Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

Last January I had a stroke. Shortly before that I found out I had several others. At that time my right hand started acting strange. So I tried doing a painting to see if I still could. That ended up being “Who are the Quick and the Dead.” After the larger one I tried another painting, a large one of myself. I had told my wife that I wanted to get looser in my painting. The work is looser but now I see that I also want the control. It’s a little scary to try to paint now, but it will only get better if I do. I am thankful that my wife, Patsy, made a good decision in the course she took and I know that it was not an easy one. I love her and know how much she loves me even if I don’t always show it.

I thank all who did exhibits of my work, even when it wasn’t the most recent. Lara dragon for doing a retrospective titled “This Was Now” Nicole Royce for including me in the “Celebrity” exhibit, Fred Tieken for putting me in the inaugural show at the new Tiegen Gallery, and to Randy Slack for including me in the “Sweet 16 Chose Theory”. It was a busy autumn. Though I only sold at Tiegen so far, at least it was seen. In all I have sold more than van Gogh did in his life. And I’ve been included in galleries that featured Pattie Boyd and Linda McCartnry.

Thinking back, I used to do paintings about death. They were sometimes unreadable. I didn’t really think that much about what I was saying. Death has become more close to me now. I have lost both of my parents and I came close myself, almost a year ago. As a friend of mine said, “I don’t mind ding; I just don’t want to hurt.” I can relate to that. The life we have is actually quite short, which becomes clearer as the end gets closer, more noticeable as time runes out. I hope this isn’t too depressing. Just trying to say do what’s important while there is time. Really search for the importance.

I Did do a painting not to long ago when both my wife’s and my mother were both thinking about ding, not wanting to be on dialysis any longer. Originally I was going to do something different with me standing behind an empty chair, but then decided to use a Photo my wife took of me in Venice at the French pavilion. I did change the face (Looking sideways) and the background.

The French Pavillion 

I did get to go to France for the fourth time this last summer. For a while it seemed not so, but in the end we went. Didn’t get to Spain as I Hoped but thanks to a friend and Patsy’s sister we went. Didn’t get to visit all the paces I hoped to but had a good time just the same. It was nice to spend some time in Arles and see the van Gogh drawing exhibit. We did get to the Orangerie in Paris too. Hope to get back soon.

That’s all for now. I need to get back to painting...

Art & Music

Art & Music

Art and music are combined in my mind. A while back I realized that the reason I do many of my paintings in a square is the influence of the album cover art. Many of the bands of the so called British Invasion that moved me into music had members that had gone to or met in art school. Take for instance The Beatles, Paul McCartney at age eleven won a prize for a drawing he did. Paul and Ringo both do paintings now. John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe met in art school. Another Brian Epstein managed group Gerry & the Pacemakers’ Movie “Ferry Cross The Mersey” featured them at art school. Kieth Richards was in art school when the Rolling Stons began and where the Talking Heads meet?  The Kinks were an early favorite of mine so I was happy to here that my brother who goes by Sonny, (who I had been in a band with) was in a band with their drummer Mick Avory when he lived in Europe. I had been in a band and written songs with Brad Buxer who would go on to wright and play with Michel Jackson and Stevie Wonder after leaving the Jetzons. All in all, part of my creative juices has always been toward music. Why I bought a drum set a rhythm box and a recorder in the 80s and began writing songs instead of painting. I’ve always been drawn to guitars especialy the classics like Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker, even though I never played one in a band. To old to Rock & Roll to young to die… So make iphonrt. see photos and link below

Paul McCartney with painting near Tucson, Arizona. 

Photo by Linda McCartney

 Spooo wth Sonny center. 

Below- 

Billy Ohare Trio — with Mick Avery on drums  at Den haag Netherlands.Sonny on bass, far left.

Below, From the book, According to The Rolling Stones, 1962

Below from Bill Wymans book Rolling With the Stones

Copenhaver with Brad Buxer far right. Boy we had long hair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wyxEM1_f4s

2015...In Revew

So this year…2015...

Started by being accepted into the Southwest Invitational for the third time and also the traveling exhibt. This show was exhibited first at the Yuma Art Center in Yuma Arizona May 10 – May 30, 2015. then it went to the West Valley Art HQ June 26-Aug. 7, 2015, next was the Prescott College Art Gallery Sept. 5 to Oct. 17, 2015, finishing the Year at the Tubac Center for the Arts in Tubac, Arizona from October28-to Dec. 28, 2015. From there it will go to the Coconino Center for the Arts January 12 to February 17 2016 and finish up at the Phoenix Airport Museum February 27 until August 15, 2016.

