situation at hand. It’s perfectly all right to use a larger portfolio in a one-on-one interview, but what’s left behind can’t get in the way of the gallery office space. If you do have printed material to leave as a gift you should find a binder that is lean enough to fit on a shelf with other artists submissions. Bigger is not better in this situation!

The golden rule with what you do leave or show is being consistent or what I call the big C’s of your presentation: Components-is the portfolio (large or small) consistent on how the work is presented? Creativity-are your conceptual ideas related throughout in any way possible?

I cannot stress enough the importance of making certain that your body of work presented in your portfolio is not schizophrenic in any way. Try to center in on pieces that relate well to each other stylistically. Don’t forget that feedback is good, so get as many people involved in critiquing your work and how it is presented as possible. Don’t forget, when approaching a gallery, there are no failure situations. Take each interview on as a learning experience. -FAS

Selling

the power interview Creating an interview experience that stands out from the rest

You are ready to approach a gallery that has that certain cross-section of artists you think you might show in well with. With your best artwork in hand–and knowing amount of competition wanting that same gallery space–you are ready. But are you really prepared? Have you considered just how much your one-on-one chemistry with a curator plays a role in breaking into a gallery or show?

Know this- the look of your portfolio and your presentation of yourself speaks directly to a gallery owner about your saleable potential as an artist.

As an art director of art and jewelry magazines, I’ve seen a great deal of portfolio presentations that miss the mark almost instantly. I’ve seen books that look like they’ve been living in the back of a trunk under a cinder block. I’ve seen numerous pieces of artwork fly out of a portfolio onto the floor making a considerable amount of mess and mayhem.

What’s worse, I’ve watched many talented artists make the same basic mistakes in a presentation that have brought their overall ranking way down (ultimately as unusable talent). If an artist’s ability to present their work and themselves appropriately is one step up from a street merchant, how do I know they will have the organizational skills needed to come through on their end. Furthermore, with the plethora of talented dependable artists out there, why would I even take a chance?

How do you make a powerful portfolio, showcase your best art, yourself, and make a meeting with a curator a memorable experience?

Here are some of the dos and don’ts:

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Have your work shot by a professional. Making the gallery owner work to see your creative genius will only lessen the way you are viewed as a serious artist. Unless the photographic representation of your work is perfect, do not include in your portfolio!

If you are a jewelry artisan, your art is one of the toughest to photograph. You will need a special type of photographer that understands capturing highly reflective subjects.

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Pay attention to how your portfolio is laid out. I’ve seen so many portfolios where pacing was not considered.

A simple switch does the trick! “Loose that” or “move that up front” are my mantras in making an artist’s presentation work.

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Make eye contact often. Practice this with a friend. Do mock interviews with potential questions and responses. Only through repetition can you master this. Presidents spend entire weeks fielding potential questions before entering a debate. Want this wall space? Spending a few hours kerning responses and getting some constructive feedback will be extremely helpful for your next and future appointments.

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Include something memorable about your portfolio and presentation.

If you think about it, there is a story behind almost every piece in your portfolio. Is there an amusing anecdote you could include to enhance the interview that might loosen things up?

I once held an interview with a painter who was also a woodworker.

He constructed his portfolio cover entirely out of wood. The effect was a standout and still remains imbedded in my brain (also a memory because of my comment that it worked as a portable table to eat your lunch on).

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Leave something, anything, behind. Leaving a postcard or a scaled down version book is a great way to stay fixed in a curator’s brain.

Companies such as Online Printhouse offer great deals on two-sided postcards with quality reproductions. Remember to leave your website address in a dominant place and font so you can direct the gallery owner back to more of your work.

The Don’ts

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Avoid the mixing of many stylistic approaches and subject matter in your portfolio. If you work in all different types of media, mixing many in one portfolio will take away from the direct impact needed to impress a curator. The impact of your book needs a powerful consistent punch to get a second look later by others.

