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Jan. 29, 2010: Old yearbook paintings! As the song goes, "Everything old is new again...", and so for the new year it seems fitting that a lot of Amsel's early work has finally come my way. Perhaps the earliest work I've seen thus far comes from Marc Walther, a high school classmate of Richard's. Upon discovering this website, Marc emailed me some scanned illustrations Richard had made for their 1965 yearbook. Marc writes:
These early images not only showcase Amsel's developing creative talents, but provide a touching, personal look into the artist as a young man.
Jan. 28, 2010: Early Amsel book cover added to the gallery. Last night I wandered around a favorite used bookstore in downtown Glendale when I found this old, battered paperback book perched upon a rack. The cover caught my eye immediately, and lo and behold, it was one of Richard's works. To make the $2.50 purchase even more rewarding was that it was not only signed by the author, but also by the two people he had dedicated the book to -- who, in turn, gave the book to one of their mutual friends. Dorian Hannaway informed me that the original Amsel cover illustration now resides within the University of the Arts, but this was the first time she had actually seen a copy of the book itself.
For me, one of the most rewarding things about this site is that, no matter how familiar I may be with Richard's work -- or at least presume to be -- new discoveries always turn up! American Art Archives is selling three magazine pages on eBay featuring Richard Amsel's work, all from 1971. I've added them to the MISC. WORKS page, and hope you enjoy them. (I'm especially partial to his gorgeous illustration for "The Earring".)
Very special thanks to David Edward Byrd for providing these new images to me:
By
Adam Bernstein, Washington Post Staff Writer
One vivid example, commissioned by McCall's magazine in the late 1950s, was a portrait of two young couples relaxing in a small room after dinner. One man is lying on the ground, his head nestled on a woman's lap and smoking a cigarette as she strokes his hair. While the image has the control and realism of Rockwell, it also has several more dynamic features taken from avant-garde techniques: the vigorous brush strokes; the tilted horizon that heightens a sense of drama; a lampshade in the foreground that appears slightly distorted; and, most strikingly, the placement of the couples in the distance instead of being the center of the picture. "Bernie combined the best of both worlds," said illustrator Murray Tinkelman, who directs the University of Hartford's master of fine arts program and chairs the New York-based Society of Illustrators' hall of fame committee. "He became the most emulated and imitated illustrator in the field through the 1980s . . . when the vogue turned to more decorative, whimsical, punkier illustrations that were influenced by underground cartoons like those of Robert Crumb." Mr. Fuchs entered the hall of fame in 1975. He was among the youngest inductees on a roster that includes Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer and John James Audubon. Bernard Leo Fuchs was born Oct. 19, 1932, in the coal mining town of O'Fallon, Ill., and his father soon abandoned the family. As a young man, Mr. Fuchs enjoyed drawing characters from Walt Disney movies and "The Wizard of Oz," but his main interest became jazz trumpet. He worked in a machine shop after high school, and the loss of three fingers from his right hand ended his musical ambitions. He enrolled in art school out of desperation, figuring it was his only career prospect. The money he received from the accident paid for his art training at Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated in 1954. About this time, he married his high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Hesse. She survives, living in Westport, along with their three children, Cynthia Fuchs of Washington, Derek Fuchs of Casselberry, Fla., and Ellise Fuchs of Torino, Italy; and three grandchildren. After college, Mr. Fuchs went to work for a commercial art studio in Detroit and found immediate success drawing the latest car models for magazines, brochures and billboards. He captured the chrome-dappled allure of the auto industry: happy Americans enjoying themselves at picnics and on golf courses and accompanied by their elegant cars.
