Cinematographer's Dream

by Gregg Chadwick

Gregg Chadwick
Cinematographer's Dream
30"x40" oil on linen 2018   

I created Cinematographer's Dream in honor of the first Women Illuminated Film Festival which takes place March 12, 2018 at the Anthology Film Archives in New York, parallel to the United Nation’s 62nd Annual Commision on the Status of Women (CSW).
The one­ day event showcases documentary, short, and feature length films by women filmmakers, grappling with the most pressing issues of our time.

The Women Illuminated Film Festival is particularly timely, as this year’s CSW review theme is “participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communications technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women.”

My painting Cinematographer's Dream is part of a series of  artworks on the history of the movie business and Los Angeles. Set in the early 21st Century, Cinematographer's Dream depicts a world on the cusp of change. Inspired by Oscar nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison, who shot Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, and Black Panther, as well as the filmmakers featured in the Women Illuminated Film Festival, my painting looks forward to a more inclusive future.

More at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-illuminated-film-festival-tickets-43139246648
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Cinematographer-s-Dream/25560/2454484/view

The Resistance Turns to the Arts

Gregg Chadwick speaks at the AACN Symposium at UCLA
on Art as a Tool for Social Justice

by Gregg Chadwick

Last Thursday, I spoke at the AACN Symposium at UCLA on Art as a Tool for Social Justice. It was an honor to speak at my alma mater. UCLA's proud history of advancing civil rights was a prime reason I attended the university as an undergraduate. I was inspired by the heroic stories of  UCLA alums: 

Jackie Robinson as he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Kenny Washington as he broke the color barrier in the National Football League in 1946

Ralph Bunche at the UN.  And as I learned later the advocacy for social justice by UCLA Nursing Grad AfAf Meleis.

As I write this, I am reminded that six years ago today, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed for simply being black in America. His death fueled a movement. I also remember that with millions of others, I marched on January 21, 2017 in the #WomensMarch. Our crowd in Los Angeles numbered around 750,000. This year on January 20, 2018, I marched again, and the crowd was estimated by L.A. Mayor Garcetti at 600,000. Artists often use their creations as a sort of reflecting device that mirrors and focuses the viewer’s attention on social and political change.  As Marvin Gaye sang so poignantly- “What’s going on.”

Margy Waller on her blog The Bright Ride has a powerful post up entitled Artistic Resistance In Our America .  Poignant and on point.  She points to Jeffrey Kahane's minor keyed interpretation of America the Beautiful. In our time, where does art stand in the current climate of Resistance against violence, racism, sexism, and anti-LGBT bigotry?  As I said at UCLA, art possesses an uncanny ability to communicate ideas and feelings that journalism  sometimes struggles to convey. It seems that especially in times of struggle or unrest, art helps us connect to the personhood of others. Jeffrey Kahane helps us connect to the intertwined history of the United States. Kahane seems to play a lament, not for our lost innocence - as Americans we never were innocent with our history of enslavement and brutal conquest. But instead, in Kahane's notes, I hear the slow, dogged pursuit of justice. In my mind's eye as Kahane plays, I see the heroic faces of the justice workers who have come before us and the faces of the current generation of students fighting oppression, gun violence, and tainted water supplies. As Margy Waller writes,"We will resist. We will return.Thank you, Jeffrey Kahane—for a moment of stunning artistic protest."

From Teen Vogue
Photo by Michele Sandberg/Getty Images

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

                                                     Martin Luther King, Jr.

Get Your Free Tickets Now to THE OTHER ART FAIR in Los Angeles - Courtesy of Gregg Chadwick

Gregg Chadwick
City of Mirrors (61 vette)

24”x30” oil on linen 2018

THE OTHER ART FAIR 

PRIVATE VIEWING COMPLIMENTARY TICKET

                                                                              

Thursday, March 15: 6 to 10 p.m.   
 (Private VIP Viewing)

Please enter your details at the link below to secure your complimentary Private Viewing ticket to The Other Art Fair.    
        
 Please click link to RSVP for FREE tickets using GreggChadwick as your private code - http://la.theotherartfair.com/rsvp    
                                                                      
This Private Viewing invitation provides access to the fair between Thursday March 15 - Sunday March 18. 

You must RSVP before March 15, 2018 to register for the Private View. 


The Other Art Fair 

at the Majestic Downtown

650 South Spring Street 

Los Angeles, 90014 United States

I am pleased to provide this special perk for my collectors, patrons, followers, and their guests. Excited to see you at the inaugural Los Angeles edition of The Other Art Fair which comes to Downtown Los Angeles from March 15-18. I am exhibiting a selection of artworks from my traveling exhibition Mystery Train, which examines the mythos of America as seen through the physical and cultural history of the railroad in the United States, and also a new series of works that engage the viewer in the story of Los Angeles, reaching right up to the Women's Marches of 2017 and 2018. I also will have a new series of works on paper available, as well as small sized paintings. 

