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Victor Wood: Father of Romantic Art

Joey De Leon: Father of Comedy Art

Dad with Igan D’Bayan, who presented his collection of paintings titled “Heavy Mental."

 

The Crucible Gallery, SM Megamall

Cesar Montano: Father of Action Art

Cesar Montano presents first solo exhibit at Ayala Museum

Cory Aquino: Mother of Kris

“I realized I have so much to be grateful for.” The paintings in the background are by the former president. She took up painting in her retirement.

JOEY VELASCO: Father of Jesus Art

Joselito “Joey” Salvador Alvir Velasco is a young businessman and "heartist" who has endeared himself to many Filipinos through his numerous works - all heartwarming, moving and oftentimes coming across as a subtle rebuke of Philippine society. I took the liberty of taking photos of his paintings during this exhibit (no flash, mind you) to share to those who may not have the time - or the chance - to go out of their homes or offices. I hope that this feature contributes to the propagation of Joel Velasco's message of hope, deliverance and introspection so that we may all, one way or another, be agents of change or at the very least make a difference in the world we live in. 

The exhibit was alloted a space along the passageway of Glorrietta 3 in Makati. A video, Sa Kambas ng Lipunan, was also being shown to a rather large group of passersby. I will update this blog soon to include the texts that accompanied each work. It's going to take some time though, so bear with me. :-) 

Joe Velasco first came to the national consciousness with this painting entitled Hapag ng Pagasa (Oil on Canvas, 48" X 96") done in 2005 which portrays 12 children he has met on the streets of Metro Manila. A huge billboard of this work can be seen along Guadalupe, near the San Carlos Seminary. 

Let there be peace of Earth (2007). A picture of contradiction. Note wall clock at 3 o'clock position. 

Kalakbay (2007). As Joey was finishing this painting, two of his subjects - farmers - in this work were shot to death reflecting the long battle that Filipino farmers have to fight for the right to till their own land. 

This is the work that really touched me, Hele (2008). It features three children afflicted by Down's Syndrome, a rather common affliction among children in the Philippines. I have had the chance to live with an adult with this condition and I have seen the love and attention his parents poured over him; their understanding was truly beyond measure. People with Down's may appear detached, but they really are very observant of their surroundings and are often quite intelligent. 

In this corner of Hele are these words: "DEUS CARITAS EST, et, qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo" representing the second half of 1 John 4:16, "So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - the opening lines of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, released on Christmas of 2005. 

Manunubos (2008) is a moving work featuring a family - or a Filipinized Holy Family for that matter - holding court in a garbage dump. There is that ethereal soft light that emanates for the main subjects separating them from the darkness and sadness of their surroundings. Note also the children bearing gifts (see details below). 

A loaf of bread, which is sold and seen arranged one on top of each other in stalls and bakeries all over these islands during the Holiday season - a common feature on the Filipino Christmas or New Year table. 

Two cans of 555 sardines being handed over by the boy.

The subject is a caddie on some golf course and when a community commissioned Velasco to paint them a Mary & Child Jesus scene, he used the girl caddie as his subject to represent Mary.

A rather different way of looking at the Agony in the Garden, this time in a decrepit corner with tired, old wheels and rusty galvanized iron.

Mga Munting Simon Sireneo (2008)

Come Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me (2007). A haunting image of Christ holding up a tattered Philippine flag, both a scathing and humbling take on how we have come so low in many aspects - in self respect, in human rights, and in upholding and supporting the culture of life in our country.

Paleta de Sangre (2008). A very interesting story accompanied this work. I think you must go to Velasco's exhibits and read it yourself.

That We May Live (2007). One of the most powerful images in this exhibit, That We May Live draws you the facial expressions of the children carrying Christ's dead body.

Nestor Leynes: Father of MAGIC REALISM

Nestor Garcia Leynes was born on February 26, 1922, in Sta. Cruz, Manila. His parents, Dr. Ricardo Leynes (doctor of medicine) and Enriqueta Garcia (Regestered nurse), had four other children, four sons and one daughter in all. Their firstborn was an accountant, the second - a doctor, the third an engineer, fourth is Nestor and the youngest a printing technician. To their dismay, their fourth child wanted to become an artist.Though they appreciated the arts – they filled their house with paintings such as that of Fabian de la Rosa, a relative, and one of the doctor’s patients, and others – they discouraged Nestor from entering the field of art, not wanting their son to play the role of the starving artist. Nevertheless, Nestor Leynes pursued his ambition, taking art lessons in grade school and high school at Arellano High School. In his youth, he never went through the barkada stage, preferring to spend his time at home copying drawings from magazines.

