Apologies if the previous post on this subject meandered into pointless reminiscence. A pitfall of amateurs being allowed to blog.
Separate and apart from the LA Times rather lengthy story on Bettie Page, I was recalling a convergence of creative talents, which were all - at one point in time - related to an aesthetic interest in her. Bob Blue was definitely in the avant garde, with respect to his choice of subject matter. And Jeff Rund was light years ahead of folks as a trend and talent spotter.
Speaking as a painter, not a historian - that is, with all sorts of aesthetic prejudices (so take my opinion with a grain of salt) - I appreciated Blue’s excellent taste and remarkable foresight in artistic focus, but I never thought all that highly of his wrist skills. Olivia DeBerardinis, though, developed pretty quickly into a very good painter. Much of her exploration in style and technique were issues I happened to explore simultaneously (she with infinitely greater success). I got to watch her skill - in terms of technical proficiency and design judgment - evolve and blossom. And I admired it quite a lot, for she accomplished much of what I had myself set out to do, in those regards.
However, not that it was exactly evident in the cover art for Jeff Rund’s books on Bettie, Todd Schorr has become a truly great painter. His work is an encyclopedic document of pop culture through the decades. He has a supreme command of tools and technique. He has created a distinctive fantasy world, populated by very familiar - if somewhat transformed - characters. And his work is accessible to folks, unlike so much of modern and contemporary art. (Not that everybody likes it; there have been protests of work he’s exhibited.) But - in my humble opinion - Todd has a skill and vision every bit as powerful and compelling and historic as, say, Salvador Dali, or Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
I’ve known Todd, and his wife Kathy (who is an excellent painter, in her own right) for a long time (and I started ripping Todd off from the very beginning). So I suppose that should be factored into any evaluation of my personal appraisal. And it is only history, of course, that will ultimately decide what’s really worthwhile. But I just have no doubts that Todd’s work will enjoy a very very long and much respected life. (His work is already pretty expensive, but if you can afford it, one of his paintings would be a most rewarding investment - as well as a fun-filled adventure, every time you’d look at it.)
If you can’t quite manage the expense of an original painting, or giclée print, there are a couple books of Todd’s work available.
Secret Mystic Rites: The Art of Todd Schorr
Dreamland
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