WHIT CONRAD
Whit Conrad is a New York City and Bedford, NY based artist. He is a graduate of the New York Studio School in painting and drawing. His work has been shown at various public venues including: – Price Waterhouse Coopers lobby show, selected sculpture, 2008 – NYSS Gallery, solo shows, 2009, 2010, 2011 – Bedford Art Show, curated group shows, 2010, 2013, 2015 – Knickerbocker Club Art Show, New York City, various years – Spinnaker Trust Art Show, Portland, ME, curated solo show, 2014 – Gallery Sensei, New York City, solo show, 2014 – Art Miami, 2014
He is a trustee of the Vermont Studio Center where he was board chair for 7 years. Previously a corporate lawyer in NYC, he has degrees from Yale and Harvard Law School.
I try to capture the poetry and mystery in what I see. My paintings are all conceived by an image that strikes me as powerful or interesting in one sense or another. The image triggers an inquiry—often emotional, often playful—into elements of form, color, and narrative. I normally begin with the visual world: a pictorial idea. This can be something I have seen and perhaps sketched or photographed, or drawn from my collection of family photos, books and newspapers: the richly landscaped archives of memory. Whatever its origin, the image becomes my companion in the journey through my imagination and the demands of the medium. Together we evolve, complicate, suffer, celebrate, transform. Without a map and without direction, we are free to wander recklessly. Eventually, the painting itself takes over as guide, steering us toward some unexpected destination. As a result, the finished work bears little resemblance to the original visual idea. And while my paintings are not heavily theoretical or conceptualized, they all do share this same unfolding: the landscapes where we end up are quite foreign to the original scenic impulse. Such juxtaposition is of interest to me. My ongoing study of it offers a sometimes insightful, sometimes baffling education into my own art process and practice. Imagination plays a larger role than perception. Natural elements and geographic features – trees, water, clouds, sky – often become active forces in the life of the painting, forming mood and sentiment. The characters are often at the mercy of these forces. For me, the act of painting—the act of discovery—leaves me feeling similarly. It can be emotional and cathartic. The paintings themselves, as artifacts of this catharsis, become like specimens in a sort of personal, imaginary museum. Whit’s Museum. Welcome. As is the case with all museums, it’s best to wander aimlessly. I hope you enjoy your visit. – Whit Conrad
REFLECTIONS ON “ART BY WHIT” BY HIS POEM-AND-GOAT-FARMING SON-IN-LAW The night I married his daughter—late July, 2010—Whit stood up in front of all our friends and respective families and said: “Whereas before it was very likely that, as an artist and poet, Louisa and Luke were going to make very little money in life. Now, as goat farmers, its quite likely they’re going to LOSE a lot of money.” Later in the evening, when it was my turn to deliver a toast, I justified our newlywed pursuits by paraphrasing a letter John Adams wrote in 1776 to his wife, Abigail; in which it is stated that he—a serious and respectable gentleman (like my newly acquired father-in-law!)—had “committed his life to the study of [law and] politics and war so as to afford his children the luxury of studying painting and poetry… [and goat farming].” In other words, who were we to mess with Human Evolution and/or the Natural Rhythm and Greater Cycle of Things? Of course, the irony was that, by that point in time, Whit had already retired from his high-powered and respectable NYC corporate attorneying, and was himself newly and deeply afflicted with the bug of Paint & Canvas. Which is also to say that he was discovering just how painfully fun the so-called “luxury” of painting was turning out to be! (A fact I was deriving great pleasure from, mind you.) What surprised me most, though, was not that he was painting with such tenacity; but rather that his paintings were very good.