From the start, I was already adept at drawing. So whatever ah, blank paper
I could get hold of and a pencil or a... or crayolas, I’d, I’d ah...do drawings.

Like his parents and older siblings, Leynes went to the University of the Philippines (U.P.) for his college education, entering the School of Fine Arts. His studies were interrupted however, when Japan invaded the Philippines. Two days after Pearl Harbor was bombed, he married Amalia Alcantara, his childhood sweetheart and next-door neighbor.

I was in the graduating class, in the fourth year, when the World... the World 
War II broke out in December. Our family had a bakya... a small bakya factory,
and I was one of the carvers. And I also designed the, what they call the dahon
‘no? or the... the cover of the bakya.

In 1945, during the American period, Leynes earned a living by sketching portraits of passing American GI’s for five pesos. He set himself up at the entrance of a big drug store on Rizal Avenue paying the owner a small amount for the space rental.

When the war ended and the School of Fine Arts, U.P. School of Fine Arts
opened, I didn’t ah, enter the school anymore because I was married and I had
to earn a living. So I ah, I ah, had to go to... to work and I was admitted into
the Ramon Roces Publications where I did illustrations for the magazines
principally Liwayway. I was ah, offered the job of ah, staff artist of one of the
pioneer advertising agencies at that time which was the Philippine Advertising
Counsel and had the San Miguel, the Magnolia, th Coca-Cola accounts. After
Philippine Advertising Counsel, I was ah, offered the position of ah, art director
and head of the art department(and later as EVP for Art Dept.) by ah, Javier
Romero> who... who owned the J. Romero and Associates Advertising Agency.”

Only in 1980, at the age of fifty-eight, did he retire from the advertising field and started painting full-time. For it was only at this time that artists became grist for the media and were able to demand huge sums for their work (Duldulao, The Philippine Art Scene 23).

I ah, worked fully or full-time on my career as a painter only in 19... 1980.
And I wish I had started earlier. And I, because I, one of my regrets is I 
cannot paint monumental pieces because of physical incapacity. 

Discounting his art lessons as a child, Leynes’ formal training began in U.P. School of Fine Arts. In this prestigious university, he learned from and was influenced by his professors, among them, Fernando Amorsolo, Ireneo Miranda, Macario Peralta, Toribio Herrera, Pablo Amorsolo and Vicente Alvarez Dizon. It was here that he received Pablo Amorsolo’s advice to master the art of drawing first, after which all the rest would follow,” (Guillermo 362).

Well I was lucky to be a student of art in that period because I had the
the best painters in the land as my instructors, professors... and the likes
of ah, Fernando Amorsolo and Pablo Amorsolo and Miranda and ah, Rivera
-- Emir and ah, Castañeda and Guillermo Tolentino. Inevitably, one will ah...
will ah, adapt the style of the professor which is ah, ah, understandable
since he is… he’s in the atmosphere where he ah, admires or idolizes his…
his instructors.”

Of his professors, the greatest influence on him was Fernando Amorsolo. According to Leynes,

Fernando Amorsolo is the only painter who has really captured the true
color and essence of the Philippines, (Visions 109).

Some claim that his works are copies of Amorsolo and Leynes is the typical student emulating his instructor. However, his style is quite different. In an interview conducted by Dr. Rodolfo Paras-Perez, Leynes tells us of Amorsolo:

If I so adopt his attitude towards light and its effect on the Philippine
environment, it is because it is compatible with my purpose, (Visions 109).
Amorsolo is is ah, impressionist, I mean, he paints in a manner that’s
not very detailed. So I... I merely took one step ah ahead one step
farther than Amorsolo and put in the details.

Leynes’ style of painting has been called Magic Realism, Hyper Realism, Super Realism and Macrovision, which means the representation of everyday scenes in a detailed manner. Not always a realist, he first experimented with different styles such as abstraction, expressionism, cubism, etc. It was only in 1976, at the age of fifty-four, did he discover the realist style of American painter, Andrew Wyeth. In 1977, in an exhibit in Impressions Gallery, his painting, Bigas, received wide acclaim for its artistry and detail (Guillermo 362).

