Art for hire...
Recently
this Norman Rockwell concept sketch was in the shop
to be re-framed. Rockwell would rough sketch a
proposed painting, present it to a potential client
and solicit feedback. Hopefully he would be awarded
the project, finish the piece, get paid and then move
unto the next project.
Does the fact that an artist is directed what to
paint diminish the art itself? Not at all. Artists
who can support themselves strictly on their own
creative output are rare. And it is a minor step from
an artist taking on a commissioned project to a
full-time commercial illustrator. The net result
might not be an artist's first choice, but finding
opportunity to be creative within the boundaries of a
client's expectations requires both a unique skill
set and maturity as an artist.
This is the segue into an upcoming exhibit that was
just finalized this week. The working title (and it
will change soon) is "Tough Guys and Tough Cookies"
and will be a presentation of original art used for
pulp magazine covers. This art typically presents
scenes of over-the-top drama, usually with somebody
in peril. It is a sub-genre illustration art that
required efficiency and productivity on the part of
the artists. The pay checks were smaller than most of
their colleagues, but it paid the bills and allowed
artists to create art for a living.
This is the third year in a row we have had the
pleasure of working with Grapefruit Moon Gallery. The
first two shows (original pin-up art and original
Cream of Wheat art) were very successful. This will
be a bit different, but consistent with the idea of
presenting 20th century illustration art and various
subsets. More details next week.