Utilisateur:Dsontheroad/Michael Lawrence (painter)
Michael Lawrence is an American painter, sculptor and writer. The legendary and maverick artist best known for his lyrical drawings and paintings celebrates the theater of life, the memories of a colorful childhood and vibrant relations with creative people creates a theater of sensations in his work.
The story of his life modifier
This " lifts" the viewer is how Leonard Cohen expressed himself in 1999 on Hydra while attending an exhibition at the Melina Mercouri Hall of Michael's paintings and sculptures. Mr. Cohen wrote in the guest book " thanks for the lift".
Indeed the hundreds of his collectors around the globe feel a similar emotion.
The painter Roy Lichtenstein whom Michael Lawrence visited at his home in 1980 commented that his work was energetic, joyful and colorful." Michael brought several canvases along to show Roy and Dorothy. Roy gave Michael atour of his studio. Dorothy made lunch for them. Michael read Roy a verse play he had written and performed MODIGLIANI IN FLORESCENT.
Roy appreciated the combinations of artists and ideas in Michael's play, at that time he himself was working on a reflection of the Der Blaue Reiter group of Expressionist painters. Painters that Michael deeply admires. One can see influences of Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Franz Marc filtering through some of Michael's canvases.
In 1975 Ray Bradbury in a charming letter compared a series of abstractions he had viewed at the artist's studio to "fourth of Julies explosions" and added " there is a sly touch here and there, a frolic, an incipient delight to celebrate." These works were shown at the Ruth Schaffer Gallery in LA.
Robert Kelly with whom Michael studied philosophy and poetry recently commented in the Bardian Alumni Magazine(winter 2018). " Michael brought with him a genuine sophistication, the earnest quietness of a man who was learning tolive for his work."
In 1962 attending Bard, majoring in sculpture, he went to visit the famous cubist Jacques Lipchitz. Jacques was impressed by the portfolio of work the 18 year old had brought to show him including a cement carving commission by Rex Lotery for a house Rex had designed in Beverly Hills. There were portrait heads as well and shortly after Jacques arranged for a discount for a casting of Emil Hauser at the Modern Art Foundry where he had his work cast. Bard had asked Michael to honor Hauser who was retiring. He had been a co-founder of the Budapest String Quartet and had taught at Bard for many years.
While these acknowledgements were very encouraging it was his work that provided a living. Before coming to Hydra Michael had been one of a handful of artists who first set up residence in downtown Los Angeles where he lived for twelve years.
In 1981 he participated in the then prestigious ARCO CENTER FOR THE ARTS and an exhibition at the SECURITYPACIFIC BANK. A review in the LA TIMES established Michael as an innovator scandalizing both the public and art critics with his three dementional 'cookie' paintings.
Playful daubs of metalized color darted across large canvases in groups or as single saucers announcing themselves, heralding space with a new shape, upsetting the normally flat surface of a canvas with concave cookies.
Living on Hydra Island since 1992 brought into focus the co- existence of contemporary life and antiquity; the reality hehad delighted in when as a child of seven and a half years old he discovered the Roman Forum, saw fountains shootingwater with a splendor of expression and stared at Michelangelo in Saint Peter's Cathedral or in the Sistine Chapel. Therewas also the Etruscans and antique shops near piazza di Espania that brought the ancient to life. The murals beneath theground where dancers and flute players decorated walls with a celebration.
Rome was an endless playground of expression to explore. Walking the streets of Rome, exploring history was theenchanting adventure he often observed after school. His first drawings were of fountains, a theme or subject he returnsto as it still gives him pleasure to recreate. In Rome he began to paint pictures to decorate his room. These were exhibited at the Colony Restaurant where many foreigners in the arts came together. Clowns with Cyrano de Bergeracnoses and landscapes of lake Bracciano painted in oils from memory where amoung the collected works on view.
One painting was commissioned by an English couple, they wanted a house with a picket fence. A completed canvas wassold to the owner of the Residence Palace Hotel which was on the same street where the Lawrences lived, ViaArchemides. This was the beginning of Michael's adventures in the selling of his art works.
Later in London he sold a street scene he had painted rather than attending school. Stanley Baker the actor who Michael had met making HELEN OF TROY acquired this watercolor for one pound and 'high tea' in the garden both families enjoying the summer afternoon.
Michael's parents were artists who made their living working in Hollywood. His father Marc Lawrence [[1]] appeared in over 178 films in a career that spanned 60 years. His mother Fanya Foss [[2]] was a playwright and senariast. She wrote poetry,radio plays and a novel had been optioned for film, ASK NO RETURN about the depression years and three relationships in early Greenwich Village days. She collaborated at RKO on five screenplays. Her play ADAM EAT THE APPLE was produced in San Francisco in the 1940's.
In the 1970's Fanya co-wrote PIGS, a horror film which starred Marc and Michael's sister, Toni Lawrence.
A painting based on Fellini's CLOWNS painted at a studio Michael used at the American Film Institute paid for the filmscore composed by Charles Bernstein.
In 1967 Michael had been commissioned to make monumental bronze castings for the opening film credits for THEROYAL HUNT FOR THE SUN.
Today sister Toni Lawrence is a ceramisist. Her work is whimsical and often features animals or her own memories of growing up in Rome. The film is considered a classic of that gendre and the performances of his father and sister are still much admired.
Their parents encouraged their being artists and opened a few of the doors necessary to survive as you might conclude from the above just mentioned events. Nevertheless it was a question of circumstances falling into place, of one thingleading to another which is what creating in life or in an artist studio is what reality offers.
Most interesting were some of his parents friends, who guided and acquired work and others who associated with Michael and his sister because his parents were successful in Hollywood.