Hosted at the Majestic Downtown, and presented by the world's leading online art gallery Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair showcases work by 100 talented emerging artists, each hand picked by a selection committee of art world experts. Art lovers can visit the fair with the confidence that they are buying from the very best and most promising artists in a unique and immersive experience. 

Gregg Chadwick
Steel Rivers (Rio Grande)

30”x40” oil on linen 2018

And if you can't make the Private View opening night, I am happy to provide complimentary access for the run of the fair. Details to obtain your free tickets below:

THE OTHER ART FAIR GENERAL ENTRY COMPLIMENTARY TICKET

Please enter your details and promotional code, which is GreggChadwick, at the link below to secure your complimentary general entry ticket to The Other Art Fair. 

This invitation provides access to the fair between Friday March 16 - Sunday March 18.

Enter the promotional code as shown in the examples below to remove ticket prices. Please ensure that the name of the ticket holder is on the ticket itself. Codes can be used more than once. Tickets will be scanned upon entry and both digital and hardcopy format are accepted. Please click link here to register for FREE tickets - http://la.theotherartfair.com/comp 

           

•           
  
• The Other Art Fair will make its LA debut at the Majestic Downtown from March 15th – 18th 2018. Complimentary tickets for the fair, courtesy Gregg Chadwick, are now live. 
  For more information about the fair program visit la.theotherartfair.com and greggchadwick.com 
  
• Thursday, March 15: 6 to 10 p.m. (Private VIP Viewing)
• Friday, March 16: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, March 17: 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday, March 18: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Gregg Chadwick

Mystery Train (20th Century Limited)

60”x48” oil on linen 2016

The Young Shall Inherit the Earth

A huge crowd of teens exiting Union Station and heading to the Capitol to  call for action on gun violence pic.twitter.com/5VVWGFTGij

— Zoë Carpenter (@ZoeSCarpenter) February 21, 2018

Students at Maryland schools are walking out of classes today to take their message directly to the NRA sponsored representatives in Washington DC. As the Parkland survivors have demonstrated, now is the time for action against gun violence.

“Don’t Shoot” was created in solidarity with Saturday’s #marchforourlives and in response to the horrific, senseless gun violence in America. The youth have stood up against the NRA and I applaud them. I will be at the March on Saturday and then make it back for the Santa Monica Airport Artwalk. May we join in the spirit of nonviolence and togetherness. #art #artandsocialjustice

Jedediah Grady from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland: “I understand marching isn’t automatically going to change legislation...but it’s not just about change. Next year I’ll be able to vote.” pic.twitter.com/duvbBJoPU1

— Kara Voght (@karavoght) February 21, 2018

This is what democracy looks like. #GunReformNow pic.twitter.com/AMLVOSpaBY

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 22, 2018

March for Our Lives Donations

George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’  These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) February 20, 2018

George Clooney will March For Our Lives ... pic.twitter.com/HlA8U2K4xW

— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) February 20, 2018

Please donate on the March For Our Lives' GoFundMe page. According to their mission statement, the campaign was started by Cameron Kasky, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

"Our team has been working hard since day one. The funds will be spent on the incredibly difficult and expensive process that is organizing a march like this. We have people making more specific plans, but for now know that this is for the march and everything left over will be going to the victims' funds."

Not including Oprah, George and Amal's donations, as of Feb. 20, the campaign has raised more than $1million towards its $1.5 million goal. 

Emma Gonzalez Calls Out the NRA!

Watch Emma Gonzalez burn down Donald Trump, the @NRA and lawmakers beholden to them during a scathing speech today in Fort Lauderdale.

Then join #StudentsDemandAction by texting STUDENTS to 64433. Or text ACT to 64433 to join @MomsDemand.#ThrowThemOutpic.twitter.com/XYyXqQCaZn

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) February 17, 2018

Emma Gonzalez. A student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

An American Hero.

Watch This.

All of it.

The young people will set us free. https://t.co/yftQ2OeZfO

— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) February 17, 2018

Yuzuru Hanyu Wins Gold Again!

Yuzuru Hanyu wins gold for the men's figure skating long program. He's the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in this category in 66 years. Shoma Uno gets second. #WinterOlympics #figureskating #羽生くん pic.twitter.com/SMEpxM4gU8 "Yuzuru Hanyu"

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) February 17, 2018

Yuzuru Hanyu earns gold!

He defends his title in men's figure skating one month after returning from injury. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/8bZglSdgaR

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day

Thom Kunz & Whitney Pearsall "Valentine's Day" (Bruce Springsteen) cover

Chloe Kim Proves That Immigrants to the US Bring Gold!

Chloe Kim has thrown down the HAMMER with her first run. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/D65Nuoyydu pic.twitter.com/r6UJ7df38X

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2018

Barack and Michelle Obama's official portraits unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery.