Several top corporations in America took note of Mr. Fuchs's skill. He relocated to suburban Connecticut in the late 1950s and became one of the busiest commercial artists of the next 20 years, working for businesses such as Coca-Cola and Seagram's, as well as magazines including TV Guide and Look. For the publications, he created a range of illustrations, with scenes from romance fiction and images that conveyed the grit of athletes and the determination of presidents and civil rights leaders. Mr. Fuchs often photographed his subjects and returned to his studio to turn the images into illustrations. He said his most challenging deadline story came in 1969, when Sports Illustrated assigned him to cover the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and the Orange Bowl in Miami. He saw the Rose Bowl live, lurking on the sidelines with his camera, and watched the game in Miami on television. He finished six paintings in 36 consecutive hours of work. In the course of a prolific career, he met many historic figures of his era, including President John F. Kennedy, baseball player Jackie Robinson, entertainers Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, and cellist Pablo Casals, who, ailing at 93, nevertheless played a Bach cantata for Mr. Fuchs at the musician's villa in Puerto Rico. Starting
in the mid-1970s, Mr. Fuchs had contracts to illustrate postage stamps
and children's books. His paintings, whose subjects ranged from images
of the Old West to the Longchamps horse races in France, were exhibited
in galleries worldwide. Jill Bossert, editor of Society of Illustrators
books, once described Mr. Fuchs's skill: "His colors shine with the
brilliance of stained glass as if lit from within. His equine pictures
rival Degas."
Just came across this coverage of the exhibit by Peter Crimmins of the WHY Y FM News and Information channel. Dorian Hannaway and Mark Tocchet comment on Amsel's work, and the web page includes an abridged audio version of the article.
During my recent interview with The Indycast, host Ed Dolista and I wondered who it was that created the legendary title design for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I had speculated that it might have been Richard Amsel...but now, after all these years, I finally have a definite answer, and wish to do my part to get the word out.
When I asked Salisbury if he wanted to comment on his work, he kindly referred me to his book, I Sold Sex! Drugs & Rock 'N' Roll, which chronicles his career and many, many creative achievements. I wholeheartedly look forward to reading it. From his website:
Very special thanks to Pat dePoortere for solving this mystery, and for directing me to Salisbury's site!
With the opening of Comic-Con in San Diego this week, Illustration House will have a special booth featuring an extraordinary number of original pieces -- including works from Al Hirschfeld, J.C. Leyendecker, Bob Peak, John Solie, and even Theodor S. Geisel ("Dr. Seuss"). Richard Amsel fans will be excited to learn that one of the artist's most popular and famous pieces ever created will also be up for sale -- the stunning poster art for Jim Henson's beloved fantasy film, THE DARK CRYSTAL!
I've been wondering for years where this artwork has been, and hope that it will go to a loving home. I'd buy it myself...but the $16,500 pricetag is quite a bit beyond what my budget will allow.
Other issues addressed include the current decline of movie poster art, David Edward Byrd's lecture, the search for a long-lost "RAIDERS" comp, Amsel's love of (and ambitions toward) animation, and an unspoken rivarly with fellow poster artist Drew Struzan.
My friend David Edward Byrd just sent me these scans of two long-lost preliminary sketches Amsel did for the DEATH ON THE NILE poster! The first of these (below left) presents an entirely different alternate design from the one that was used (below right). Thanks, David!
Michael Amsel informs me that Richard has been awarded the University of the Arts' SILVER STAR AWARD for outstanding alumni. The announcement was made during the university's commencement last Thursday, and is available for viewing as an on-demand webcast.
Some tangential "Amsel" news...and certainly something to interest both poster artists and art admirers! One of the most imaginative and prolific illustrators of the 20th century, Bob Peak revolutionized advertising in the film industry and is considered the "father of the modern movie poster." His work for such films as CAMELOT, MY FAIR LADY, SUPERMAN, EXCALIBUR, STAR TREK I-V, and APOCALYPSE NOW possessed a signature style -- and a painting technique that was very, very much his own.
In addition to work in the film industry, Peak illustrated 45 covers of Time Magazine - including the well-known portrait of Mother Teresa, now featured in the National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian Institution along with his paintings of Anwar Sadat and Marlon Brando. Next month, Gallery Nucleus will feature a collection of Peak's original artwork, in addition to a rare selection of iconic movie posters and advertising work. This will indeed be a rare and exciting opportunity to view in person, a massive retrospective into the range and versatility of a 20th Century Master...an artist who Richard Amsel himself greatly admired.