Yuma Art Center

Also seen in this exhibit are Christine Cassano, Elizabeth Cheche, Jeff Falk, Sarah Kriehn and Annie Lopez. Be sure and catch it if you can.

I was invited to show at the Agora Gallery in New York and the Colorida Gallery in Lisban, Portugal, But the cost didn't seem to fit with the posibilty of showing there, so I passed.

Then came a busy autumn...

First was being invited by Randy Slack to show at the 16^th annual Chaos Theory at Legend City, in October...

Legend City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-FqLASkTC0

Closely followed by the inaugural exhibit at the new Tieken Gallery...

Tieken Gallery

Next was  A Retrospective Held by Laura Dragon at 9 the Gallery titled “This Was Now” in late November...

9 the Gallery

Lastly was the “Celebrity” exhibit at Shade Projects in the monOrchid building put on by Artist/Director Nicole Royce in December...

Celebrity

The Year in Review…2014

“Painting is really hard, It’s about accepting your limitations but reaching for the moon.”
                                                                                          -Damian Hirst

Click on photos to make bigger.

I see facebook posts each of our year’s in review. They don’t seem to go back very far though, or show what was important to us. So here is my 2014 in ART.

The year started with the last of Messin’ with the Masters at the Mesa Contemporary Art Museum. I have to say that was pretty cool. To top it off was when their acquisition comity took one of my paintings into their permanent collection. Thanks go to Colette Pecenka and Tiffany Fairall for their help.

The Birth of Marilyn...left at MCA Museum

As for other group shows I was one of the ones selected for the Arizona Artist’s Collective’ s first juried exhibit “Freedom & Justice for Art” at  {9} The Gallery and my piece was used for the invitation.

The Invitation

New City Studio included me in there Perceived Reality: The Art of the Self Portrait show and used my painting for their promotions including a poster.

My Painting as Poster...right

Last but not least I was once again honored by Randy Slack to be included in Chaos Theory 15, at Legend City. Unfortunately I couldn’t make the opening because I had plans to be in New York at that time. I did get to see a Toulouse-Lautrec show at MoMA and the Jeff Koons show at the old Whitney. I still have mixed feelings about Koons.

The Fashionistas...left at Legend City

Speaking of Randy Slack it was nice to get to see his early work at his one man show at the Lures City Center.

Another honor was when my wife and I received an invitation to Colin Chillag & Jenna Dunkin’s wedding reception.

May they always have those smiles.

 Best of all was Kristin Shears inviting me to have a one person exhibit at her Willo North Gallery.

Willo North Gallery

This turned out good in that Amy Young reviewed it in Java Magazine and the ubiquitous Nicoll Royce wrote it up in LocalRevibe Magazine. Nicole also covered me in East Valley Magazine and Yab Yum. Like I said she seems to be everywhere, beside all her wrighting she curates at monOrchid, Willo North and makes art. (See links below.) I was also invited to show at Colorida Gallery in Lisban, Portigal, but the expense was all on me. Being cost prohibitive I declined.

The bad part of the year was having a TIA that left the function of my right side off kilter. So I’ve been learning to paint anew.  Hence the quote at the top. I think I need to get back to more drawing. Then there was getting my review rejected by ArtNews…J

So fare it looks like I'll be in at least 2 group shows coming in 2015

http://javamagaz.com/June2014Page16and17.html

http://localrevibe.com/lets-get-cinematic-larry-willis-willo-north/

https://www.yabyumwest.com/2014/10/larry-willis-answers-yabyum-seven.html

http://issuu.com/eastvalleymagazine/docs/ev1014/c/slhhlxi?fb_action_ids=10201769104109735&fb_action_types=og.shares

 Talking Heads Rouchenberg cover

Why The Music Touched Me.

There have been several bands or artists that have affected and influenced me in certain ways through the years. Most of all it was that they seemed to be having fun doing what they were doing. They each in one way or another made me want to be in that band or be them. They left me wanting more. All had some connection to art, whether it was attending art school, using artist for their covers or having an artistic bent.

The First was the BEATLES. Like so many others at the time when I saw them on Ed Sullivan I wanted to be in a band like so many others. What I liked about them was the harmonies & the melodies tied to a rock beat. They were a good cover band too, as seen on their first few albums. Before them Radio was fodder for the masses. They and the British bands in their wake changed everything. So I started a band with my neighbors Jim Carson who already played lead guitar and next door Gary who took up guitar. I was left to the drums. We knew little about bass, but we had fun. It didn’t hurt that they had art school connections and pop artist did two of there covers.

