Changing Scene

Late October can really creep up on you. Where did the summer go? Where did fall go? It snowed the other day.

Photo: Jeremy Clowe / Norman Rockwell Museum

As the seasons turn, I am reminded that our exhibitions will also be changing at Norman Rockwell Museum. This is your last weekend to see Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World, which ends on October 30.

This exhibition has examined the shifting trends in the art world during the twentieth century, when traditional narrative painting fell out of favor for more conceptual work. Abstract expressionism really took hold in the 1950s, with artists like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko becoming the new gold standard. Illustrators, on the other hand, attracted even more criticism, and perhaps none more so than Norman Rockwell. Over time the prejudice has faded, and realism has found a place again in the contemporary art scene (fortunately for our Museum). 

My father, an industrial designer, was a big fan of Rockwell but also tried his hand at some Pollock-style paintings back in the day. I don't know that the shifting fashions of the art world, largely fostered by art critics, really bothered him during the AbEx movement. 

Personally, I am attracted to strong expression and concepts in visual art, but equally impressed by a realist approach. This has been an interesting show, inviting visitors to think about what they consider art, and view a style of work not normally on view at our Museum.

I was tasked with creating a video for the exhibition. Once again, I had the pleasure of visiting a handful of artists in their studios (Marshall Arisman, Robert Cottingham, Eric Forstmann) and learning about their background and work. It's quite a window for me, and useful in my own knowledge of the creative process.

The challenge comes in putting it all together. Not to overstate things, but it is like approaching a blank canvas. In this case, the video was narrative, so I needed to figure out how to connect the artists' various stories. I enjoy letting personalities come through, and have been told that I have a knack for making people feel comfortable in front of the camera. Indeed, Robert Cottingham became so relaxed, that I just kept rolling as the photorealist settled into painting in his studio (it's my favorite part of the finished video). 

Sound + vision: interviewing Marshall Arisman in his NYC studio, May 2016. 

Happy with the material I collected, I faced a bit of a creative obstacle when it came time to edit. As I separated the audio channels, I discovered that the lavalier mic I had been using was spotty. In most cases, the on-camera mic was a suitable backup, but some of the rooms proved less conducive to our recording. A hard lesson to learn in the middle of post-production. Oy. 

Making the most of a stressful situation, I got a crash course in audio sweetening. Delving into my Adobe Audition and old Soundtrack Pro software, I learned a thing of two about EQ, compression, and high/low pass filtering. I appreciated the help from experts who explained possible solutions. Once I worked out some of these kinks, I was able to find a couple great jazz tracks that helped the flow and really brought the piece together. 

Onward! Our next show should be fun: a look at the art of animation studio Hanna-Barbera. I grew up with those cartoons, and had the opportunity to conduct a promo video with two of the original animators. Stay "tooned." 

In other news, the Museum recently received a generous grant from the George Lucas Family Foundation to support its multimedia efforts, and has initiated a feasibility study to look at expansion. A wise philosopher once said: "There is nothing more constant than change."

View from the office. Photo: Jeremy Clowe / Norman Rockwell Museum

Talking Pictures

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America, and all the ships at seas"...
photo by Deborah Greene.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

This morning I spent some time back in front of a microphone, practicing my best "1940s radio voice" for some digital modules the Museum is working on. Basically, I was asked to record a letter from our archives, that had been written to Norman Rockwell back in 1948 by an executive involved with the production of his Lineman illustration for AT&T (the original painting is part of our permanent collection). The executive is asking Rockwell to make corrections to the work, in order to make it appear more accurate. Something about the formality of the letter reminded me of old audio you come across from those days, when public figures seemed to talk in an affected, clipped manner (why was that?). I think it was the right call.

Rockwell on the line... photo of NRM's George
Church with the original painting. 

The cordial yet firm reply from Rockwell was read by my dapper colleague George Church, who actually had a career in radio for many years (I always enjoy hearing George's stories of working in the Los Angeles market, interviewing Bobby Darin and the like). These digital modules, linked to paintings from the Museum's collection, will also include excerpts from video interviews I have conducted with Rockwell models over the years, and should be ready by the end of the year (most likely in the form of a mobile app).

Below is a further look at the Museum's archives and collections, courtesy of an interview I conducted with American Lifestyle TV last year. It's a little weird to see myself on the other side of the camera here, but my responses come across pretty solid (lucky me!).