Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gary Lichtenstein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gary , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I had always been a creative kid but it wasn’t until I arrived at the San Francisco Art Institute, in the early 70s, that I considered pursuing visual art professionally. It was there that I met my mentor, Robert Fried, with whom I eventually worked as an apprentice.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am an abstract expressionist painter and a master silkscreen printer. I’ve been in the business for 49 years and I have worked with over one hundred artists during that time.
Legendary rock & roll poster artist Bob Fried was one of my earliest influences and also one of my greatest. A pioneer of silkscreen production, Fried was among the first to use the medium to produce original works of art; his psychedelic, 1960s poster art was embraced by rock bands such as Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Santana, Genesis and Steppenwolf. By the time I met him, Fried had moved away from the rock art genre and was focused exclusively on the creation of original silkscreen prints and sculpture. Together, we dove into what was, at the time, relatively new territory: embracing the unique method of painting through silk – effectively taking an image apart and putting it back together again, screen by screen, color by color, layer by layer. During our 2 ½ year collaboration, we produced original artwork that would grace the highly anticipated Baha Exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1975. Fried’s untimely death, however, two days before the opening of the exhibition, took the San Francisco art world by surprise. It also inspired the launch, three years later, of SOMA Fine Art, my first entrepreneurial venture.
My work has been shown and collected by, among others, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian, the Chicago Art Institute, the Butler Institute of American Art and the College of Art & Architecture at the University of Tennessee. The Fried screen print collection can be found at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Whitney Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I’m not sure if this is a story of resilience…. it might just be one of luck.
When the pandemic hit and all non-essential businesses had to close, we weren’t sure what would become of Gary Lichtenstein Editions. Remember in the early days, no one knew how long the closure of businesses would last. On the second day of the closure, however, silkscreen printing was deemed essential due to the overwhelming need for health and safety signage. We pivoted immediately and went to work, pro bono, for a non profit organization called Urban Pathways. Urban Pathways moves at risk and homeless individuals off the streets and into apartments — it is not part of the shelter system. Residents receive health care, education, job training, meals and psychological counseling. At the time, there were plenty of CDC posters that could be printed out but everybody at Urban Pathways agreed that they were not a terribly effective communication tool — not when the individuals they were meant for might not understand them, might not pay attention and might, bottom line, be too afraid to look too closely. The psychological and emotional issues at hand were overwhelming and United Pathways was desperate for another option when it came to. the distribution of critical information that needed to be front & center, in all of their buildings, 24/7. If the messaging was framed in a colorful and interesting way, and was successfully “delivered” as a result, it would be a win-win for everybody.
We teamed up with Eric Orr, an artist with whom we frequently work, and he designed the artwork for the thousands of posters we printed and shipped. We also printed 400 t-shirts for the essential workers employed by Urban Pathways. At the end of 2020, when data scientists began to look at the year end numbers, it was discovered that the residents of Urban Pathways buildings faired better than the residents of other, similar non profit facilities. It was such a rewarding experience and, while it didn’t lead to more commercial work like this, it kept us working and positively focused during an incredibly uncertain and scary time.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Learn about the artists and their practice. Spread the word. Be a connector. Buy the work that you love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gleditions.com
- Instagram: @garylichtensteineditions
- Facebook: Gary Lichtenstein Editions
- Linkedin: Gary Lichtenstein
- Youtube: Gary Lichtenstein Editions
- Other: garylichtensteinart.com
Image Credits
Artists: Cey Adams, Janette Beckman, Martha Cooper, Marika Maijala, Robert Scott and Eric Orr