Biographical Narrative Through Art Exhibition

My wife, Lynn Hanson, and I had a concurrent art show at the Santa Paula Art Museum, in Santa Paula, California . Over a 125 pieces of art representing 30 years of work.

The theme of John Robertson’s narrative is creating a biography through art. John Robertson’s biography visual chronicle created with unique, individual pieces representing different aspects of his life. Although some of the work is very personal they do represent universal themes.

Over the years I have created a lot of personal work that has never been shown and few people have even seen many of the individual pieces.  Some of the work was dimensional wall pieces, others were free standing assemblages for pedestals and some are paintings.  Because of the nature of the main gallery it provided a more intimate space to show this kind of personal work.  In one sense it was a hodgepodge of things but it did represent me.  I presented the artwork in the gallery as a biography – but not necessarily a timeline.  It was not a survey of my artwork.  As I said above: it was more a visual biography created with unique, individual pieces representing different aspects of my life.  Although some of the work is very personal they are about universal themes.

House of Kanye West with Artist John Robertson art

Kanye West Home for Sale with my art

One of my relatives was browsing around on Instagram came across a couple of my pieces of art on @popculture Instagram page.

Now, I know that Kanye West did not buy those paintings and are not his in the house.

So, how did they get there? First, I sold the two paintings, one of a football player and another one of a guy holding a hawk to a desig9ner in Los Angeles a number of years ago. (The paintings are 4 feet by 8 feet, acrylic on canvas)

It is my understanding that this was a house Kanye West had owned at one time and that it was being put on the real estate market. I am going to assume that a realtor called a staging company or knew a designer or decorator who they hired to come in and stage the home for sale with my paintings in it.

This would not be the first time something like that has happened. I have seen them on television shows and in movies (which, by the way, they are not supposed to use without my permission. That is the way of the world.

Brand Gallery Abstract Art Exhibition

 Painting “Falling Man” created Sept 2001 4 ft x 8 ft acrylic on unstretched canvas.

Abstract Art Show.

My wife and I participated in a group show titled “Abstract Los Angeles: Four Generations”last , July at the Brand Library & Art Center

 Abstract art thrives in Los Angeles - whether minimal, geometric, or material; there is always someone making abstractions. Abstract Los Angeles : Four Generations attempts to document a line of inheritance passing from parent to child, teacher to students, older to younger.

 Assembled by three observers and participants of the Los Angeles art scene: Alain Rogier, Laddie John Dill, and Katie Kirk; Generations invites viewers to explore the continued dialog between artists over a period that spans roughly 80 years.

 Painting “Falling Man” created Sept 2001 4 ft x 8 ft acrylic on unstretched canvas.

Figurative Portrait Luis Tattoo Artist

Tattoo Artist Luis Portrait

Around my studio there is always some interesting people either working in their own spaces or visiting the businesses. Luis is a tattoo artist that works in a store front in front of my studio.. There are a number of other tattoo artists there also - which I have painted. We are in a large area of about 18 light industrial spaces that have big roll up doors although the tattoo studio is an actual storefront.

I have made a habit of trying to paint the different business owners life-size either on paper as big drawings or with black paint on canvas.. I first started painting these people when II had moved in 8 years previously. . It was a way for me to meet the different neighbors . At the time it was a rough corner of the city where we live. Some of the neighbor ‘s spaces were occupied by bikers, a couple of chop shops, a couple of artists, and homeless who found the spaces cheaper to live in than local apartments and better than living on the street.

Artist John Robertson self-Portrait

This is a self portrait of me monkey-ing around with a self-portrait that the great Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo painted of herself.  If you are not familiar with her work and suggest that you make an attempt to see some of the great images she created.  Here is a great place to see a lot of her paintings:  https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/frida-kahlo/m015k04?hl=en

 Here is what Wikipedia wrote about her.   Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, post colonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist. She is known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.

Fairy Art for St Patrick’s Day

I’m breaking away from my sports art today to celebrate with a St Patrick’s Day Fairy fantasy wonderland painting.  I am not Irish but do have a few friends that are, and we generally have a get-together.

 Fairytale Party Cancelled

Fairytale Party Cancelled  The bad news is: “There is no fairytale party In Venice, Ca. on St Patrick’s Day. No “Danny Boy”:  No Irish Eyes singing.  But he did say he will have Guinness in a jar.  And he did invite me over for one.  But that was a false invitation as he knows I don’t drink beer unless it is a root beer float,

 When I asked one of my good friends if he was celebrating St Patrick’s Day with his normal house party he looked down and just took off his hat and placed it across his heart.  The fantasy fairies of Ireland will be missing from his household.

 The St Patrick’s Day Party

 I will just have to close my eyes and picture the Irish dancing, the drumming, the singing and the camaraderie that we usually have on this celebratory day.  I am going to miss the chat with acquaintances that I see only once a year.  I am only just now, after about 20 years of going to this event, able to identify who is a couple and who isn’t.  I don’t know what political party they belong to or which church they attend (unless they are Irish)  I am going to miss attending an event in Los Angeles where no one is posing.  I am going to miss the guy who has had six beers and then tries to explain block chain, Bitcoin and crypto- currency - although I would like a good explanation of  NFT exchanges.

 About the Art

 The Irish fairy painting does give me a good feeling.  I painted it a number of years ago and it was a struggle trying to get the model up on top of the mushroom.  And once up there I kept telling her to stop eating the prop. I think she thought she was the caterpillar from “Alice in Wonderland” but I explained “Alice” was not a fairytale.   We settled in and I was able to do the painting.  It is 50” by 70” acrylic on unstretched canvas and is buried in my storage.