|
|
View
the Artwork
Dick Duerrstein |
|
Dick Duerrstein has the innate ability to capture the essence of the character while playfully (and respectfully) reinventing the energy of the original. Working with drawings gathered from the archives of Chuck Jones, he has re-interpreted the sauciness and droll draftsmanship of one of the most iconic animation directors and character creators of the last century. As a young child growing
up in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, Dick Duerrstein
was always drawing. He loved to draw battle scenes and cars, especially
cars that had been designed and painted by the iconic Ed ‘Big
Daddy’ Roth. His mother’s shopping list always included a note
to buy him another ream of white paper, as he quickly filled every
inch of both sides of each sheet with his meticulous graphite
drawings. After high school, he studied at the Art Center College
of Design in Pasadena while working for a graphics firm.
His passion for art, along with his love of Disney comics and
movies, fostered in him the dream of someday working for the Walt
Disney Studios and in 1976 he began his career at Disney as Creative
Director for their Consumer Products Division. Designing Disney
merchandise for the national market, Duerrstein worked alongside
many of the foremost animation artists of the 20th Century, including
Ward Kimball, Marc Davis (and incidentally, with Chuck Jones at
Warner Bros.) For the next 22 years, Dick had the opportunity
to use his talent in many diverse ways, developing his own unique
style that is prevalent in his paintings today.
|
His experience at Disney working
on a wide variety of projects has given Dick a world-class
sense of design. His artwork has adorned everything from
record album covers and clothing to fine collectible items
such as cel portfolios, art glass and furniture. Some of
his published works include a series of three children’s
books that he illustrated, and a fine art serigraph series
of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. Dick began
perfecting his current style of painting over fifteen years
ago. Finding inspiration in the work of contemporary artists
such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and David Hockney, he
has imbued his paintings of cartoon characters with new
life.
At home in his studio, Dick begins each painting by simply
layering each aspect of the character, color by color, so
that each painting expands beyond character interpretation.
Working primarily on canvas in acrylics and oil pastels,
his striking, contemporary style brings his images to life
in a dramatic and unforgettable fashion. The vibrant colors
and bold brushwork of his art create a sense of movement,
excitement and reverence for the creative process. He truly
enjoys the process of discovery involved in the conception
and execution of his paintings, knowing that he can bring
his imagination to life on the canvas for all to share.
|
Duerrstein’s work can be found
in the Walt Disney Studio corporate offices, Burbank, California;
The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. and St. Jude’s
Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and private collections
worldwide. Currently his work is seen in “The Art of Mickey
Mouse” exhibition traveling through Japan.
Inspired not only by the animation artists he has worked
so closely with but also with such diverse draftsman as
Leonardo da Vinci and Von Dutch, Duerrstein has recently
found inspiration from the animation drawings of Chuck Jones.
“I believe I bring the spontaneity of his [Chuck Jones]
original drawing to the forefront of my paintings, where
the viewer can see the action up close. The backgrounds
reflect the age and use of the original drawings, grounding
them in history.” Duerrstein has been working on a series
of paintings that explore the relationship between the drawn
line and the personality of the cartoon characters made
famous by the legendary creator and director, Chuck Jones.
Linda Jones Enterprises is pleased to represent original
and limited edition works of art by Dick Duerrstein. |
|
| View
the Artwork |
|
|
| |
|
