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Note on the paintings

Normally this isn’t something I would do--
to provide comment on paintings--my
paintings--and the reason is: of all the
things you could say about them the last
thing you would say is: I don’t get it. The
paintings are obvious, there is nothing to
interpret, what you see is what is there
and there is nothing more there.

But these paintings are a departure from
the usual, there is an idea that serves to
connect the paintings and I am obliged to
speak. It began with the chef painting
that was a commission, or should I say
request, since I was not being paid, from
the daughter of a friend who was moving
into a new apt and wanted a painting to
properly baptize the pad. She likes to
cook so I decided to do a food related
painting and I thought of The Pastry Chef
by Soutine--easily copied--and I don’t
mind saying I like mine better.

But that gave me an idea: a series of
painting based on people engaged in
various professions or activities.

The Surgeon painting followed. I liked the
idea of the little saw they use to split you
up the middle like a chicken. But who to
use for the surgeon? I needed a face and
the face I came up with was Al Pacino
because surgeons are a popular movie
subject and Al would be perfect for this
type part.

Next: At the Keyboard, loosely based on
Vladimir Horwitz and his bow tie
collection.

The butcher started out to be Scarlett
Johannsen but something I am not good
at, unlike John Singer Sargeant, is the
painting of beautiful women, or what is
even better, to make them look happy.
But I got a painting I liked--the most
important thing.

Then it was on to: ladies hat design.
Fashion interests me and my first
thought was to do a model in some
extravagant outfit and I was looking at
some hats and thought maybe instead of
a model it could be a hat designer at
work on a new creation. Fashion
designers tend not to be tough guys and
since my intention is to avoid the cliche I
settled on Al Capone because who was
ever tougher than Al.

The Dancer. The same idea like with Al
Capone--a tough guy--in this case
Mussolini.

Manchester Signs Stalin. I was at this
time reading a bio of Stalin as a young
man and there was a photograph, quite
striking, unlike the usual pictures when
he became Uncle Joe under whose
benevolent rule 10 or 20 million peasants
died of starvation when the state
confiscated their land and, it also turns
out, he loved soccer.

I wont run down the rest of the list
because by now you get the idea. And
maybe you will like the idea. But either
way--I like the idea.