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Don’t include too many samples or any work that is not great. Fifteen to 20 samples are enough to promote your work. Any more than this will take up too much of a curator’s valuable time and you will begin to creep closer to becoming an annoyance rather than a potential client.

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Don’t leave damaged pages in your portfolio. Your book should have a pristine appearance. This speaks volumes about you, your organizational skills, and about how you value the way your work is presented. Don’t use or abuse this important selling tool. Only carry reproductions of your work within. If you have a really nice sandwich in the back sleeve–eat it beforehand or leave it in the car.

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Don’t complain about anything during an interview. If the traffic was horrible on the way to the galley or you hate living in Manhattan–save it for a friend. At your presentation remain positive. Any type of negativity will send out bad vibes about you as a person and it may affect the overall chemistry between you and the participants of the meeting. -FAS

Profile

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reaking Boundaries If you are an artist struggling with the notion that the boundaries between fine art and illustration shall never be crossed, take a close look at New York artist Eric Fowler.

His open-mindedness on mixing the two professional practices has been the keynote to his success for over 25 years.

Recently, Eric had a one-man show at New York’s Society of Illustrators. This fall, he will hold an exhibition of his evocative architectural cityscapes at the Chapin School in Princeton, NJ. First Art Show sat down with Eric to get his insights on how he made it in both words and for his advice on how and where to start.

FAS: The first thing I noticed on your website is that you’ve got both your fine art and your illustration up there. Which came first?

EF: Well as far as creatively, I’ve always been a fine artist who opted to do illustration for a career and they’ve been kind of parallel.

FAS: Was there an experience in your artistic development that pushed you towards going working on both careers?

EF: One of my first major developments was when I won a scholarship which kind of validated my whole college career and starting art and becoming an

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Profile

They w­ant your brain, your ideas, your technique, your style, it should come out and stand alone as a great piece of art. illustrator. If I hadn’t of won a scholarship I probably would not be sure enough to pursue a freelance career. This was when I was a student, I went to the Illustrator’s Workshop (Eric was the recipient of the Full Scholarship Award to the Illustrators Workshop in Easton, CT in 1977).

Then, in 1990, I was transitioning into a new career situation. I’d been out of school for twelve, fourteen years and I could see the market was changing a little bit. It wasn’t as wide open as it used to be and I decided to do a series of paintings that I felt strongly about. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them but then the opportunity came to submit for a state grant and I applied and it worked out.

FAS: In your work, your style is very distinct and continuous in your illustration and your painted commissions. What would you say to the young artist currently in the mix of developing a style?

EF: Well for me, I was usually the student who would come up with an interesting image and somehow figure out how to make it an illustration, which is really working backwards. I think you have to make a distinction that one is a problem-

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solving image within the narrative or a message that was generated, of course, by another outside client but not change your aesthetic from your fine art. Just basically go at them the same way. I’ve gotten that advice from Garry Kelly and some of the other people in the business that are more of a household name. We all kind of have the same ethic that you can’t always paint a beautiful painting for an illustration assignment, but if you go at it as—they w­ant your brain, your ideas, your technique, your style, it should come out and stand alone as a great piece of art.

FAS: Can you name an artist (or artists) that were influential in your development?

EF: I’ve always said that I’ve been influenced by three major painters that have affected my work in different ways. I’d say Francis Bacon, Edward Hopper and Wayne Thiebaud kind of cover the realistic painting for me with their very deep, full, seductive use of paint and color and subject matter, and light. And even the

Profile dark stuff like Bacon. I would wind up emulating their styles until I could incorporate their feel in my work. But its always a sort of, you learn by osmosis, you copy their work and you learn from that. Sometimes you just latch onto the same subject matter that appeals to you.

Other illustrators too, who I studied with were Mark English and Bernie Fuchs. We had a month long workshop, so I got very much enamored with their approach. With each one I came away with a sort of different ethic about illustration and each guy had something different to impart on their approach and I found that it still basically making pictures and I try to keep it simple you know?

FAS: What was your first exhibited piece or the first gallery experience that you can remember?

