The iconic Peter Max
After dropping off art at Rising Gallery yesterday I remembered hearing about Peter Max having a show in town somewhere nearby. It seemed like a good day to hunt it down....after lunch. I had my first Twisted Root experience. It was good and the way they call you a celebrity name at the counter was funny. Although I was not thrilled with my name. Everyone else when called to the counter had a funny little joke, quote or lyric with theirs. Mine was simply called out straight and really what else can you say with a name like PINK. PINK?!?!?! Ha!
At the drink machine I saw the word root beer and filled her up. I took a drink, this was supposed to be amazing root beer. What filled my mouth was not the taste of root beer at all. I was dizzy for a second as pure sugar rushed through my blood. What was this taste....so familiar...almost like cream soda, kinda like root beer but...no...it was...BUBBLE GUM! Then I spied a little piece of paper taped above the root beer sign that said BUBBLE GUM ROOT BEER. I felt like I was a 5 year old again discovering the first pure tastes with newborn tastebuds. It was amazing and sweet, I had to have a refill and walk out the door with the straw permanently attached to my lips.
Then it was off to find the candy colored world of Peter Max. Oh it was at the Crescent lah dee dah! I felt frumpy all of a sudden. Oh well! Found the gallery Wisby-Smith, hadn't ever been there, and without realizing the show wasn't even fully hung yet went inside where the proprietor told us nicely to have fun looking around while he kept installing. Room after room of Peter Max. I of course loved the old familiar images, the ones that brought yellow submarines and blue meanies to mind. Some of the stuff was cranked...as one can do if you are Peter Max. Heres a quick render of a heart with my name by it...and that will be 2 grand sir! Hell yes, Peter Max you have it made. Talked to the guy running the gallery for a bit and dropped him my card to let him know about my art show this Friday. Peter Max will actually be in town at the show this weekend. Im contemplating going. Actvually Peter Max is influential in my work, the psychedelic colors and flat graphic style has always appealed to me. But when people see my work I get a very interesting and recurring statement "Your work looks Asian". I think thats pretty interesting. I LOVE Asian art but have never purposely tried to mimic it. Murakami is awesome, the scale, detail, flatness, colors. But whats most interesting to me about that statement is that one of the most influential things that guided my newest works were in fact the Tibetan monks who do the sand mandalas.
After I saw the way they work tirelessly, lovingly, so intently and PATIENTLY on filling the beautiful design with grains of sand that is only going to be destroyed...it changed my approach to things. Give it your all. Take your time. Love it. It is an extension of you and although I don't aim to destroy my work anytime soon it is temporary just as I am. It will be here after I'm gone (hopefully) so it should reflect me, my heart. It is my creation, why would I half ass it? So I too work tirelessly, lining, layering, filling in colors completely- two, three times, perfecting as best I can and most importantly learning much in the process. Learning patience and that all you need is love for what you are doing. Quite simply.
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