Later my friend Steve Smith got me hooked on ROD STEWART when he was with Jeff Beck. When Stewart went on to do his own stuff it was his use of unconventional instruments like the mandolin, acoustic slide and banjo that hooked me. It was especially that extraordinary voice. I wanted to sing like that so I tried gargling with brandy to get it. In the end it was really the feeling he had that did it. This was of course before Clive Davis led him astray. I was in a band at this time that was more bluesy rock & roll with a Stones, Faces influence named Samurai. Jim was Lead guitar again in that band, my brother was the bass player. Of all the bands I was in this one was a lot of fun.

DAVID BOWEY came along at right time for me. At the time of Ziggy Stardust I wanted more so I searched out his earlier stuff. His main influence at that time was lyrics since the band I was in which was an extension of Samurai was more progressive and going for a jazz influence.We were called Spooo. We were too smart for our own good. My brother was the bass player in that band. Ralf, one f the guitarists is still a close friend.

It was when the TALKING HEADS came along that I started getting into rhythm and new wave. Their was something fresh about them. Again there was an art school connection they met at the Long Island School of Design and Robert Rauschenberg did a cover for them.

I had quit music by this time but they were an influence on the paintings I was doing at the time.

This brings me to LUCIUS. I discovered this band while researching Belgian pop painter Evelyn Axell. I found them because Axell did their first album cover. They have everything I saw in the other bands, five singers for the harmonies/voices, rhythm tied to melodies and a joy that comes across in their live shows. I like their choice of cover tunes also. Their instrumentation is unconventional and uses slide guitar. Like the others they look like a band I would like to be in, but I don’t know what I would do, all they seem to lack is a bass. I guess they know little about bass, but it looks like they are having fun. Again a band one wants to be a part of, I don't know what I would do though, I play drums and they are a drummers dream.  They too seem to know little about bass. I like there retro look and stance also.

One side of me wants to keep an artist as my secret, but then I think everyone should hear them…the dilemma. I do hope they get as big as the others.

Link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKH0-dV4n9k

Paris TV Concert

Peter Blake Beatles Cover

ART NEWS REVIEWS

This is a note I got from ArtNews for the Review I Sent them of the David Dauncy show, photos included. (I'm not sure who sined it,) I actually expected a at least a form letter. ArtNews is still my favorite art magazine. Phoenix deserves and should get more coverage. I since sent by email another (down below), we’ll see what happens...

DAVID DAUNCEY:  

Resent People

{9} The Gallery & Chaose Theory 15

Phoenix, Arizona

Painting has long been hailed as dead by many. If so, portraiture is its long gone, bastard cousin. This despite the existence and popularity of artists like Jenny Saville and Chuck Close. One Arizona based artist that pushes forward with the portrait is David Dauncey Born in Britton Dauncey has lived in the U.S. since 1994.  He has for a number of years displayed his paintings at Chaos Theory, a group exhibit looked forward to each year by the Phoenix art crowd. p Chaos Theory is mounted by fellow artist Randy Slack. In conjunction with this year’s group exhibit Dauncy has a solo show at 9 the Gallery. Dauncey concentrates on the face or a portion of the image painting out sections of the work with a solid neutral color. The offerings in size range from small to large, though none are as big as the offerings of Saville or Close. As a matter of fact some of the best in the show are Max, Vincent and Jasper, all small paintings of children. Two years ago Dauncey’s offering for the Chaos Theory show was a large portrait of his daughter Ruby. His work shown at this year’s Chaos Theory 15 is another large portrait titled simply Steven. Of his recent work this is his best.  Dauncey has stated, “the realm of portraiture intimidates and excites me.” The people of Phoenix can be happy that Dauncey shares his love of the portrait with them. We can only hope he continues to excite us despite his hope to locate to the south of France

 The second emailed review, still waiting for a response…

RANDY SLACK: Retrospective

From The Luhrs Basement and Beyond

Luhrs City Center – December 5, 2014

The Luhrs Building, is where Randy Slack, along with two other artists, collectively known as Three Car Pileup, took on studios in the basement almost 20 years ago. For one night only the Luhrs Building invited Slack back for a retrospective exhibition. In his work Slack incorporates, family, pop culture, lettering, along with icons from art history. One of the larger works in the show, a takeoff on Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Super, titled 7 Deadly Sins, incorporates most of these. One of the strongest works in the show is titled Mother Nature which is done in acrylic and gold leaf. It pictures several cherubic children surrounding, climbing on and feeding at a Central woman. This mirrors the mother and child paintings from the renaissance. Other paintings incorporate Slack’s method of overlapping imagery until what is going on gets obscured or even cryptic, though Slack knows the meaning behind it all. One large piece that is central to the exhibit is an installation incorporating a life-size painting of his grandparents’ living room on gold leaf along with their furniture titled Light without Light that was last displayed at ASU’s Art Museum. The newer paintings exhibit like the others, a take on Slacks interest of the moment. These display classic  Volkswagens and surfing. It was a well-attended show, for those unaqointed with Slack’s paintings, it afforded an opportunity to see his progress and the maturity of his early work.                                                                          Larry Willis

Adventures in Scottsdale.