Former first lady Michelle Obama's official portrait unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. https://t.co/WxAWDpOwBi pic.twitter.com/4QcEHuoqTf

— ABC News (@ABC) February 12, 2018

Michelle Obama's official portrait, painted by Amy Sherald,
unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery.

 Pres. Barack Obama assists in unveiling his official portrait at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. pic.twitter.com/zcWWGRmFnx

— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) February 12, 2018

Barack Obama's official portrait, painted by Kehinde Wiley, 
unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery.

Figure skater Mirai Nagasu is the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Winter Olympics

Figure skater Mirai Nagasu lands a historic triple axel

"HOLY COW!" You just witnessed a historic triple axel from Mirai Nagasu. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/NsNuy9F46h pic.twitter.com/jCMTb4LtXv

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2018

Figure skater @mirai_nagasu is the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Winter Olympics. #PyeongChang2018

Adam Rippon's Olympic Debut Is Glorious

ADAM RIPPON. Because he slays. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/fkG1KgiTb0

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2018

He Called Her "Lightning"

Gregg Chadwick

Lightning (Edith Desch)

36"x 24" oil on linen 2018

Jersey Memories - Grandma Desch

by Gregg Chadwick

When I was little and my dad was off in Vietnam during the war, we lived in a small, rented carriage house behind a big estate. On the way to school each morning we would walk by the train platform full of commuters waiting for their ride into the city. I knew my Grandpa Desch drove trains and I often wondered as we passed over the tracks on the bridge on Ridgewood Avenue whether he was in one of the engines down below. It's only thirty minutes by train from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, to Penn Station in Manhattan. Yet, there seemed to be a world of difference between my town with its quiet gas-lamp lit streets and the bustling avenues in New York City. The train was the artery between those two worlds and I never forgot it. 

The kitchen in Garwood was where Grandma Desch would spread her warmth. 

In a similar fashion, the quiet evenings at the house where my dad's parents lived in Montclair were a world away from my mom's parents' boisterous home in Garwood. Being one of eleven children, my mom was thrown into a swirl of hugs, greetings, questions, and desires the minute we walked through the door of the Desch home. Small in size, but full of warmth, my grandparents' house was a neighborhood gathering place. A black and white TV was usually on in the living room with a ballgame playing or often on weekend afternoons a pulpy science fiction film. Grandpa would often hold court here on his days off from the railroad. I remember Grandpa mussing up my hair when we arrived in a warm hearted gesture that implied get comfortable and join the fun. I was considered shy as a kid in this environment, and with my Southern California accent, I wasn't quite a true Jersey kid either.  If the living room was Grandpa's domain, the kitchen in Garwood was where Grandma Desch would spread her warmth. Usually wearing an apron, Grandma's world extended from the stove, to the sink, to the screen door leading out to the second story porch. Her meals were hearty and reflecting our Irish/German roots ranged from corned beef and cabbage to sauerkraut and sausages. My favorite breakfast at her house was a plate of browned potatoes fried up in her cast iron pan. 

"What's your exit?"

I remember Grandma giggling one morning when I spread mustard on my bread instead of butter because of a billboard I saw along the New Jersey Turnpike that depicted buttered bread with such a mustardy yellow that I thought it had to be a French's condiment ad. The New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway run the length of the state and at first meeting folks from Jersey often ask,"What's your exit?" Grandma and Grandpa Desch lived off of Exit 136 in Garwood, New Jersey. When we drove there from Exit 148 in Glen Ridge we would often detour through Irvington to grab an Italian hotdog or sausage at Jimmy Buff's. 

Gregg Chadwick
Jersey Rain (Jimmy Buff's)

30"x 40" oil on linen 2016

There are a few classic New Jersey staples: pork roll sandwiches such as Taylor Ham, saltwater taffy at the Jersey shore, and Italian hot dogs at roadside restaurants up and down the state. But, it is the smell of Taylor Ham cooking on a griddle that always brings me back to Grandma's kitchen.

An accumulation of memories

After painting my grandfather in Jersey Central Engineer (Arthur Desch), I was asked by my Uncle Jake to paint a companion piece of Grandma Edith Desch. His wish to honor both of his parents with my paintings of them was of great interest to me. In artworks such as these two portraits, venturing back into my childhood memories is an essential part in crafting a painting. Sadly, my grandmother passed away in 1976 and time has faded even the photographs we have of her. I would have to dig deep and remember the woman that my grandfather nicknamed Lightning. Hearing my extended family's stories of their times with the Desch clan helped me settle upon an idea for my portrait of Grandma Desch. She needed to be in her kitchen and she would need to have a warmth of spirit. Her painting would be built from an accumulation of memories. 

Gregg Chadwick (center), his brother Kent Chadwick,  and a group of Desch cousins in Garwood, New Jersey  Gregg Chadwick Jersey Cantos 16"x 20" oil on linen 2016