While in the ah, art department of that ah, advertising ah, agency, I had some
ah, some of my artists who were ah, interested who were ah, who idolized 
Andrew Wyeth. So we decided to form a group which we named the Magic
Realist and which... which we... and which we followed the style of Andrew 
Wyeth. Members of the group were one of my art dire... directors, Ger Viterbo,
who is now dead, there was ah, Jose Barcelona...Joselito Barcelona, and
Manuel Llado and Jaime Roque.

Though Leynes’ style was American in origin, his works remain distinctly Filipino and unique. Initially inspired by Wyeth, he later diverged from its works and attitudes (Visions 108). Dr. Paras-Perez is reluctant to use the term Magic Realists for the group for the reason that their works are anything but an imitation of Wyeth’s. He says,

There is too much of the now in their vision and the will to set up a macrolens’ preoccupation not seen in their presumed counterpart abroad, (Visions 2).

Right now, the Magic Realism in the Philippines is slightly different.
It has a local ah, local ah, effect. Andrew Wyeth ah, lived in Maine,
in the U.S. and It is a very cold place. And in his ah, in the place he lived,
the atmosphere was bleak, and the ah, the atmosphere was gray and
browns. I... I couldn’t ah, live with that kind of ah, of ah, attitude towards 
my art because it is not my atmosphere. I live in the Philippines and like 
Amorsolo, I project what I see, the atmosphere I see around.

The effects that make a painting distinctly Leynes, are his perfection of detail and the sense of being more real than real. His paintings look so real in fact, that a humanities teacher once accused his bigas paintings of being fake that they are real grains pasted on canvas. Though he uses pictures as a basis for his paintings, mere photographs are hardly comparable to a Leynes painting. In the same interview with Dr. Paras-Perez, Leynes says,

A photographer captures what is there and what he sees. A painter has
the power to change and rearrange what he sees. As a realist I, consider
the camera as an important tool in my art equipment. The camera broadens
the artist’s horizon. With the camera’s aid I can freeze the action, capture an
expression or a particular sunlight effect, compose from an unusual angle
orviewpoint. Even while I am merely looking through the viewfinder of my
camera I am already in the process of creating. But I prefer whenever
possible to have the original or live model in front of me when I am in the
painting stage. The photograph is merely used as a stable reference and never
copied as is. Move a tree, change an expression, crop extraneous details, add,
subtract and as the song goes eliminate the negative, accentuate the positive.
It is not merely a case of ‘have photograph, will paint’ as some critics
will put it, (Visions 107).

Truly nationalistic, Leynes’ is known for his Filipino theme. Deeply rooted in culture, his art pays homage to the Filipino tradition and way of life (Duldulao, A Century of Realism in Philippine Art 253).

Common images are a woman sifting bigas, a kalabaw with its wares, a tindera of Filipino fruits, harvest scenes and sandok at palayok. His panata also calls for a painting of Christ every Good Friday. His favorite however, is the mother and child.

Partly to a devotion to the Blessed Mother and also because I had a... a
slew of models. I have ah, twelve grandchildren and in their babyhood
I had the opportunity to take pictures of... of the babies and their mothers.

Whatever the image, the atmosphere of a Leynes painting is one of serenity, peace and of a good life and therefore lacks social relevance. Far from being apathetic to society and its affairs, Leynes is an avid follower of current events. In recent years, afternoons find him more often watching the news or reading Time magazine than painting. It is simply not his nature to splash his politics and opinions on canvas.

I leave that to the other artists the social realists. I have no intention of ah,
of ah, correcting or trying to cure the ills of society. I merely want to paint
what I feel.

When I was quite young, I entered my lolo’s studio unseen by anyone. Mimicking his usual activity, I dipped his paintbrush in the paints on his palette and proceeded to paint over his work. Discovered, Lolo would not let me be spanked or rebuked but hung a hook just out of reach of small children on his studio door from then on. In high school, not having inherited an ounce of artistic talent, I enlisted Lolo’s help on a Christian Living project. I asked him to draw me a Virgin Mary on plain cartolina and requested, ...Wag niyo pong gandahan,(I was hoping to pass the work off as mine). Fifteen minutes later, he handed me back my cartolina with his version of ‘hindi maganda’. I received a grade equivalent to 2.0 for my project, not having convinced my teacher I made the drawing. Not in the least disappointed, I had Lolo sign his work after it was returned to me and framed the sketch.