EF: Oh my god, my first gallery experience was the local library to the art association when I was a freshman in college or I could have been a sophomore. It’s kind of funny because I think that my first breakthrough was a one-man show at a restaurant and then at unconventional galleries. Most of my exhibitions then had been group shows, two men, small, regional galleries.

The way I got involved with that was first I’d enter exhibition contests or catalogue contests like CA magazine or Society of Illustrators or Art Directors Club things like that. In my early career I got in a lot of those, you know I won some awards at that kind of stuff.

It seems so long ago but I always thought that if I could regionally spread my work around and build confidence and a buzz then I could get a national following for my work and as an illustrator, what else could I want?

Even if I started out of state, I started at the local level. I’d use the teaching position to teach classes, I made some connections with people and sent some postcards around and, pretty soon, I had some people interested in my work. It just turned out that my subject matter, the architectural cityscape thing, was appealing on a lot of levels that appeal to a broad audience, not just with the content but also with the way I paint. So, I

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was just able to parlay that in the last five years into a consistent-and that’s the hardest thing to do is to come up with a subject matter that people like to look at and or buy. It took a long time to figure out what it is that I do well and that I could turn into a career.

FAS: What advice could you offer to the first time artist trying to break into an exhibition or juried show?

EF: You know the show asked for three pieces, take three consistent pieces of the highest quality be brutally frank about your work, frame it beautifully and don’t be discouraged when your first three shows do except your work.

You’ll find your level. There’s a gallery for everybody, there’s an art show for everybody just do your homework. Find out what the local artist association is find out what the regional-there’s always annual shows that have specific themes. Find a theme that works for you. Don’t do figure work in a landscape show or don’t do abstract when they want realism and you’ll get in those shows and then you’ll start to network. You have to network by having good quality stuff and work in that vein don’t just try to paint a page to try and get into a show in a subject or style your not comfortable with. It’s just going to blow up in your face. You’ll get successful by getting in there and then they’ll say, “do more of these” and you’ll say, “well I don’t really like to do that”. So there’s no point in really getting in a show unless it’s with what you want to do, unless your hearts in it. But look all around you, there’s opportunities everywhere.

Eric Fowler is a painter, illustrator, and is currently Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design where he was past Chairman of the Fine Arts Department. He graduated in 1978 from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. His awards include Graphis Magazine, The Society of Illustrators, Art Directors Club, The One Club, The Society of Publication Designers, and the New Jersey Art Directors Club Astra Awards. In 1990, he earned a $12,000.00 Fellowship Grant Award from New Jersey State Council on the Arts Distinguished Artist Grant in painting.

Lessons

In his short life ToulouseLautrec was the king of unique

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Acceptance. An artist strives for it. Michael Jackson wanted to be a

living Peter Pan in his adult life–we all know how well that worked out! Most saw him as a celebrity freak, yet his power to entertain still endures. Henri de Toulouse -Lautrec was 4 foot 9–by French military standards acceptable for the draft–but his peers saw him as the side show artist freak. Sound familiar?

In spite of this, Lautrec maintained his self-esteem by becoming extremely resourceful in promoting himself and his art to the Parisian community. Long before Salvador Dali’s trademark mustache and Andy Warhol’s wig, he understood the concept of ceaseless self-branding. Lautrec turned his odd appearance and outrageous behavior into a form of advertising. Always self-deprecating, he said clever things that were always respected. Henry became a legend by developing a personality that so many loved for his debauchery and quick wit, but also for his individualism amongst so many of alluring artists theorizing on what art should be.

As a painter finding his own route and singular style, it couldn’t have been at a more challenging time. Impressionism–and the thrust of that popular movement in the Paris art world–made it difficult for any artist to maintain a unique identity.

Yet Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was one-of-a kind.

As he entered adolescence, Henry began to have serious pain in his knees. His long bones began to atrophy at the knee joints. At a time in childhood when normal growth patterns would begin to sprout, Henry developed a form of dwarfism.

