Friday, April 22, 2011

THE PETER MAX CASE

WILL PETER MAX TRANSCEND TIME SUCH AS THE GREAT MASTERS?

     With this post,  I intend to clarify some questions that always lurk around my mind, and I am sharing them  with my visitors in order to obtain different points of view that might enlighten me.
  • How can a 74 year old artist from the Sixties, still generate so much business? Admirable.
  • Will his popularity increase, level or decrease when Baby Boomers fade away?
  • Will the next generations embrace his art?
  • Will he become another Warhol, Lichenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns,etc,?
  • When he retires, will his pieces of art maintain, decrease or increase its price considering  his current Marketing strategy?
  • Is a collector of his items not allocating funds wisely or is he hanging to a Depreciation proof asset?
  • Why is his website not at par of his name (this I cannot understand!).
  • With so many Peter Max original canvases and Mixed Media Papers, on the market, can this continuous production sustain the current  price range or will prices fall eventually as a result of the market natural flow of offer and demand?
  • Should the MAX studio consider decreasing it's production in order to preserve MAX's health  and maintain the prices?. 
  • Finally: Is MAX a Pop artist, neo-expressionist, Fauvist, or a mixed media artist himself? 
     A few days ago I read that when a client in a gallery was asked why was he buying a PETER MAX piece, the answer was very blunt yet uplifting: " because his colors make me happy". They have the same effect on me, hence, this could reduce it all to buying MAX just for personal pleasure and not as a business opportunity.

      I for one, opines that his series lithographs between 1970 through 1979 are the best period of his creativity and technique.

The Max Collector.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

PETER MAX IN THE NEWS - Very exclusive

It's simply beyond comprehension how PETER has been able to be so important in the art world and for so long! these few news published in a variety of media papers is living proof.


Sarasota Journal, 1969

 South East Missourian, 1969

Sarasota Herald Tribune 1970

Harlan Daily Enterprise 1970

Saturday, April 9, 2011

THE CASE ISLAND MURAL

      A few days ago, I bumped into a Youtube video of this rare mural in Flint, Michigan. The concept was so interesting that I contacted Case Glass, and I wanted to post the spirit of the exact reply I received by Charlie Boike, one of the artists that did this superb Graffiti promoted to mural, and also son of Suellen J. Parker, owner of the company. Enjoy the text and watched the nice video Cahrlie and his buddies uploaded:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD3Ok85BnmA&feature=player_embedded


Dear Mr. (Max Collector),

      My name is Charles Boike, and I am the son of Suellen J. Parker of Case Island Glass. I am also one of the artists who completed the Peter Max mural. The mural is still up. It has become a local landmark where kids, families, and individuals can take head shots and photos using the mural as their backdrop.

Details of Production
The mural was commissioned by Case Island Glass (Suellen J.Parker) in late June of 2009. The first mural ideas included Andy Warhol's "Mohammad Ali" and "Jackie Kennedy", but Suellen picked Peter Max overall. The supplies cost $600, which bought five gallons of white primer, 80 cans of spray paint, gloves, towels, and a few other things. The mural was started on July 8 and finished on July 9. It was painted with in 48 hours by Kevin Burdick and myself. Kevin and I represent a modern art collective and production company called Deserving. While we where painting, people from the neighborhood would just stop and watch. ABC 12 news came on the scene and interviewed Kevin and I. They aired the interview a few times.


 
Credits to Include
Paid for by Case Island Glass
Picture is Gateway to the World by Peter Max  (my note: It's a LIBERTY HEAD)
Painted by Charles Boike and Kevin Burdick
Video shot, edited, and made by Charles Boike


 
Special Anecdote
When ABC 12 News came up and interviewed us we where super excited. We did not know how they heard about the mural. The camera man told us that some neighborhood lady called in to the station and was going off about how cool this mural was. She mentioned that the kids where painting it with spray paint and how positive it was for the community. I then called my mom to tell her about the news. She let me do my whole story and then she said, "Who do you think the neighborhood lady was?" I laughed and said it wasn't you was it? She said yes. I laughed again, and then Kevin and I said thanks for the media exposure.





PS: Thanks Charlie,  Eddy G.