Though to most people, the word artist brings images of long-haired, unkempt, passionate, and rebellious young men, what comes to my mind when I hear artist is a picture of my lolo quietly painting in his studio while listening to classical music. Somewhat of a recluse, he only occasionally leaves his studio to spend some time with his seven children and twelve grandchildren, on Sundays. At the age of seventy-seven, Lolo usually spends the rest of the week watching television the news or the Discovery channel. Asleep at 7 p.m. and awake at 5 a.m., the most that he and Lola would do for the day would be to go to Megamall to eat in Triple V or walk the four blocks to Church to attend mass. Various aches and pains, and perhaps the laziness that is allowed people of his age, lead him to paint less and less these days. While still working on a piece, buyers have already reserved it and a queue already formed for his following works. He usually paints small pieces now in watercolor or colored pencils though he still paints in oil or acrylic occasionally. 

My great pride and admiration for my lolo does not stem only from his immense artistic talent but also from his intelligence, wisdom, firm principles and generous heart. A quiet, unassuming man, he is not demonstrative of his affection. Be that as it may, none of his children and especially grandchildren could ever doubt his deep love for his family. For me, the beauty of a Leynes painting lies not in its colors, details or forms, but in the man who made it.

by
Jennifer Leynes 

IBARRA DELA ROSA: Father of Two-Many-One Man Show

 

IBARRA DELA ROSA  (1943-1998)

Born 1943 in Nueva Ecija.  FEATI University College of Fine Arts.  Original member of the Dimasalang Group of progressive artists.  His first show at La Solidaridad Gallery was followed by more than 60 shows in his lifetime in the best Philippine galleries including Hidalgo, Quad, Kamalig, Luz, Jeune, Micaller and Galerie Bleue. 
 Prizes and awards include the CCP 13 Artists award, Rotary Club Art Tilt and the Araw ng Maynila Heritage Award. 
 Ibarra is the foremost exponent of meticulous impressionism in the Philippines.  His blots, which he called "wipings", as series of acrylic splashes on board project pure abstract art experience. 
 Former member of the PWU art faculty.

 

Excited for blogging!!

To all my fans, 

I will feature all my favorite and most influential artists here in my blog..

This is dedicated to the contemporary Filipino young artist who do not stop believing..

Don't stop believin, kid!!

- From the  Maestro of Philippine Contemporary Art

         

E.R. TAGLE: Father of Positivism

E.R. Tagle
Painter and Art Teacher
Exponent of Positivism
Published Author, Lecturer

