Artist Talk: Sunday, January 18th, 2-4PM

HUDSON MARQUEZ “RHYTHM AND SHOES”
Hudson Marquez is a painter, storyteller, writer, and video artist, whose work includes many paintings, installations with the art collective Ant Farm, the Cadillac Ranch and TVTV video productions. In his own words, he “was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He got out as soon as possible. His travels finally led him to San Francisco where he helped found the Ant Farm, an arts collective that was very active in the late ’60s/early ’70s. He became addicted to video and in 1972 started the video group TVTV. This group of small format video pioneers had a great run, producing a number of award-winning documentaries for PBS. In 1974, he created the Cadillac Ranch sculpture in Amarillo, Texas. Now living in Los Angeles, Marquez splits his time between writing and painting pictures of cars and girls.

“Ike Turner… Little Richard… Papa Lightfoot… Freddie King… Johnny Ace… Blaze Starr… Candy Barr… Lili St. Cyr. They all connect here in this series of paintings. Having heard tales of the RnB stars of the past, I’ve brought some to life. True Stories… Maybe.

The Bourbon Street stage stilettos of the ecdysiasts were imprinted on me at an early age. Sneaking into the 500 Club and Gunga Den. Sitting at the bar the first items I saw were the shoes. The best new Orleans R&B bands were backing them up. Earl Palmer. Lee Allen. I’m still in love with the rhythm and the shoes.” – Hudson Marquez

CHARLES BINGER “ILLUSTRATOR”
Charles Ashford Binger was a British-born painter who found great success in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue. His commercial art included film posters, pulp novels and celebrity portraiture in a career that spanned the 1920s – 1970’s. Binger’s hallmark style utilized impeccable composition, rendered in a painterly style over roughened textures. His science-fiction paperback covers include masterpieces The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury & Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. As Marilyn Monroe’s favorite illustrator, he created three of her most memorable film posters, including Niagara and River of No Return. Located in the discovery phase of this sophomore exhibition were key art paintings for Ben Hur and A Streetcar Named Desire. His gift at capturing in oils, beautiful, vulnerable women and rugged, earthy men made him a highly sought portraitist among the crowned heads of Europe, and a valuable commodity in the emerging post-war pulp market. Binger passed away in 1974.