Looking back over two years of shows at FOG, a remarkable fact becomes clear: artists never stop creating. Among our stellar artists shown, Harry Cohen (who brought along his magnificent Bagel Boys) was 93, Dottie Weintraub was 88, Richard Kamler, Bill Aiken, Tom Akawie were all in their 80s – and many more were in their 70s.
Harry Cohen
Dottie Weintraub
Tom Akawie
Bill Aiken
Richard Kamler
In some of my last talks with Richard, he said he always tried to make art every day, even if it was just a mark on paper. He was passionate to the very end about “inserting” his art in the world.
Richard will be having a posthumous show at FOG in April.
A wonderful article in the NYT about Harry Bertschmann is a perfect illustration. After showing with Frank Kline and Mark Rothko, New York School artists of the 50s and 60s, he fell into obscurity as he did design work to make a living with his wife in New York. He is now attracting serious interest and people are rediscovering his art. Mr Bertschmann is now 86, and “continues to put pencil to paper with such single-minded focus that he doesn’t see his own career arc, or plan for the future.” I am profoundly moved and thankful that these artists never stop. –Peter