2010	Workshops line-up : Kiddie Art at Fullybooked 3 years up Art for Teens S.M.A.R.T. Makati City 4-15 years
1992	Asiaweek Magazine featured Tagle as "Manila's most prolific painter" E.R. Tagle's art sells at $20,000 for a canvass, not even old masters will not dream of quoting
1991	President Aquino signed Presidential Proclamation 712 for the annual celebration of " Positive Thinking Week" from April 13 to 21, to coincide with ER Tagle's birthday on April 13.
1998	Founded Positivism Art Workshop (3-83 years) to cultivate the artistic skills of children as they are introduced to drawing, sketching, and painting to develop creative talents and appreciation for the creative arts that extol positive values to use colorful acrylic paintings in symbols and colors that focus on family unity to focus on joy, unity, happiness, beauty, bounty abundance, love of God and all things bright
1960	first group art exhibit Philippine Art Manila
1963	graduated Bachelor of Fine Art University of Santo Thomas Art professor, FEATI University, Collage of Architecture & Fine Arts Member of National Press Club (NPC)
1964 to 1966	Artist Cartoonist, Philippine Herald.
1965 to 1968	President of Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonist
1966	Presidential Citation for contribution to nation building
1969 to 1973	Founder, Philippine Media Specialist Publisher, weekly Tourism News and Sultan Men’s Fashion magazine, the first fashion magazine for men in the Country
1970	married to Elizabeth Sison of Antique.
1976 to 1978	Saturday Group of Artist headed by National Artist H. R. Ocampo.
1977	founded Tuesday Portrait Club Held his first one –man-exhibit of portraits of the “Women of Metro Manila ’’ from the most prominent to the most humble folk such as street vendors and street sweepers
1978 to 1988	traveling exhibits of the “ Women Vendors of Asia ’’in Brunei, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei , Hongkong, Sidney, Parramata, Honolulu , San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, New York, Los Angeles, and Brussels. All sponsored by Department of Tourism. Manila , Baguio, Davao, Cebu , Iloilo, Legaspi and Bacolod.
1979	founded Galleries of Fine Arts popularized the statement "The human body is God’s greatest gift to humanity" with series of art exhibits in the Philippines
1988	started colorful acrylic paintings in symbols and colors that focus on family unity with the Fish, as symbol of Positivism Art founded a new school of thought in art called “ Positivism” which focuses on joy, unity, happiness, beauty, bounty abundance, love of God and all things bright and beautiful founded "Positivism Art Workshop" which aims to develop the creative talents and their appreciation for the creative arts that extol positive values
1988	conducted summer art workshop in Metro Manila
1989 to 1992	one-man exhibits in Singapore, Taiwan , Brunei, Hongkong, Indonesia, Malaysia , Spain , Germany, Belgium, Paris and United States
1990	founded the "Positive Artist Group" which is committed to help young artists and promote rich Filipino heritage though their painting. Held a one- man exhibit at Museo ng Makati sponsored by City of Makati , Cultural Affairs.
1991 to 1994	Introduced Interaction Painting, a meeting of the minds, a sharing of benefits, concern, principles and philosophies where national leaders are invited to paint the symbolic fish in Tagle’s paintings.
1991	President Aquino signed Presidential Proclamation 712 for the annual celebration of “ Positive Thinking Week” from April 13 to 21 which coincided with ER Tagle’s birthday on April 13. Held a one- man exhibit at Museo ng Makati sponsored by City of Makati , Cultural Affairs.
1992	Asiaweek Magazine featured Tagle as "Manila’s most prolific painter", who manages to sell his wok at prices even old masters will not dream of quoting - $20,000 for a canvass
1993	one- man art exhibit of "Art on Tiles" in Manila Hotel
1995	started his “Two Fisherman” painting series with the theme, Unity, Teamwork, Action , and Cooperative (UTAC). one-man exhibit at Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City sponsored by GMA-7 network started limited edition series of paintings done in porcelain plates called "Prosperity Plates" started his “ Water is Life” painting series. Philippine representative in the Aqua Asia Art Festival held in Osaka, Japan for his "Water is Life" painting series.
1996	held simultaneous art exhibit with the theme “Project the Environment” at Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel, Heritage Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel in Makati, Manila Hotel, Marine Technology Foundation Center Intramuros, Manila and SM Megamall in Ortigas, Sponsored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. conducted free art classes to indigent cancer stricken children organized "Colors of Hope" painting exhibit done by cancer victims gave lectures on art to different schools private and public schools in the country such as Assumption Collage, Saint Paul’s University, Philippine Normal University and public schools in Palawan joined Rotary Club Manila
1997 to 1998	guest of honor and speaker in various Rotary Clubs; RC Downtown, RC Makati Central , Pasay , RC Manila Central, RC Pasig, joint meetings of RC Marikina , RC Davao , RC Palawan , RC Uptown Manila , RC Makati West, RC Diamond
1998	published his first autobiography book "Fish in my Soul"
1998	founded E.R. Tagle Art Gallery in Amorsolo St. in Makati City.
2000 - present	hold traveling exhibits of his "Selda II" painting series in Bayview Park Hotel , PSE, Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, Tagatay Highlands, and in Asia countries like Hong Kong, Singapore ,Malaysia, Spain, Japan, and United States. gives free lectures and art seminars in school in Metro Manila founded "Batang Kalye Artist Group" that aims to give a source of income to street children by developing their skills in portraiture
2005	started "Frame Up" series of paintings. held one –man exhibit of his work across the country; Cebu , Davao, Palawan , and in Metro Manila Century Park Hotel, Manila Hotel
2006	author of the book "My Life in Prison". Published by Positivism Art Gallery
2007	author of the book “ My Life in Prison is to Pray”. a sequel

Sister Wendy: Mother of all Quotes

+ My struggle is to put this into words. People who go to the museum are not asked, lucky them, to hold forth about these works. My struggle has been to let them know there is something there to respond to and for them to respond to.