It was exciting for Michael to have meet several personalities whom he would not have otherwise known. Especially Ray Bradbury with whom Michael corresponded for thirty years a meaningful relationship as they both shared an optimismand work ethic, an underlying joy in creating one's own world and the companionship they shared.
Michael has written about his encounters in TRIPPING WITH JIM MORRISON AND OTHER FRIENDS, MY VOYAGE IN ART, LOADED BRUSH and other published articles in the LA FREE PRESS 1966 and the Castelliana Hilton Magazine during that same year.
Short illustrated books include MODIGLIANI IN FLORESCENT, THE SEXUAL LIFE OF BREAD, HYDRA / a GODDESS and VOICE AND VISION (A collaboration with poet Politimi Sansey).
His work is represented in museum collections on Hydra the Koundouriotis Museum and the Archives Museum. Moderna Museet, Stockholm, LACMA and the public library at MoMA also have his work.
Diverse collectors include film maker Oliver Stone and Her Magesty Queen Elizabeth and hundreds of others share enjoying his work. He is represented by the GALLERIE Dumas in Linz, Austria and the Richard Sumner Gallery in Palo Alto, California.
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Curriculum Vitae modifier
- 2011 – Melina Mercouri Exhibition Hall, recent landscapes, etc. ‘A Day in Spring’ may 16-25 Hydra
- 2010 – The book “My Voyage in Art” becomes available from the artist. Melina Mercouri Hall, Hydra. September 25th – October 15th Exhibition, paintings and sculptures. Film documentary currently in the making, by Aegis Films, Athens.
- 2009 – Belfast, Golden Thread Gallery – Water colors and bronzes
- 2008 – Works on 24 new waxes for bronze castings. Continues preparations for May-June exhibition at Melina Mercouri Hall, Hydra, Greece..
- 2007 – Begins work on book My Voyage in Art. Makes new works for bronze.
- 2005 – Silva Foundation exhibits and buys paintings and sculpture for travelling exhibition to support Skyros Ponies.
- 2004 – University of California, Davis, uses Text of Jim & I for Drama Department.
- 2003 – Publishes Jim & I: Jim Morrison and Other Friends with iUniverse.com.
- 2000-2007 – Exhibits annually on Island of Hydra, Greece, at Melina Mercouri Hall.
- 2000 – Donates Family of Man sculpture to City of Hydra, Greece, for their new art foundation.
- 1999 – One-man exhibition at Littenberg Gallery, NYC.
- 1995 – One-man exhibition at Russel Gallery, Denver, of watercolors and bronzes.
- 1994 – Does first bronze castings in Greece. One man exhibition at Wenger Gallery of oil paintings based on Federico Fellini’s film.
- 1992 – Makes lithographs in Sweden, one of which is collected by Moderna Museet, Stockholm. Travels to Greece. One-man show at Imagolit Gallery, Stockholm.
- 1988 – One-man show at Wenger Gallery of large watercolors.
- 1987 – One-man show at Wenger Gallery, Los Angeles, of neo-expressionist oil paintings.
- 1984 – Travels to Paris, works in etching atelier, and does first color lithograph.
- 1983 – Does benefit exhibition with Andre Mirapolsky for Para los Ninos, a downtown LA daycare center.
- 1981 – Exibits impasto Saucer paintings at ACRO Center for Visual Arts and Security Pacific Exhibition Hall. Writes the first version of Jim & I.
- 1980 – Visits Roy Lichtenstein and reads his Modigliani in Florescent, a verse play on the art world. Sends 150 copies as gifts to friends. Also performs in various venues. One man exhibition at J. Walter Thompson Co. of Skaters impasto acrylics.
- 1978-1979 – Teaches life drawing at East LA City College.
- 1977-1988 – Maintains a studio at 239 South LA Street in Los Angeles.
- 1975 – One man show at Ruth Schaffner Gallery, “Flash Exhibition” of brush paintings. Meets Ray Bradbury and begins a long friendship.
- 1972 – One man exhibition at Greer Gallery, NYC, showing Alice-Lewis Carroll bronzes.
- 1971 – Is given a studio at AFI (American Film Institute) in Los Angeles. Makes first sponge paintings.
- 1970 – Group exhibition at Star Turtle Gallery, NYC.
- 1968 – One-man exhibition at Sequier Gallery, Madrid, showing lithographs and sculptures based on James Joyce’s Ulysses.
- Commissioned to do portrait heads for the feature film Royal Hunt of the Sun.
- 1966 – Graduates from UCLA with a BFA. Travels to Spain. Publishes articles in the Castellana Hilton Magazine on the artists Manolo Millares, Martin Churino, Paco Barón. Exhibits at Juana Mardo Gallery in Spain and at Silvia Blatas’ Gallery in Paris.
- 1963 – Fellow at Huntington Hartford Foundation, Malibu, California. Makes first etchings.
- 1962 – Commissioned by Bard College in NY to do sculpture head of Emil Hauser, founder of Budapest String Quartet. Meets Jacques Lipchitz.
- 1961 – Awarded Honorable Mention in Sculpture from National Society of Arts and Letters in Washington DC.
- 1960 – Commissioned by architect Rex Lotery to do garden sculpture in Los Angeles.
- 1958 – Begins work in clay making portrait heads.
- 1957 – Spends summer in London, painting watercolors.
- 1956 – First exhibition of oil paintings in Rome, Italy.
- 1943 – Born on November 7th in Los Angeles.
[[Catégorie:Art]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Michael Lawrence}} [[Catégorie:Peintre]] [[Catégorie:Artiste]] [[Catégorie:Sculpteur]] [[Catégorie:Écrivain]]