You see, it should be known, for the record, that Whit has been creating a lower-cased version of “art by Whit” for as long as anyone can recall; certainly for as long as I have known him. Since the beginning of time the Conrad clan has summered in the unlikely spot of rural-nowhere, northern Ontario. Somehow I’ve managed to squeeze into the car with them these past 10 summers. Oddly enough, over that period of time, I have been (and continue to be) introduced one-by-one to some new and bewildering Whit “creation.” First it was the tiny, hand-whittled-then-painted collection of “Fish by Whit.” Followed by the menacing menagerie of similarly fashioned “Snakes by Whit.” In the bathroom of the cabin I was often relegated to along the lake’s edge lived: “Toilet Roll Holder by Whit” and “Towel Rack by Whit.” There are several rather unsettling “Totem Poles Endowed-With-Oversized-Penises By Whit” that haunt the woods and preside in native-godly fashion over the requisite “Fire Pit By Whit.” One of my all time favorites: “Little-Man-Licks-The-Big-Man by Whit”—an old carved out stump now thieved irrevocably from dignity. In sum, “art by Whit” has long littered his family’s landscape. We have grown accustomed to these (at once casual, silly, mysterious and mischievous) symptoms of Whit’s inner strangeness; symptoms of a growing affliction that, over the years, has threatened to overcome all of our
vocabularies (even now, the morning of Valentine’s Day, it’s requiring all of my strength not to dote on my lovely wife as, simply, “Daughter By Whit”). And so it is with a great deal of pride and no small amount of relief that this day this wonderful day, the 7th of March in the year 2015, “Art by Whit” has moved conclusively from the private into the public sphere, and marks I think a full-on transformation of the man as artist. The poet Ted Berrigan once said that in the same way every bird must sing, we humans must express ourselves: “If you don’t express yourself—that is, who you are—in one or more of the many art forms that exist in the human sphere: you’re a partly crippled individual.” I think this statement holds particularly true for Whit. In the past several years, painting has become the form Whit’s needing-to-express-himself has taken – it has become, it seems, as necessary as air; as necessary as breathing. The collection of paintings in this show represents Whit’s wide range of styles and subjects and moods—it may well be the first show extensive enough to do it sufficiently and properly. From showcasing the uncanny elements of the grotesque (think: the ‘Demons’ of James Ensor), to the many deft and laugh-provoking social-satirical impressions
and irreverences, to the vast array of fantastical landscapes and figures whose forms seem always to burst at the seams in a kind of vivid and graceful ecstasy—there is much in this collection to admire. And yet I find that my favorites are those of the animals. And in particular, my animals. The Silky, the Maremmas, the Goats: portraits in which a genuine and enviable sense of play becomes palpable. I find them extraordinarily well tended to—not just by the artist, but also by the farmers behind the artist. They pulse on the walls most impressively; they share a sense of calm and contagious jubilance. I find that viewing them always provokes in me a satisfactory little chuckle, followed by a kind of re-centering: some invisible release that allows me to breathe a little easier. – Lucas Farrell (Son-in-Law-By-Whit)
PAINTINGS BY
Comanche Dinner, 2014
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Paper 30” x 44”
Comanche Dinner II, 2014 Oil on Belgian Linen 56” x 79”
Crooners, 2014
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Belgian Linen 56” x 79”
Cluster of Cardinals, 2012
Oil on Belgian Linen 24” x 36”
Screaming Cardinals, 2012
Oil on Paper 22” x 30”
Pink Lady II, 2014
Oil on Belgian Linen 48” x 36”
Three Faces, 2014
Oil on Belgian Linen 36” x 24”