+ One of the wonderful things about a museum is how you're jolted into confronting art from strange and wonderful civilizations and you look and learn and expand your horizons.

+ Americans are the most educated people in the world artistically. Every museum has a devoted following who not only go to the museum but think about what they've seen, who can speak about the works in their local museum. 

+ You have to expend time and energy. If you don't want to do that, you can still get a lot of enlightenment and entertainment by just wandering around, but you'll never get the deep spiritual nourishment. (on how to see art)

+ The United States, the land of the free, is particularly rich in museums. That is appropriate, because museums are a means to freedom.

+ The intricacies of theology are not usually what concerns the artist. They're concerned with the big, beautiful fundamentals, and there I have never had any problem. In fact, anybody who has a narrow sense of their religion, whether they're Jew or Christian or Muslim or whatever, has only to look long and intelligently at the great work of another tradition and they will see what the religions have in common.

IM a FAN of MAESTRO OROBIA!!!!!

Ron English:Father of Agit-Pop

WHO IS RON ENGLISH ?

And has he really done all the the things people say he has? One thing for sure is Ron English is certainly one of the most controversial artists to emerge in the 1990's. English is nothing if not a big picture, high concept iconoclast. He plays for high stakes and has often been overheard saying

"I DAMN SURE DIDN"T MAKE THE RULES, I DAMN SURE WON'T LIVE BY THEM"

English considers himself a folk artist. To understand what he means by this one need look no further than his pirated billboards. Since the early '80's he has spent countless hours turning out his Illegal Billboards for the cost free enjoyment of a delighted public, he has even racked up one second degree felony for some officially unappreciated billboards in Texas.

Beyond his billboard activities, Ron is known as a BRILLIANT PAINTER.

He is the father of AGIT-POP, a hybrid of Pop Art that is fueled by a more personal, hands-on socially responsible attitude. His work is loaded with the iconography of his generation, exploring the range and power of a deeply American symbology using pop imagery as a metaphor.

Ron has also reinvented Modernism in his own image and attitude in a series called REVISIONIST MODERNISM. Ron has an incredible knack for making things his own, and in no place is this more evident than in this series. By " putting some English on it" , Ron not only reinterprets the original , he breathes new life and a new vitality into the work that holds it's own against the tide of postmodern critique.

Romero Britto: Father of Absolut Art

Romero Britto is a Miami Beach-based, internationally-known pop artist whose work is acclaimed for its use of vivid colors and elements of pop art, cubism and graffiti painting. Born in Recife, Brazil, on Oct. 6, 1963, the South Florida artist has been a fixture on the arts scene since 1989. That year, he was commissioned by Absolut Vodka, along with Keith Haring and Andy Warhol, to design a commemorative bottle label for the company. Named the state of Florida's Ambassador of the Arts, Britto's work is represented in more than 100 galleries on five continents. Corporations worldwide commission him to create large-scale murals, sculptures and product logos. His "Welcome," the world's largest aluminum sculpture, in 2004 was erected at the Metrorail station in Dadeland, near South Miami. In 2007, his work inspired the props and costumes used at Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. His portrait subjects include Gloria Estefan, Roger Federer, Dustin Hoffman and Michael Jordan. Collectors of his work include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andre Agassi, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sir Elton John. As creative director of the 2007 London Pyramid Project, Britto designed and hand-painted a 45-foot pyramid erected at Hyde Park as a tribute to the Pyramids of Giza; the last remaining of the ancient seven wonders of the world. One of his most popular images is the official logo of Anthony Shriver's, Best Buddies International Organization. In 2007, he established the Britto Foundation to assist charitable organizations benefiting children.  

