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Laurence Gartel: Pioneer of Digital Art

by James Cubby on July 20, 2010

 

 

Editor's Note: miamiartzine.com features an artist interview (sometimes actors, directors, and designers) every two weeks in the Artist Spotlight. Recently I met an artist and asked him to be interviewed for the Artist Spotlight however, and you'll discover if you don't know his work already, Laurence Gartel deserves more than just a spotlight. His interview appears here uncut. If you aren't familiar with this artist's work, then visit his website.

Name: Laurence Gartel

City: Boca Raton, Florida

Birthplace: New York City

Artistic Medium: Computer Art

How did you get started?

I took a semester off from my third year in college at the School of Visual Arts to take art history classes at Buffalo State. The purpose was so that I could be with my High School girlfriend, as we now separated because of going to different schools. I was chasing love.

What I found instead was the "Future of Art." I was sitting in the back of a classroom watching the Charlie Chaplin film Modern Times. I was taking pictures of the screen with a long lens and wondering if I could capture a moving picture with a still camera. A guy tapped me on the shoulder and told me that there was a place to do all sorts of experimental imaging and that I should meet him at this location in downtown Buffalo, New York. The area was not the best, but this person had my curiosity. For all I knew he could have been setting me up to steal my wallet and to take my camera. I had to go anyway. What I found was this bizarre place called, Media Study/Buffalo that was a huge loft filled with all sorts of electronic apparatus. It was there that I met video guru Nam June Paik who was making experimental videos with 1" black and white reel to reel tape on a huge video recorder and an enormous video camera the kind they used in television studios. There were also all these strange pieces of equipment that altered images electronically. Right then and there I knew I was looking at the "Future of ART." Paik thought I was crazy for photographing the screen to make still pictures. But I thought that electronic works of ART should replace paintings on the wall. He thought I was nuts, but I took that as a

compliment! (What did I know, I was just a kid of 19 years old?) From that day on I never looked back and have continued on the very same path, experimenting with the latest hardware/software in the desire of making imagery that people have never seen before.

Who or what are your influences?

Growing up in New York, access to the greatest museums was always at arm's length. I don't think there is a single artist per say, but more so what I saw in museums at an early age. Always interested in the works of the Impressionists: Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As per going to the Guggenheim there was always a fascination with Klee, Miro and Kandinsky. In my teenage years of recklessness, I was out and about and always in the clubs. Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Mudd Club, AREA, were all heavily frequented by the Glitter/Punk impresarios of the day: Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys, Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatics, Debbie Harry of Blondie were all people that I got to know and hang out with. There were many stories and artist collaborations happening. I had met Andy Warhol at Studio 54 and we struck up a conversation about Digital Art. He was totally fascinated. He invited me to his studio to help him work on the album cover commission he got for Debbie Harry. I showed him how the Amiga Computer operated. He wasn't very technology savvy. Nobody really was in those early days. The majority of people dismissed technology because they were in fear of it. They were afraid it might change their world and it was mysterious. They were sooo right, except for the fact that the new paradigm was about to offer everyone a greater understanding of the world.

What inspires your work?

What inspires my work is the number 1 question that everyone asks. They always ask "WHERE does the inspiration come from?" Ironically, the answer is very easy. Between the two ears is an active mind. It figures out questions and answers with solutions. The world of Digital Art, in its very essence of ones and zeros, has an endless array of potentials. It is never ending. One can work in static still imagery as well as making multimedia video/animation time based DVDs. These can then be projected as a theatrical release or they can be appreciated on handheld devices. The most important thing in my mind is to create art that nobody has ever seen before. They are experiencing something completely different. Inspiration can come from outside sources. For instance, I got a call from Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's Management. They wanted me to create art for their tour. So I went out to Beverly Hills and photographed both Britney and Justin. The results were incredibly surprising. I used a point and shoot Olympus 3030 Digital camera at the time. Nothing special. Its all what happens in the creative process.

