Anyone familiar with movie stars and the artists that depict their personal style with a flourish of their own will no doubt be familiar with Al Hirschfeld. I’ve always been a big fan of Hirschfeld and recently I came across a new artist named Matt Hirschfeld (who may be a relation.)
After visiting his web site www.matthirschfeld.com, I would have to say he's pretty good! Take a look at this picture; it’s homage to Martin Scorcesse’s “Gangs of New York.” What I dig about it is that like Al, Matt is of course showing character in his personalities’ faces (see the DiCaprio in particular to see what I mean) but more than that, he’s telling a story in this piece. He’s interpreting the various Burroughs’ uprisings as the chaos leading to the birth of a great nation, almost like the unstable creative energy flow involved in the violent accouchement of a planetary star.
Something that always struck me as unique and cool about Al Hirschfeld is that he reflected the milieu of his era. I’m thinking of his ‘World Leaders’ from 1962 with its portraits of Kennedy, Chiang Kai Sek, Castro, Kruschev, etc. Like Al, Matt’s been doing this same thing. I checked out his picture of Rudy Giuliani where he cleverly manages to portray the calculating seriousness that lies under the winning façade of the smiling funny man that cracked up viewers on Saturday Night Live.
Matt’s managed to capture some of Tinseltown’s heavyweights and concoct a narrative of our own time via his Oscar creations. Look at “Crash”, “The Departed”, and most recently, “No Country for Old Men”. Did Matt somehow have an inkling that his choices were going to win the best picture? I checked out his blog and he says he always has been able to predict the Academy Award winner before it happened. Either he’s pretty lucky, he’s lying, or like Al, Matt Hirschfeld really does have his finger on the pulse of society. I’m going to go with number 3, but someone else please weigh in here.
Friday, May 23, 2008
MATT HIRSCHFELD: NEXT IN LINE
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10 comments:
I feel that Matt Hirschfeld's art truly captures the character of its subjects. I'm curious as to whether or not he illustrates for the film studious who produce the movies. His website has a full catalog of his drawings. I wonder if he has any original art for sale. I guess I'll just have to email him. If anyone knows please feel free to post the info. Thanks.
Richard, thanks for the blog. I too have been a lifelong Hirschfeld fan, and I appreciate what Matt is doing for his generation. The fact that he's drawing with a mouse just blows my mind. Brilliant!
That "Gangs of New York" piece is nice. How do I get a copy for my office?
I read this quote somewhere about a person who asked Al if he thought he could ever draw with a mouse and give up his signature hand-drawing style--- he was quoted as saying said “It's possible to control; it would just require another lifetime to do it.”
Isn’t it kind of cool and I don’t know--- fortuitous that along comes Matt Hirschfeld soon after Al dies and Matt can draw just as good as Al (dare I say better) and he uses a mouse.
What if some weird psychic energy/torch is passing between these two guys? I mean can it really be just be a coincidence that these two guys have the same name, come from the same place and have the same abilities? Anyone out there believe in karma, resurrection, man? Past lives? Tell me I’m crazy but I think there’ a powerful cosmic vibe connection wrapped up in all of this. May the force be with you, Matt.
Great drawings! I especially like seeing the academy award winner ones. Its cool getting to see today's movies and celebrities get the Hirschfeld treatment.
Kerri, I don't think you can deny that Matt Hirschfeld is very talented. But I'm not sure if I would say that he's as good as Al Hirschfeld who litterally spent his entire life drawing. There was always something magical about the way Al's lines came to life; and to this day no one has ever matched it.
Now to Matt's credit, his original artwork does stay true to the classic Hirschfeld style and even the characters he has drawn seem to have more of a detailed and dramatic look to them.
I don't know how distant the family relation is. But judging by their artistic abilities I'm thinking the connection has to be very close
Very impressive. I like the Gangs of New York drawing. He's really captured the ruthlessness of Bill the Butcher and the Natives
...Very cool too that he uses the mouse to draw. I wonder how long it takes to do one?
I think Matt Hirschfeld's artwork is very impressive. His ability to create what he does on a computer is a feat in and of its self. His skill and creativity at capturing the faces and feelings only further demonstrate his talent. Keep up the good work Matt.
http://www.matthirschfeld.com/Slumdogmillionaire.html
4/4!
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