Peter Max: Father of Poster Art

Peter Max (1937 - )

Liberty Head 2000 by Peter Max Better World by Peter Max Love 2007 by Peter Max From visionary pop artist of the 1960s, to master of dynamic neo Expressionism, Peter Max and his vibrant colors have become part of the fabric of contemporary American culture. European-born and raised in Shanghai, Tibet, South Africa, Israel and France, Max's pan-cultural background has made his work rich in artistic diversity. From the calligraphy of the Buddhist monks to the Classical statuary in Parisian gardens, Max was inspired by the elegance of the line which gives birth to form. Ranging from American comic book art through the passionate brushstrokes of the European Expressionists and Fauves, Max learned about the magic of color and texture when applied with spontaneity; the brush being guided by the heart. In the 1960s Max rose to youthful prominence with his now famous Max style, a bold linear type of painting which employed shocking color juxtapositions and depicted transcendental themes. As the Beatles transformed the music of the decade, Peter Max did the same for art. As his expressionistic style evolved, becoming more sensuous and painterly, his unique symbolism and vibrant color palette have continued to inspire new generations of Americans throughout the decades. Peter Max is a passionate environmentalist and defender of human and animal rights. He has created a non-profit foundation called Global Works and often dedicates paintings and posters for these noteworthy causes. He has celebrated our nations principles of freedom and democracy with works that include his famous Liberty paintings and American Flags which he affectionately calls "Flag with a Heart" for a Country with a heart. In 1974 Max was commissioned to create the first "Preserve the Environment" Postage Stamp commemorating Expo 74 for the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington. In 1976 U.S. General Services selected Max to paint 235 Border Murals at entry points to Canada and Mexico. That same year, to celebrate the Bicentennial, Max created a painting of each of the 50 states, resulting in a book, Peter Max Paints America. On the same occasion Max also began a tradition of painting the Statue of Liberty. Every year since, he celebrates July 4th by painting additional interpretations of the Statue. In 1981 he was invited by President and Mrs. Reagan to paint six Liberty portraits at the White House. Max has painted for five U.S. Presidents - Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. In 1989 Max paid homage to Mikhail Gorbachev with his installment, "Forty Gorbys," which was inspired by his trip to Moscow. This led to an important museum tour that started at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad in the Spring of 1991 and traveled throughout Russia and other Eastern bloc countries as well as Western Europe. In February 1990, Max had two huge sections of the Berlin Wall flown to America and placed on board the aircraft carrier Intrepid. He then carved out a concave dove of peace in the concrete wall and formed a three-dimensional dove in flight from the filings, thus symbolizing the emergence of freedom and hope. After having worked with the Inaugural Committee on the Presidential Inauguration, for which he created his now famous 100 Clintons' installation, Max was invited by the White House in 1993 to sketch the historic signing of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Accord. Later that year, while Max was in Washington to open his Pop to Patriotism exhibition at The Corcoran Gallery of Art, President Clinton, who was in attendance, referred to Peter as a friend and true American Patriot. He has been called upon by many Governmental Institutions to illustrate special projects, including the giant murals which graced the courtyard of the U.S. Pavilion at the Seville World's Fair. The United Nations invited Peter to execute a body of work of twelve postage stamps which became their Official Stamp for the first Environmental Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In 1994 Max was designated Official Artist for World Cup USA '94 and was once again named the Official Artist for the Super Bowl and Grammy Awards in 1995, the latter honor being bestowed upon Peter for a record fifth time. Peter Max is especially in awe and admiration of America for its creativity in music, art and technology. In celebration of America's music, Max was the Official Artist for the 25th Anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz Festival and opened the Woodstock '94 Festival. Max pays tribute to another great American artist, Walt Disney, with a creative collaboration between Max and Disney resulting in paintings and limited edition serigraphs of Disney's most famous icons. Max merged art with technology through collaborations with Silicon Graphics (the company that created the computer technology for the special effects in Jurassic Park) and the Information Superhighway for which he has created the official symbol. The National Information Infrastructure (Info Highway) symbol was recently unveiled at a White House press conference by then Vice President Al Gore. Peter Max, the cosmic artist of the 60s, now has his sights set on the year 2000... and beyond. GALLERY M was proud to be the designated gallery for Peter Max's official release of his 2006 Team USA, Turin Olympic Winter Games poster. This event was held on Friday, October 14 2005 with 14 U.S. Olympians in attendance. Shortly after, Peter introduced his latest body of original works at GALLERY M's three day exhibition called "Colors of a Better World." The receptions saw almost 600 collectors and fans choose and collected his latest original and unique works. Contact GALLERY M for works that are available or to have a special commission created by Peter Max.