In spite of the dubious protestations in the title of his tumblr (see "I Am Not an Artist"), my brother is indeed a bona fide artist. His work has been bought and sold and he is regularly shown in galleries and at special events. While his work maintains a "low-brow" sensibility, he is a master of composition and he is constantly working on refining his skills and employing innovative techniques. My favorite part of having an "artist" for a brother is the benefit of custom artwork.
Our most recent Christmas celebrations found us drawing names for gifts; too many people and too few dollars made it a budget and time-friendly necessity. Lucky for me, my brother drew my name and I got one of the coolest presents of my life -a matched set of pop art-inspired, Doris Day portraits.
Aren't these cool?!!
Hand painted and screened with Doris Day's visage, what isn't
visible in the photograph is the micro-glitter that
shimmers over the entire piece. wacky tacky and glitter
are inexorably bound together!
I love this picture of Doris Day and the way he mirrored the slight tilt of her
head; in my mind it makes it more of a set and looks more dynamic when hung.
The scale is great too; these 2x2', lime green and bright orange
wall hangings make quite a statement.
After seeing the thrill I expressed upon removing the brown-paper wrapping from these beauties, do you think my fifteen-year-old cousin made fun of me by telling me not to cry? Yep. Did I cry? I was close (we are huge crybabies in our family). As I have mentioned before, I LOOOOOVE handmade gifts!!! There is something so miraculous about the beautiful synergy of an honest "It's the thought that counts" sentimentality and the exhibition of time, talent, and love. Unlike many of the gifts that are exchanged over the holiday season, most of which will quickly fall out of favor or fashion, these pieces will stay with me forever. Interesting art and the thoughtfulness of a talented sibling - now that is good gift giving! He might have a hard time recognizing and accepting his talent - but I don't! MY BROTHER IS AN ARTIST!!!
"Any Way the Wind Blows" - Doris Day
Just because I made "the artist" and his girlfriend
watch this scene from Please Don't Eat the Daisies
When I was young I wanted to be rich and famous. Rich because, well, who doesn't want a few extra scheckels to rub together? Famous because I wanted my portrait done by Al Hirschfeld. I really thought, and continue to think, that being immortalized by "The Line King" is the height of celebrity. With a few deft strokes of his pen or brush, Hirschfeld was able to fully capture not only the stars' looks, but their personalities, their mannerisms, their foibles, and their charms.
Marilyn Monroe
Groucho Marx
Lucille Ball & Robert Preston from Mame
Bing Crosby
Betty Hutton
Carol Channing
Diane Keaton & Woody Allen from Annie Hall
Lena Horne
Bob Hope
"Apollo Chorine"
Rex Harrison & Julie Andrews from My Fair Lady
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Yul Brynner as the King of Siam
The Beatles
Born in St. Louis, Hirschfeld did all of the things that a budding artist in the 1920's should do including the obligatory stint in Paris. Back in the U.S., he found work as a cartoonist for The New York Times and quickly made a name for himself as America's premier caricaturist. Because his career spanned eight decades and included political figures, society luminaries, and stars of music, stage, and screen, his work came to define the medium in the 20th Century. His style was so unique and spare that a Hirschfeld caricature is identifiable at first sight. The quality and impact of his artistry are astounding; with a minimum of line and shape he created master works. His influence was so profound that many modern cartoonists, illustrators, caricaturists, and animators cite his work as inspiration for their own work. In fact, the "Rhapsody in Blue" animated sequence from Walt Disney's Fantasia 2000 is an homage to the genius of Al Hirschfeld.
"Rhapsody in Blue"
Fantasia 2000
As the great Line King has moved on to his great reward, it seems highly improbable that I will have my portrait made any time soon. In his absence I do feel a modicum of relief, only because if the day had ever come when the master caricaturist and illustrator did find me a worthy subject, the internal conflict would be huge; with the thrill of achievement would come the overwhelming, petrifying terror. On which of my many "flaws" would Hirschfeld choose to focus - exaggerate even - to create my caricature? Would it be my big ears? My crooked teeth? My chubby cheeks? My funny nose? My oversized form? All of the above? Even still, I would risk it. In reviewing his work, I can't imagine that any of the stars could feel anything but flattered.
The Line King , himself
At this point in my life, I am satisfied being neither rich nor famous. In fact, I'm quite content with my magic combination of poverty and anonymity, but what I wouldn't give to have Al Hirschfeld draw my picture.
Thanks Google Home Page for stealing my thunder!!! I have been planning this post for the last four and a half months - I just got a little sidetracked after I began the first draft on June 7.
Mary Blair
(October 21, 1911 - July 26, 1978)
One of my many intentions with this blog was to highlight some of the artists that inspire me and give credence to the wacky tacky ideal. Mary Blair may be kind of trendy. She may be kind of hip. She may be the Disney nerd's trump card in the Disney history card game (to those folks, I have just two words "Peter Ellenshaw" - look it up). Nevertheless, Mary Blair is truly awesome and deserves as much recognition as the wacky tacky world can grant her. In honor of her 100th birthday, I thought I'd share a few of the images that made me love Mary Blair.