May 8, 2009: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REVIEW It's sad knowing that the exhibit will be coming to an end next week, but Dorian Hannaway shared some happier news with me this morning: a link to this wonderful review by The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 29, 2009: MORE NEWS COVERAGE OF THE EXHIBIT Two news items about the exhibit have popped up: first, a nice writeup from Philadelphia Weekly, and Dorian Hannaway's radio interview this morning with Sirius channel 109. (I'm trying to get my hands on a clip of the broadcast -- can anyone help?) April 26, 2009: AMSEL ORIGINALS UP FOR AUCTION
The Illustration House gallery in New York is auctioning a small number of Amsel's original illustrations, including some from the collection of Michael Amsel. Having spoken to Michael and Illustration House president Roger T. Reed, I'm happy to help spread the word so that would-be collectors may seize this rare opportunity. Reed writes:
These are some works included in the auction:
In adding these pieces to my site, I felt it was important to distinguish Amsel's personal portfolio and school projects from his "canon" of official movie poster works. Therefore, Amsel's conceptual illustrations for films such as Ryan's Daughter and Oliver! will reside under a new MISC. WORKS gallery page, which also includes his book and magazine cover illustrations, and ads. ___ I'm happy to share some photos taken last week of the exhibit, its preparation, and David Byrd's wonderful lecture. You can find them on the newly created THE EXHIBIT page, which also includes information on the catalogs and archival prints affiliated with the event.
I soon hope to post some photos from the exhibit's opening last week, as well as David Byrd's wonderful lecture. In the meantime, enjoy this snapshot of yours truly from Monday, April 13th, as I was helping to paint one of more elaborate areas of the gallery. (I'm probably a mere 3 or 4 feet off the ground, but grew nervous with each step up that wobbly ladder.) Once again, Amsel fan Scot Ryersson has unearthed a little gem. This alternate image (below) of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS was taken from a CD cover for "Poirot Goes to the Movies." Scot states that Amsel was asked to modify Lauren Bacall's portrait for the final poster. Thanks again, Scot!
April 21, 2009
I'm back in L.A. for three days, and already I'm terribly missing the east coast. There's just too much for me to write about in just one sitting; I'll be making extensive updates over the next few weeks, including a new page specifically about the exhibit, and a special auction of Amsel originals from Illustration House. In the meantime, here are some significant happenings:
The
web podcast, a discussion of all things Indiana Jones, was a lot of
fun to do. Host Ed Dolista and I spoke on the phone for nearly an hour,
and unfortunately I was on the verge of a sneezing fit for a large part
of that time.
Two days ago The Philadelphia Daily News featured an article about the Amsel exhibit. You can read it HERE.
David Edward Byrd just sent me this flyer regarding his upcoming lecture at the Amsel exhibit:
Also, last week I was interviewed by Ed Dolista for the INDYCAST, to discuss Richard Amsel's life and career. The web podcast, a discussion of all things Indiana Jones, is expected to air around Saturday, April 11, and because I'll be heading out to Philadelphia that week for the exhibit, I won't be able to update the site until my return. I'll also be doing a follow up interview in May, so there's more to come.
I'm sure there's more to be found from this period in the artist's career, so if any of you find anything, please...pass it on! Thanks again, Scot, for your wonderful emails.
With the exhibit soon to open, I'm looking to update and improve this site as much as possible. This includes:
The University of the Arts' website now features a press release touting the upcoming exhibit, and some never before published sketches that are to be part of the showcase. To help them get the word out, I've redirected this site's former domain name (www.RichardAmsel.com) to the university's address. Here's their press release:
For more information on the National Portrait Gallery, you can visit their official website. |
Mr.
Fuchs was adept at balancing art and commerce. He met the needs of mass-circulation
magazines accustomed to Norman Rockwell-style realism, but he injected
a fresh vitality and impressionism that became hugely popular and transformed
the illustration field. He even experimented with bold designs based
on the abstract expressionism movement popularized by painters Jackson
Pollock and Willem de Kooning. 
"Others
might portray a married couple dressed formally in suits dazzled by
a car on the street, or a woman in a fancy ball gown swooning over a
car in a showroom, but Bernie's innovation was to put the cars in real
life situations with people in all kinds of informal poses, having fun
and even in some cases standing in front of the car (heresy!)," illustration
authority David Apatoff wrote in an e-mail. 
August
6, 2009: WHY Y Article & clip regarding the exhibit
The
logo -- whose typeface, like the film itself, has become so commonly
associated with action and adventure -- was the product of 
CLICK
HERE
Maya
Foo, a researcher at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, recently
discussed Richard Amsel's 
