Monthly Studio Update - October, 2001

MONTHLY STUDIO UPDATE: OCTOBER 2001

 

Monthly Studio Update is where I will bring you up to date on recently finished work, works in progress, and on upcoming lectures, exhibitions, and other aspects of my career.

 

Non-Studio Updates:

September's online exhibition was a moderate success and I am glad that could donate 10% of the proceeds, $100,  towards the heroic firefighters from New York.  Thank you.

 

    The first wave of mailings of the Conquer the World package has gone out and consequently some exciting developments are occurring:

1) New Zealand's The Free Radical will be doing a feature based on my work and on the content in the package.

2) Carolyn Ray, in-house philosopher at Enlightenment, will conduct an in-depth interview with me in the not too distant future.

3) The Contemporary Museum of Greek Art in Rhodes has scheduled me to participate in a group exhibition, Nov. 24th to Dec. 7, and for a solo exhibition 19th of Jan. to the first of February.

 

     Immediately after the terrorist attack on America I didn't feel happy and free enough to paint or draw.   Instead I wrote an article, Terrorism and Postmodern Art.  I am sending it now to some mainstream culture and art magazines.  Postmodern art is based on the concept of anti-art and in the article I simply take them seriously.

Update (10-5-2001) The article has been accepted by The Free Radical for their magazine but it can be read now on their satellite web site, Solo.  Terrorism and Postmodern Art.

Update (10-7-2001) Yesterday I received two comments on the article:

"Superb"  

"This is really good. Visionary & surgical."

    Last month was the first time that I checked my site's stats.  I am happy to note that it got 2,000 hits for that month.

 

 

Studio Updates:

Though this is not a recent work, I made it when I was 23,  I thought it would be interesting for you to see.  It is my one attempt at sculpture.  Perhaps I will return to sculpture sometime in the future.

 

Woman's Head, 1979, bronze, life-size.

 

Woman's Head, 1979, bronze, life-size.

 

Here are two more outdoor pastels recently drawn:

 

1) Seascape, $250 Sold

 

2) Trees, $275 Sold

These drawings are pastel on midnight blue Cansons  paper, 20 x 25 inches,  51 x 64 cm.

I still have pastels available at September's Studio Update page.

 

I have painted a great deal on Little Goddess.  The background was radically changed and I have put in tons of hours on very subtle nuances of her body.  The last haul in finishing a major work is the most difficult period of painting, every touch has got to be right, and when those touches work it is exhilarating.  That is where I am at now with her and, hopefully, the very last touch is not far off.

Below are the before and after stages.

 

Before

 

Little Goddess, work in progress, mixed media (began with acrylic and changed to oil), 22 x 26 inches, 56 x 66 cm.

 

I have in the last Updates mentioned the Conquer the World package but only part of its contents are this site.  The Newberry Manifesto is included as well as good reproductions of 16 of my major works.  Here I would like to include the Postscript of introductory essay by Stephan Hicks.

Postscript

Artistic revolutions are made by a few key individuals. At the heart of every revolution is an artist who achieves originality. A novel theme, a fresh subject, or the inventive use of composition, figure, or color marks the beginning of new era.

Yet for that artist's achievement to reach the rest of the world, others play a crucial role. Collectors, gallery owners, curators, and critics make decisions about which artists are genuinely creating – and, accordingly, about which artists are most deserving of their money, gallery space, and recommendations. Those individuals also make the revolutions. In the broader art world, a revolution depends on those who are capable of recognizing the original artist's achievement and who have the entrepreneurial courage to promote his work.

To all such individuals, I recommend Michael Newberry's work. The following pages should reveal to you a new force in the art world. Newberry's paintings are the work of a strikingly original artist. His accompanying manifesto expresses the principles that animate his being and his paintings – and it expresses them with just the right touch of brazen self-confidence.

Newberry's work speaks to the senses, the intellect, and the passions of those who do not need the judgment of history to tell them what is great, but who can themselves make the judgment of history today.

Stephan R. C. Hicks, Chairman, Department of Philosophy, Rockford College

 

 

Sometime soon I plan to add a link Available Works, but, for now, I will show you a few major available works here.  Updated (February 1st, 2002) I decided pull off the prices for these major works, due to many factors I would like to hold on to them for the present.

 

The Waterfall, 1993-1999, oil on linen, 7 x 5 feet 213 x 155 cm.

 

God Releasing Stars Into the Universe, 1993-2000, oil on linen, 7 x 5 feet 213 x 155 cm.

 

Self-Portrait 2001, acrylic on board, 19 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches 49 x 70 cm.

 

Counterpose, 1990, oil on linen, 35 x 42 inches 89 x 107 cm.

 

Icaros Landing, 2000, acrylic on linen, 36 x 55 inches 92 x 140 cm., $300,000.

The price for Icaros is in anticipation of the changing of the guard at our civilization's art institutions.

That's it for October.