In spite of these hardships and enduring pain, he kept his dreams alive of being a professional artist by practicing drawing/painting and later as an apprentice.

oulouse-Lautrec’s

Celebrity

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Lessons The Lautrec family’s was not at all supportive of Henry’s artistic goals.

Given his grotesque appearance and dreams unworthy of the family’s royal history, they wanted nothing more than to hide this mutant child in a box under the basement stairs.

Born of nobility (the potential heir of the lord lands of the Toulouse-Lautrecs) Henry’s father (Alphonse) even went so far as trying to persuade him to use a pen name and not “misuse” the Toulouse name with creations that his family found tasteless and not in keeping with the royal bloodlines of the Lautrec family.

Alphonse Lautrec was an eccentric; a lover of costume, and playing “dress up” was the order of his day. His royal history made him always in need of being the center of attention. This one characteristic that Henry inherited he would use to his benefit. The art of showboating to gain affection would become Alphonse’s greatest–and possibly only–gift. As Henry’s work began gain an audience, he often went out wearing spectacular outfits. He can be seen in a number of photographs wearing black-checkered trousers and bizarre accents of scarves and hats in many uncommon concoctions. If he was the circus freak artist, he pushed that label to further his celebrity as the Marilyn Manson or David Bowie of our day–strutting their look to amplify not only their music but also personalities (real or fake).

Lautrec furthered his shock self-branding with comedic twists of bathroom humor that even showed up in his art. A painting he did in 1886 showed the artist from the backside working on a canvas inscribed with the words “Wow does that fart stink!” These outrageous high jinks did nothing to further his family’s acceptance, as his uncle would eventually destroy some of Henry’s painting left behind in storage in a fit of madness against the artist’s outlandish behavior.

If the folks don’t get you the public might.

It was at Brussels in 1890 where Lautrec had his first breakthrough exhibition.

Exhibited was a painting showing a woman seated on the floor washing herself.

This may be considered his first steps towards separation from his Impressionist buddies. Shown was the first of his works that seem to be drawn by a brush rather than Impressionism’s more commonplace application of thick paint. Daring in style and subject matter from his earlier work, he used thinned turpentine with wild gestures of line–all on a wood base.

By 1890 the rejects exhibition (unable to be voted into the established Paris Salon) was so popular that only the elite members were allowed to attend.

As Lautec’s work began to gain an audience, he often went out wearing SPECTACULAR outfits.

henry could be seen wearing black checkered trousers with bizarre accents of scarves and hats in many uncommon concoctions.

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Lessons

But don’t think our favorite modern Impressionist masters had it easy at these Salon reject shows. Some of the painters that we consider great today didn’t have a chance. Personally dissed by critics was Renoir–accused of ‘sign painting’ and Cézanne mocked for presenting ‘bad color sketches’. Ouch! But that same critic noted that Lautrec was one of the most popular artists in the lot.

These exhibitions were the first where Lautrec would unveil the process behind his paintings. Here Henry gave the viewer a peek into the preparatory stages of his work. To see what the artist rejected while making his final decision was a bold undertaking. Lautrec showed his paintings done with washes of oil paint and turpentine left open for all to check out the process leading to the final piece. How miffed the other exhibitors–with their presentations of perfectly finished portraits must have been! “What’s this freak doin’ revealin’ our secrets?”

Henry’s work was innovative, as his favorite subject was not one of the highbrow royalties of the Salon. It was no secret that he found comfort in the local drinking establishments in a booming Paris economy. As his popularity rose, Henry got hung up on the affection of what we might call “inappropriate love–objects” or in more direct terms-prostitutes and erotic dancers. The brothel was–up to now– considered something not to be presented in the arts. It was Henry’s desire to capture the moment in which his models revealed an element of their personality by putting the viewer on the same level as the subjects in the paintings. In this way, the viewer was forced to engage with the modern Parisian club personnel who tended to stare out back from inside the canvas. That freaked out his family even more and his inheritance was practically flushed down the toilet (OK–flushed down street sewers–not many Parisian toilets back then).

