Harry Carmean

Not to be confused withHarry Carman.

Harry Carmean
Born	(1922-08-05)August 5, 1922 Anthony, Kansas,U.S.
Died	February 3, 2022(2022-02-03)(aged 99) Santa Barbara, California
Education	Art Center College of Design,École des Beaux-Arts
Movement	Renaissance,Baroque,Mannerism,Impressionism,Surrealism

Harry Carmean(August 5, 1922 – February 3, 2022) was an American painter known for his figurative paintings based on the work of the old masters. The ideas of theRenaissance,Baroque,ManneristandImpressionistart can all be seen in his work to varying degrees.He was renown for practicing a form of drawing known as "draughstmanship" in which specific art ideas are consistently applied throughout a drawing. He was an instructor atArt Center College of Designfrom 1952 through 1996 and had taught thousands of students.

Biography

Carmean was first a singer before becoming an artist. After serving in theUS ArmyinWorld War II,he quit singing and began studying art atÉcole des Beaux-ArtsinFranceand later atArt Center College of DesigninLos Angeles.It was there that he met the painterLorser Feitelsonwho strongly influenced Carmean's work. Carmean became involved with a circle of artists including Feitelson,Helen Lundeberg,coloristStanton Macdonald-WrightandFrederick Hammersley.

In the 1960s he began a series of paintings featuring a family theme. These were done in a simple manner with muted colors and showed the influence of the Renaissance and Baroque art. It was at this time that Carmean came into his own as a painter and his compositions became more involved. In the '60s, Carmean was featured regularly on Feitelson's award-winning television showFeitelson on Arton KNBC in Los Angeles.

In the 1970s he continued to further explore the compositional ideas of past masters culminating in a series of Spanish café paintings characterized by a strong use of light and dark and an emphasis on defining forms. In the early '70s, he began a series of etchings depicting interior scenes and nudes which continued through the 1990s. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Carmean also completed a series of small wax sculptures inspired by the work ofRodinandDegas.

In the late 1980s, his style shifted and he began a new series of paintings depicting acrobats and dancers. In contrast to his early paintings, Carmean now focused on the use of white and his paintings had a lighter, more impressionistic feel. The acrobat theme originated from his early days as a singer and from his experiences in the entertainment world. In these works the compositions became increasingly complex with Mannerist elements, setting precedents in terms of classical composition. In the late 1980s, he also began a series of erotic drawings, etchings and paintings. In 1997 upon retiring from Art Center he moved fromLos AngelestoSanta Barbara, California,where he continued to draw and paint.

Personal life and death

Carmean died inSanta Barbara, California,on February 3, 2022, at the age of 99.

Exhibitions and Museums

• Westmont College,Montecito, 2007
• Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Santa Barbara, 2001
• Los Angeles Art Association,1970
• Marymount College,Los Angeles, CA, 1962
• Oakland Museum of California,current
• Fullerton College,Fullerton, CA, current
• Red Deer College,Canada, current

Television

• Feitelson on Art,KNBC, Los Angeles 1964-5
• "The Incredible Human Machine", National Geographic Society television program, 1975
• "Carmean/Slater, the Figurative Tradition", Channel 21, Santa Barbara CA 2007
• "Creative Community", Channel 21 Santa Barbara, CA 2007

Sources

• Art International,1971
• Art News,1974
• American Artist Magazine,1975
• Harwood, June;Carmean,Frye & Smith, Ltd., 1975
• Jacobson, Linda;The Drawings of Harry Carmean,Bordon Publishing Co. 1975
• The Artist's Magazine,1987

External links

• Monograph