Jim Warren (artist)
| Jim Warren | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jim Warren, 2013 | |
| Born |
November 24, 1949 Long Beach, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | illustration |
| Notable work |
Stairway to Heaven, Sexual Explosion, 1976 Earth, Love It or Lose It, 1990 |
| Movement | Neo-surrealism |
| Awards | Grammy Award (1981) |
| Website | |
| JimWarren.com | |
Jim Warren (born November 24, 1949, in Long Beach, California) is an American artist best known for record album and book cover illustrations.[1] He has worked in surrealistic fantasy since about 1969.
Warren has illustrated more than two hundred book covers for such authors as Arthur C. Clarke, Robin Cook and Clive Barker. He also produced album cover illustrations for Prince and Alice Cooper, and movie posters for Phantasm, Night of the Living Dead (the remake), Waxwork, and others. His work has also been featured on numerous magazine covers, including Twilight Zone and Heavy Metal Magazine. He has collaborated on paintings with marine life artist Wyland,[2] artist Michael Godard, and Walt Disney Studios.[3]
A self-taught artist, Warren uses traditional oil paint and brushes on stretched canvas.[1]
Biography
Early life
Warren was born in Long Beach to Don and Betty Warren, and began painting as a child. His choice of an artistic career path was made in high school.[1]
Career
In 1981, his work came to national attention when his cover illustration for Bob Seger's Against the Wind won the Grammy Award for Best Album Package.[4]
Warren's painting Sexual Explosion (1976) was banned from public exhibition during the 1970s; in 2011 it was named the "Most Famous Nude Painting" since the nudes of Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Amedeo Modigliani. It placed number 4 in "Top 10 Most Famous Paintings in the Art World," based on Google Images information and research.
Warren's 1991 painting of Earth, Love It or Lose It was featured on posters, magazines, billboards, and T-shirts; and became an iconic visual representation of the global environmental movement. The original painting named "Oops" features a little girl standing on an image of the world that was also a balloon. The balloon had opened at the tie and looked to be whisking across the sky. The little girl in both he 1990 and 1991 depiction was Jim's niece Cristin. The original "Oops" had been painted from a photo Jim had taken when Cristin was about two years old looking at a bug. This was also made into posters and shirts and became the 1990 Earth Day poster for Nevada.
The Warren/Disney collaboration paintings were released as fine art prints in 2004. Warren's 2009 collaboration with artist Michael Godard combined Warren's horses and romance themes with Godard’s mischievous olive people.
Warren's portrait painting work includes John Stamos, The Beach Boys, Brooke Shields, Kelsey Grammer, Kristin Chenoweth, Chaka Khan, Juliette Lewis, marine life artist Wyland, and Michael Parnell (CEO of Oakley, Inc.), among others. His portrait of John Stamos was unveiled at the Fame-Wall NYC in 2009; his portraits of Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes (both in Promises, Promises on Broadway) was unveiled at the Fame-Wall NYC in 2010. Warren's portraits of The Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary was unveiled at the Fame-Wall, Hollywood, California, on September 23, 2010.
His first book, The Art of Jim Warren: An American Original, was published in 1997. His second book, Painted Worlds, was released in 2002. His latest book is scheduled to be released in late 2014 or early 2015.
Warren is bicoastal, maintaining studios in Clearwater, Florida, and Portland, Oregon.
Quotes
Mike Love, the lead singer for The Beach Boys, wrote the foreword for Jim's upcoming book, due for release by early 2015.
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words… In the case of Jim Warren’s art, a million words would be insufficient to convey the depth and breadth of Jim Warren’s genius.
A line from a poem I once wrote goes “How could poor pen and paper hope to tell a tale of love”. And how could mere words describe such sheer talent. But somehow starting with a sketch on paper sometimes aided by a photo or coming from his reservoir of unbounded imagination there culminates on canvas his end product of incredible beauty.
His gentle and unassuming manner belies the amazing talent he possesses. When Jim asked if I would care to write a few words about his art for his new book, I indeed was honored and at the same time humbled by the prospect of such a task.
Along with my cousin Brian Wilson, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity of creating many of the Beach Boys greatest hits. The lyrics, harmonies and feel of many of these recordings have, in a wonderful way, touched the hearts of so many over the years. Art and music share many similarities; the qualities of inspiration and imagination, ultimately lead to the manifestation of either a song or a painting.
Years ago, I learned from a master of meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a technique called Transcendental Meditation. Transcend means- to go beyond. It has been said, that one can transcend through any of the senses. Through taste, touch, smell, hearing and in the case of art, the sense of sight. And this is where Jim Warren joins a very select group of creative geniuses. Those artists, whom over the centuries have transported we humans to a place of wonder and deeper appreciation of creation itself.
Jim Warren has generously stated that there is an artist in all of us.. That is perhaps, to some degree true. But to witness his level of artistry is to be awed by his brilliance. Jim Warren’s art is masterful in that so much of his creativity can transport the beholder to a place of transcendent beauty. A place of pure inspiration and liberation from our often ordinary circumstances. Jim warren’s art is like love, flowing from the tip of his brush that he shares with the millions of us who are fortunate enough to be touched and inspired by what he has given and continues to give to the world.
Love,
Mike Love"
"Critics say it is among the best of its genre." (in reference to his art)
- The L.A. Times
“He truly is a great artist.”
- NBC News
"You may not believe it, but artist Jim Warren is self-taught."
- BuzzFeed.com
“Jim is wonderfully specific in his details. He has brought form to some of my favorite nightmares.”
- Clive Barker, Author
“Many of life’s treasures come as a result of another’s contribution to one’s life. One of those life’s treasures comes to our home as a result of the work of our friend, Mr. Jim Warren. It’s as if God be-gifted us.”
- Pat Morita, Actor & star of The Karate Kid
“Jim is the greatest of the new millennium. His work carries on (in a most beautiful way) the torch for Dali, Norman Rockwell and Maxwell Parrish. I love this man’s work.”
- Chaka Khan, Singer
“Thank you Jim, for the childlike feeling of amazement you have brought back to me. You not only ‘hold the light’, you create it.”
- Artie Kornfeld, Creator of Woodstock (1969)
These are only some of the many words that have been spoken of Warren.
Books
- The Art of Jim Warren: An American Original (Art Lover Products, 1997). ISBN 978-0-9658775-0-3.
- Painted Worlds (Paper Tiger Books, 2002)
Jim's third book is due for release by late 2014 or early 2015.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jim Warren. "About Jim Warren". Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ↑ "Universal encompassment". Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- ↑ "Out and about in North Pinellas". Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- ↑ "Wyland Gallery Opens In Sayville". Retrieved 2 March 2010.
External links
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