The Art Poster

At this time there was no distinction between commercial art and fine art. Art was art in every form possible. In 1896 poster art was in its extreme early stages of development and the master of this form was Jules Cheret. He began drawing his pictures directly on to the lithographic stone right after the mechanical presses were invented. This is the first time in history that these images could be produced so abundantly and cheaply that Cheret’s posters populated streets corners of Paris like our Starbucks in every conceivable spot.

For Lautrec the timing of this lithographic marvel couldn’t have been more perfect. Henry’s reasons for preferring to use the medium of the poster go back to his family’s disregard for his chosen profession. Given the habit he inherited from his father to show off, what better to attract the attention of the public’s eye?

The poster was that perfect–in your face medium– that accomplished these goals.

Jules Cheret’s work showed none of the contrast and character in his posters that Lautrec brought to the medium. Cheret had been given the first commission for the Moulin Rouge.

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Lessons

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He remained devoted to this vehicle of mass appeal–continued to be as flamboyant as his father–but took it a step even further as his posters were considered to be a wild new approach to advertising.

These new outdoor advertisements were impossible to miss–a very effective and unforgettable stop sign on the street. Lautrec saw his images had the power of being understood at a glance and the Moulin Rouge series of posters made him a household Parisian name. He already had the elements of simplicity in shape, color and line built into his work, and that was a style that translated easily into the direct lithographic format.

One spectator (later to befriend Lautrec) stated: “I still remember the shock when I had first saw the Moulin Rouge poster . . . carried along the avenue de l’Opera on a small kind of cart, I was so enchanted that I walked alongside it on the pavement.”

I guess back then, if you had to leave your cart that was . . . well, something!

The initial master of lithographs, Jules Cheret was not even close to the contrast and character in his own posters that Lautrec brought to the medium. Oddly enough, Cheret had been given the first commission for the Moulin Rouge when it opened in 1889, but his pretty approach with circus riders on donkeys (previous page) was not a successful brand for the nightclub–somewhat invested in the acceptable debauchery at the time. While Henry has gone on record as an admirer of Cheret’s efforts, only a few months later it was Cheret who would proclaim, “Lautrec is a master!” Was the Lautrec family listening to any of this?

Sadly, the Lautrec clan’s embarrassment of Henry would remain until his death.

Alphonse Lautrec would deny until the end of his own life that his son produced nothing more than mere ‘rough sketches’ in spite of Henry’s popularity. Guess he didn’t win the Father’s Club of the Year award that year. But the modern art world would see it a little different. Henri Toulouse Lautrec would remain a hero– unique in his innovation, self-promotion and perseverance–and an inspiration for many artists then and today working through their own obstacles.-FAS

Influences

the buddy system Teaming up and working around creative roadblocks

Suffering from creative constipation? Working with others that share your same artistic values might be just what the doctor ordered to get you back regular and on pace with your artistic development. History has shown that art partner-

ships can be highly beneficial in working around creative roadblocks. Unless you are already a member of group that works together regularly, you might have noticed the highly insular nature of your chosen profession. Bonding with those like you, and understanding their perspective is what is essential beyond those class critiques that helped you define your work.

The New York Visionaries. It was the 1950s.

The Cold War was in full swing as bomb shelters began decorating America’s backyards. The Lone Ranger was the popular hit on black and white television (forget cable, only three cannels folks), and the rebellious Elvis “the pelvis” was breaking into the airwaves. Not surprising that among this melee of fear and change that American Abstract Expressionism dominated the world of art with New York as it’s center.

Further downtown in the South Street, seaport area of that great city, two young artists had their own ideas. Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg shared the same apartment building and would eventually stumble into each other, become very close artist friends–united in their theories on what great art should and could be. Unlike the abstract expressionists who were bound to psychology and nature, Johns and Rauschenberg were interested in everything man-made that reflected the current culture of their time.

On a recent interview before his death Rauschenburg stated, “we developed an audience of one to each other’s work.” That audience spread worldwide with the fresh angles taken by these new rebels working against the theories of the current art heroes; William DeKooning, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollack.