The Gallery I showed at on Marshall Way

Scottsdale looms on the horizon of the Phoenix art scene. Some see it as a commercial pit of southwest art to be avoided. Others see it as the place to be, where collectors go to buy.

I started showing my work in the 1980s when there were few venues for artists in Phoenix. Basically there were Alwun House 11 East Ashland and Mars Gallery which would open its walls to non- Hispanic artists once a year with their La Phoeniquera juried show. I had the opportunity to exhibit at each of these but Scottsdale was the mecca one strived for. There were only a few galleries handeling local contemporary talent though. There was Marilyn Buttler who had Fritz Scholder, Mark McDowell, Christopher Pelley and Earl Linderman. Elaine Horwitch with David Kessler, Bill Schenck, John Dawson, Ka Graves and others. There was Susanne Brown Who leaned more towards the Southwest with Merrill Mahafeey, Joe Baker, Anne Coe, Howard Post and the likes. Eventually Lisa Sette would move her operation to Scottsdale from Tempe.

I loved to go to the Thursday night openings, especially at Horwich and Buttler which were fun events where you could chat with Fritz Scholder and the like. There would sometimes be film crews making documentaries about featured artists. One time KAET covered a Linderman opening live. All making it seem a real art scene to be part of. Scottsdale Center for the arts did exhibits of local artists back then, before they split away and became SMoCA. After spending an evening in front of The Joy Tash Gallery visiting with Bill Schenck and Mark Hobley I decided to give that gallery a shot. I’m not sure why I picked Tash’s gallery, the work  it handled was nothing like what I was doing. In my naivety I rang up and asked to have my work looked at. I was granted an interview. I showed up with slides and a few paintings. Ms. Tash looks at my stuff, Is very gracious but in the end tells me she granted me a meeting because on the phone she thought I said I was Loren Willis. The assistant director walked me out to my car and said she really liked my work. That was a nice consolation.

Next Leslie Levy Gallery had a juried show titled “Contemporary Critters”. I entered and was accepted. I was excited that I was going to be in a Scottsdale gallery. I went to the opening and the gallery was full of art hung Salon style. The walls were so crowded it seemed the jurors must have accepted every submission. Hardly anyone was there except for a few of the artists in the show. Anne Coe who was in the show was there for about a minute before taking off for the Horwitch Gallery where the real party was going on. I soon took off myself having the same let down feeling you have the day after your first Psychedelic experience.

A couple of years ago I went to Scottsdale, not having been in some time, to see if there might be any opportunities. Walking down Marshal Way I stopped into a place and the owner told me to send in some images so I did. I was invited to show but it turned out to be a gallery where you pay a monthly fee to hang. I went ahead and showed for a month at which time the landlord locked the doors because the people running the place and a boutique next door were behind on the rent. In the end I and several other artists had to come up with the back rent to get our works out. We were told by the gallery owners they would pay us back, but I’ve yet to see it.

Soon after that I was checking galleries on Main Street and in one place the owner told me to email some images. I did and was invited to show. This place was hung floor to ceiling side by side, having the appearance of a thrift store. I remembered what David Kessler once said to me at that, it was better to not be with a gallery than to be in the wrong one. Having already made a few mistakes in this regard I decided to heed those words and pass this time.

Scottsdale is not what it once was. Many of those older galleries have closed. Ka Graves said to me one time, that her view was, When Elane Hrwitch died the soul went out of Scottsdale. 

More recently in Scottsdale, Lisa Sette and Bentley have left, others have closed. Bonner David and Gibert are holding down the contemporary fort. Earl Linderman Who was once a Scottsdale star is represented by Wilde Meyer but you have to ask to see his work. Sadly another Gallery that was lost long ago was Ivan Karp's OK Harris West on Marshall Way.

Scottsdale doesn’t have the panache or give me the desire to show there that it once did. I just wish Phoenix would have more “real” galleries that represent and push artists’ careers forward, especially mine... ;)