Puttin’ on a Face, 2011 Oil on Belgian Linen 48” x 48”
Bad Week, 2013
Oil on Belgian Linen 30” x 24”
Auntie Eliza, 2014 Oil on Belgian Linen 48” x 36”
Same to You, 2013
Oil on Canvas 40” x 30”
Self Portrait, 2014
Oil on Panel 24” x 18”
Untitled Little Face, 2013
Oil on Canvas 14” x 11”
Morning After, 2013 Oil on Belgian Linen 40” x 30”
Artist Dilemma II, 2015
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Linen 60” x 48”
The Gardener, 2013
Oil on Linen 36” x 48”
Garden in Springtime, 2014
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Paper 44” x 40”
At the Ball, 2015
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Linen 60” x 54”
Mess Hall, 2015
Oil on Linen 48” x 48”
Fish for Sale, 2012
Oil on Panel 18” x 24”
Fishing Nightmare, 2014
Colored Ink and Acrylic on Paper 44” x 30”
Summer, 2012
Oil on Belgian Linen 36” x 24”
Sunset Cruise, 2012 Oil on Belgian Linen 30” x 40”
Winter Dream, 2012
Oil on Belgian Linen 24” x 36”
Happy Goat, 2015
Acrylic on Linen 36” x 48”
Happy Goat II, 2015
Acrylic on Linen 60” x 43.5”
Goats Do Roam, 2015
Acrylic on Linen 36” x 48”
Silky, 2015
Acrylic on Linen 36” x 48”
Maremmas, 2011
Oil on Belgian Linen 30� x 40�
Fern and Her Shadow, 2010
Oil on Canvas 36” x 48”
Friendly Beast, 2010 Oil on Belgian Linen 48” x 48”
Goat Family, 2012 Oil on Belgian Linen 48” x 48”
The Lionheart Gallery Debuts Art by Whit Conrad from March 7 – April 26 Solo Exhibition Features a Collection of Whimsical Portraits of Daily Life Pound Ridge, NY – (February 15, 2015) Susan Grissom, director of The Lionheart Gallery, located at 27 Westchester Avenue in Pound Ridge, New York, is renowned for scouting out and signing some of the most exciting contemporary artists of our time for her gallery. Her bi-monthly exhibitions regularly draw art aficionados from across the country eager to see what works she is showcasing next in her Chelsea-like gallery. Her new exhibition, Art by Whit, is making its debut on March 7 through April 26, 2015 with a breakout collection of satirical painted commentaries by Bedford- and Manhattan-based artist Whit Conrad. Whimsy and wit are at the core of Conrad’s art, keeping his works perennially provocative and fresh with each viewing. Combining acrylic ink and acrylics on linen or oil on linen, selected works for his solo exhibition will include his Comanche Dinner series, his goat family paintings, Fish for Sale and other colorful odes to fishing, as well as his tongue-in-cheek perspectives on real life scenes, from the Pink Lady, Morning After, Bad Week, Puttin on a Face, The Gardener, At the Ball and more that humorously play out in multi-meaning stories on his large canvases. Says Susan Grissom, “I love the satirical expression in Whit Conrad’s works. At first glance, I thought they were reminiscent of the artist Jean- Michel Basquiat, but after visiting him in his studio, it is very clear that Whit has his own unique style and point of view. I think people who see his work will find much to laugh about in how he depicts everyday life. I love the characters he has created as well as his animals. I can’t think of a more perfect winter exhibit to wake people up from the winter doldrums.” Whit Conrad, a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, didn’t start painting until after he retired from a successful 36-year career at one of the leading law firms in New York City. Acting on a long-held suggestion by his mother, a passionate and prolific painter, he dabbled in art classes at first, tentatively putting pencil to paper in a drawing class at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture. He planned to drop out after one semester. But several members of the New York Studio School faculty, painter Graham Nickson, dean of the school, and former teacher, mixed media artist Grace Knowlton among them, had other aspirations for him, encouraging him to try his hand at painting before he put away his palette. He ended up staying for three years.