Rauschenberg used clocks, road signs, even a life-size goat with a tire around it– road kill was fair game for this guy’s work. And when he ran out of street junk to paint on or around he painted his bed as in his 1955 outrageous work with the same title. These odd bits of collected junk combined with painting he donned “combines” in which Rauschenberg perceived painting as a procedure rather than a depiction of reality.

Jasper John’s enthusiasm was for much simpler solutions with commonplace items to be reinterpreted by the viewer. Iconic shapes of flags, targets

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“We developed

an audience of one to each other’s work”

Influences and grade school maps became vehicles for reinterpretation offering the viewer an opportunity to rethink what they stood for.

“I think that the thing that made us get along was the fact that we were so different ourselves” said Rauschenberg, “I spent my time trying to mimic what I saw outdoors and Jasper would create what he felt in his head.”

As comrades in their unique vision they went against the well-established norm of Abstract Expressionism and became the forerunners of Pop Art.

Those Cubism Guys. Almost solely the brains of two art

buddies created one movement of art. Both were well-established painters of the avant-garde movement in early 20th-century Paris. Their cockeyed look at the modern world was a unique style of painting called Cubism.

As far as visionary art buddies go, George Braque and Pablo Picasso were practically joined at the hip. When shiploads of African masks imported from European colonies began to show up in the Parisian flea markets, Picasso and his group began to take notice. These powerful symbols of virility began popping up in artist studios. The imported statues were often an exaggeration of the human form (sometimes in the very private of places) and eventually these distortions began showing up in paintings as well.

In 1907 when Picasso combined a touch of his hero Cezanne with newly found statues bearing oversized appendages (all challenging the most common male Parisian) he created what critics consider one of his most hideous works ever-Le Demoiselles d’ Avignon. Oddly enough, this unsightly masterpiece became what is known to be the start of the Cubist movement. It’s been said that Picasso hid this beauty under a blanket it was so ugly. In the painting, two African masks show up as human heads on what is thought to be a grouping of prostitutes. Braque was so impressed–he wanted share the blanket with them–and took what he saw was something truly groundbreaking to heart. Picasso and Braque began living together working side-by-side every day to develop their new view of the way things might be viewed (with a little twist). Depicting a subject from many angles at once defied traditional painting methods that used perspective. Working so closely, it’s not surprising that, in time, their paintings began to look alike. Their bond of technique and concept was so strong that critics today are still pulling out their collective hairs to figure out exactly who did what. Most of the works were left unsigned-“to efface our personalities in order to find originality” stated Braque.

As brothers bonding together in their vision, George Braque and Pablo Picasso created hundreds of Cubist paintings. Both artists took the team aspect of artistic endeavors for the first time in the art world to a new high.

By World War I, Cubism was growing faster than the number of reality shows we see canvassing our modern television.

As in Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg ’s partnership, feeding ideas off of each other became the formula for success. Finding someone who shares your view–and artist or mentor who understands your vision–could be the essential growth medicine you need in developing your style. Keep looking-they’re out there. -FAS

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Spaces

must see spaces Opera Gallery, Soho, New York This is the Soho gallery experience at its best and a candy store for the art enthusiast. The antique entrance doors are 20 feet high and one can’t help but imagine what is was like in the days when this part of town (south of Houston Street–cleverly nicknamed SOHO) meant all that is in modern art. Stepping inside you quickly realize that it is still all that and a bag of Windsor Newton paints. The artist hit list does not disappoint. Walk right on up to a Mark English luminous version of Abe Lincoln. His work has always been well know for it’s luminosity and this color acid trip is the kind of art that print will never quite duplicate. All the canvases are huge, sometimes from floor to ceiling and there’s something for everyone even if you don’t like massive canvases of voluptuous woman in bondage. Did you bring an extra pair of pants? You’ll need em’–the Andy Warhol silkscreens in the back will downright make you oil yourself with glee! -FAS