The kids in my family were raised on the classic cartoons as well as the animated and live-action films of the Walt Disney Studios. We were one of the first families to have The Disney Channel when it arrived on cable television because we were the family used in the commercial to promote said channel (I finally transferred the video cassette rough cuts/outtakes to DVD but they are lengthy and probably only amusing to those involved). This deep connection with classic Disneyana is in every way associated with the brilliance of Mary Blair.
I first started to love Mary Blair before I even knew who she was. Her concept art was the template for so many Disney productions including one of my favorite Disney cartoon shorts, "The Little House." Oddly enough, it is the story of a charmed, little house that endures the urbanization of its once bucolic home and the ravages of time to eventually rediscover happiness as the restored, dream cottage of a newly-married couple. Incidentally, the story is narrated by the inimitable Sterling Holloway. Really, Mary Blair and Sterling Holloway, how could you lose?
Concept art for "The Little House" - Mary Blair
Can you find the little house down there amidst the sprawl?
"The Little House" (1952)
Sterling Holloway
I love Mary Blair because she was more than just an artist, she was a trailblazer. The 1940's and 50's saw few women at the Disney Studios working outside of the ink & paint department. Mary Blair and her art were not just an early attempt at equality in the workplace, they were a driving force behind the look of golden-era Disney. While her concepts were invariably softened by animators both in tone and in form/line/color, the "Mary Blair" stamp is unmistakable on all of her work. She was also one of the only women hand-picked by Walt Disney as part of El Grupo, the group of artists/animators who would accompany him on his government-sponsored tour of Latin America that resulted in "Saludos Amigos," "Pedro," "El Gaucho Goofy," "Aquarela do Brasil," "Lake Titicaca," and "The Three Caballeros."
Walt & El Grupo (1941)
"Aquarela do Brasil"
A Blair costume sketch
I love Mary Blair because her art inspired more than my favorite cartoons, it also inspired immersive, interactive experiences namely, It's a Small World.
Concept art for It's a Small World - Mary Blair
Concept art for It's a Small World - Mary Blair
Concept art for It's a Small World - Mary Blair
Disneyland's "It's a Small World" - Anaheim, CA
I love Mary Blair because she was an unintentional style maven. When one sees photo stills of Blair and the film reel footage of her included in the documentary film Walt & El Grupo, it is clear that her personal style was anything but Main Street, USA. Blair was an artist, a bohemian.
I love Mary Blair because her work had such a specific point of view. Her art was not only distinctive among her contemporaries, but it continues to be so singularly attributable to Blair. Her use of shape and color is inspired. While she was an employee of a company that has a reputation of strict, corporate control and painstaking consistency, her work was representative of a unique vision.
Concept art for Peter Pan - Mary Blair
Concept art for Peter Pan - Mary Blair
Concept art for Peter Pan - Mary Blair
Concept art for Alice in Wonderland - Mary Blair
Concept art for Alice in Wonderland - Mary Blair
Concept art for Alice in Wonderland - Mary Blair
Concept art for Cinderella - Mary Blair
Concept art for Cinderella - Mary Blair
Concept art for Cinderella - Mary Blair
I love Mary Blair because she had a career beyond the Disney Studios. Some of her best work was as a commercial and children's book illustrator.
Images from Meadow Gold Dairy Calendar (1954 & 1955)
I love Mary Blair for all of these reasons and I hate her just the same - but only out of sheer artistic jealousy!
You might remember my friend Suzy, the Disney artist/cast member whose retina scan not only gives her unlimited access to the archives but once gained her entry into "the freezer" where she took the opportunity to do body shots off of Walt Disney. Well, it is nice to have friends like that who are always on the lookout for wacky tacky-ana. Knowing my predilection for art history and popular culture, she sent me a link to the article that told the backstory behind one of the most famous and most-famously reproduced paintings in the world - Chinese Girl by Vladimir Tretchikoff. Dig this, the "Green Lady" was a real woman but she wasn't really green! It has been said that more prints have been made of Chinese Girl than even the Mona Lisa, herself.
Vladimir Tretchikoff 1913-2006
Russian-born Tretchikoff was a self-taught artist who captured the spirit of the exotic both in still life and, more fascinatingly, through portraiture. He lived the better part of his life in South Africa but was heavily influenced by Asian culture as well. His reputation is that of the "King of Kitsch," but during his lifetime, he was the second-richest, living artist behind only Pablo Picasso. I have always found it interesting that in the world of "high art," accessibility and popularity immediately equate to "low-brow." Below are several examples of Tretchikoff portraits; I find them rich in passion and technique.
Lady from Orient
Hindu Dancer
Fruits of Bali
Miss Wong
Balinese Girl
Zulu Girl
I find Tretchikoff's work to be sensual, personal and intimate. He chose subjects that were uncommon for the time and instead of exploiting them, he showed the beauty of their spirit and culture. My brother has a copy of Chinese Girl that I have vowed to steal one day - she shall be mine!