Located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, the Studio School was founded on the principle that drawing from life should form of the basis of artistic development. Students are encouraged to develop their artistic practice along lines similar to the “atelier” approach favored by European art. Their staff is a treasure trove of contemporary artists, each with a distinctive signature style that pays tribute to their creative expressions. According to the school’s established artists, there are three things that all great art must have: formal use of line and color, poetic imagery and a mysterious essence. Whit’s master of color and image was impressive right out of the gate. His figurative style is always a constant surprise and delight. And his ability to create smile inducing, thought provoking scenes of everyday pastimes pays well-earned tribute to his unique take on his life experiences. “I try to capture the poetry and mystery in what I see,” explains Whit. “My paintings are all conceived by an image that strikes me as powerful or interesting in one sense or another. The image triggers an inquiry—often emotional, often playful—into elements of form, color, and narrative. “I normally begin with the visual world: a pictorial idea. This can be something I have seen and perhaps sketched or photographed, or drawn from my collection of family photos, books and newspapers: the richly landscaped archives of memory. Whatever its origin, the image becomes my companion in the journey through my imagination and the demands of the medium. Together we evolve, complicate, suffer, celebrate, transform. Without a map and without direction, we are free to wander recklessly. Eventually, the painting itself takes over as guide, steering us toward some unexpected destination.” Art is hard, admits Whit, but creating it challenges and excites the senses. Studying art with exceptional mentors like the ones he worked with at the Studio School opened up a new passion for this retired lawyer. No matter the struggles, Whit says his teachers told him to keep at it if that’s what he wanted. Lucky for us, he did keep at it. “When I was a young law student, my mother said ‘learn how to draw and be happy for the rest of your life.’ Turns out, she was right.” Whit Conrad’s exhibition is open to the public at The Lionheart Gallery from March 7 through April 26, 2015, Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm; Sundays from 12 noon to 5 pm and by chance. Meet the Artist in person at the exhibition’s opening reception from 5 pm to 8 pm on Saturday March 7, 2015. For more information, visit www.thelionheartgallery.com or call 914.764.8689 For media interviews, contact Cindy Clarke, email letterscd@aol.com or call 203.613.9163
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The Whimsical, Witty Paintings of Whit Conrad ARTSY EDITORIAL 2 MINUTES AGO
Freshly retired from his day job as a successful Harvard and Yale-educated lawyer, Whit Conrad began to take classes at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture; what started out as a lark became a passion. His exploration has led to “Paintings by Whit Conrad,” an exhibition at The Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge, New York, and curated by gallery director Susan Grissom. Conrad’s experienced perspective and playful wit shine through in subjects ranging from animals to portraits executed in a style that recalls elements of works by Basquiat and Picasso. Following his experience with the New York Studio School’s
Whit Conrad Puttin' on a Face, 2011 The Lionheart Gallery $2,500 - 5,000 CONTACT GALLERY
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by Basquiat and Picasso. Following his experience with the New York Studio School’s atelier method of art education, Conrad has developed a practice of drawing and painting that is taken from life and then enhanced through creative expression. He uses a range of painting techniques, often ink and acrylics on linen or oil on linen. Conrad’s satirical, vibrant, semi-realism plays out stories mined from the everyday, art history, or memory. The artist explains that although his work takes inspiration from the real world, “eventually, the painting itself takes over as guide, steering us toward some unexpected destination.” Certain works of Conrad’s stand alone in describing real-life scenes, such as the Puttin’ on a Face (2011), in which women get ready for an unknown occasion, or Morning After (2013), which seems to show the sickly rebound from such an occasion. Other pieces are part of larger series of such as his “Comanche Dinner” series, whimsical accounts of fishing culture, and studies of families of goats. Others appear to be self-deprecating self-portraits, such as Artist Dilemma II (2015), Self Portrait (2014), and Bad Week (2013). Conrad has an innate sense of color, and an ability to set a unified and distinct tone that is intrinsically linked to his subject. This tone strengthens as his works become more abstract, and as a result his artistic voice becomes more pronounced. Although he got his start as an artist later in life, Conrad’s body of work reflects a clear vision, imagination, and devotion to his practice.
Whit Conrad Morning After, 2013 The Lionheart Gallery $2,500 - 5,000 CONTACT GALLERY
—K. Sundberg “Paintings by Whit Conrad” is on view at The Lionheart Gallery, Pound Ridge, Mar. 7–Apr. 26, 2015. Follow The Lionheart Gallery on Artsy Artsy..
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Whit Conrad Comanche Dinner II, 2014 The Lionheart Gallery SOLD – $7,500 - 10,000
This catalogue was published to accompany the Whit Conrad Spring Exhibition at The Lionheart Gallery. Paintings by Whit Conrad March 7 – April 26, 2015 Edition of 50 All images copyright of the artist. Images of the works are reproduced courtesy of the artist and The Lionheart Gallery. Curated by Susan Grissom Designed by Erin Manion Essay by Lucas Farrell All rights reserved. No part of this book may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing of the copyright holder and The Lionheart Gallery.
www.thelionheartgallery.com
914 764 8689
27 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
WHIT CONRAD