Another interesting project which was started last year was titled, "AUTO MOTION" which was works based on the Ferrari automobile. I went back to my original computer systems of 30-years ago and made "new work" on some very "old machines." I printed large scale IRIS prints of these Ferrari works and held an exhibition of this body of work at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Edison State College in Ft. Myers, Florida. This was my second show at this gallery in 7 years. Rauschenberg had a major influence on me in the fact that he used the photograph as a point of introduction in his story telling prints. I produced an oversized limited edition gold embossed book to accompany the show. Jason Castriota, Designer of the Ferrari 599 and Maserati Gran Tourismo wrote the Introduction to this prestigious and collectible book. Now I am about to create an accompanying book titled, "SUPER CARS" which will embrace all high end makes and model automobiles like Lamborghini, Maybach, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Koenigsegg, Porsche, Saleem, and other unique and one off super cars. The book will have a metal cover. I always try to do the unexpected. If that's not enough, I am also now making one of a kind specialty clothing. An Artist must also double as a Wizard.

How does Miami/South Florida influence your work?

South Florida has definitely been a major influence. In 1992, I had a retrospective of my work at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. My show took up most of the museum. It was a huge revelation to not only the general public but to the art world as to how someone could already have such an enormity of work with a medium at its infancy. I showcased works that were on all sorts of various substrates and used various printing techniques from black and white orthographic prints, to clay coated based prints, to Cibachromes and R Type Photographic prints, to ribbon based black and white prints from the most primitive machines. I also exhibited my Polaroid SX-70 Murals which consisted of dozens of Polaroid prints glued together just like a patchwork quilt. Prior to moving to Florida I always enjoyed the warm weather, and Florida's flora and fauna. To quote a few friends, "Whats not to love about being here??"

How would you describe your work?

I describe my work as being "Autobiographical." It is certainly a journey through technology as well as my personal experimentation and explorations. My travels around the world from Australia to India, to Russia, Italy, Spain, Austria, etc. have all had major impact on me. Those excursions were rich in visual stimuli that I was not accustomed to seeing. "The unknown always holds great artistic rewards." Most of society lives in fear. Artists are the ones that take risks by the very nature of their lack of conformity. The payoff for artists is far greater than any other profession. They really get to taste and savior the victories and successes of their labor.

What has been the most unusual reaction to your work from the public?

Great Question. The answer is seeing the unpredictable. I would have to say it was my commission: ABSOLUT GARTEL for Absolut Vodka back in 1991. I "digitized" a bottle of Absolut thus making it somewhat unreadable. The background to the work came from

appropriating my own work "MOZ OCEAN" which was a 1982 Polaroid SX-70 Mural 5 feet by 5 feet. I used it in the background while keeping the foreground the pixelated bottle. I told people, "The bottle becomes more unreadable the more vodka you drink!" "The swirly background is how you feel after consuming the vodka. People thought it was a huge bold step to make the bottle unreadable as advertising is "supposed" to be very clear and distinct. - It has been my mantra to "know the rules, and then break them!!" - This has been the secret to my success.

What would you like to achieve as an artist?

Again. This is a question I get asked often. Without coming off brash or arrogant, I have achieved most of the things that I have set out to do. I was included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art before my 25th birthday. I have the first piece of Computer Art in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History. My biography is included in Who's Who, Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Art, and Who's Who in the World. I have had work included in the permanent collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale Paris since I was 22 years old. I was in the early editions of ZOOM Magazine, American and French Editions, as well as having several monograph books on my work. I have done most of the things I have set out to do. The thing to do now is to create more books both on my past history as well as create new works of art. Even 35-years later there are still unique images to create that have not been made yet. That to me, is the most exciting part of the process. Never to get bored. In a new venture; I am now translating my ART to glass. Once again "boldly going where nobody has gone before!" The results are eye-opening. One has to see in person because photos do not do the work justice. It is a tactile and emotional experience to see these works of art in glass. I just premiered these works opening night of ArtHamptons for the very first time.

Upcoming shows:

Upcoming shows include participation in what is being considered the definitive exhibition on the History of Digital Art:

Computerkunst 2.010 Presented by the Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Elektronische Kunst ( ISEA ) Opening August 29th at Museum der Stadt Gladbeck, Germany

*Always show during ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH.”

Where is your work available?

Contact the Artist: gartel@aol.com or visit www.gartelautomotion.com.

GARTEL INTERVIEW ART HAMPTONS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-thk4SBAXg&feature=player_embedded

GARTEL INTERVIEW ON PLUM TV during ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH:

http://www.plumtv.com/videos/miami-laurence-gartel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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