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diversions
Huck talks pop
By Joe Licavoli
On-line Forty-Niner
As part of the
art department's artist lecture series, Printmaker Tom Huck
spoke Wednesday to a packed audience at the Art Theater at
Cal State Long Beach about his influences, which range from
pop culture to his hometown of Picosi, Mo.
Huck found his
love of pop culture at the age of 12 when he discovered a
Robert Crumb comic under his father's mattress. Huck said
he could not believe the amazing art in the comic and he sights
Crumb as an influence to his art career.
As Huck furthered
his educational career he increasingly searched for ideas
from pop culture. Huck received his bachelor of arts degree
in drawing and painting at Southern Illinois University in
Carboundale, Ill., but it was not until graduate school that
Huck realized his love of music.
Huck discovered
the music of Frank Zappa while in graduate school at Washington
University in Saint Louis, Mo. Zappa's satirical humor and
outspoken manner was an instant appeal to Huck and influenced
his artwork by making him more open to try new things.
The music that
inspires Huck's artwork ranges from rock 'n' roll to country.
"Attitude is what I get from music and I put that attitude
into my art," said Huck. As far as new music, Huck explained
that he is constantly being influenced.
"I have been
listening to the White Stripes a lot lately," he said.
"I like a lot of old school punk and country."
The majority of
Huck's artwork has a story behind it, he said. One piece of
artwork called "Bed of Bones" is about a German
couple named Freddie and Helen Wiesler that lived in a shanty
in the woods near Huck's home growing up. They smelled really
bad and whenever they would go to a local restaurant, they
would be asked to leave. After Freddie's death, police discovered
the smell was because for many years, the couple had lived
among decaying dogs, according to artgallery.com.
The story behind
"Bed of Bones" is an example of the dark and grim
influences of his artwork, said Huck.
Another piece of
Huck's artwork, "Martha and the Greased Pig," is
about two sisters, dressed in full formal wear and combat
boots, who win a greased pig contest every year according
to artgallery.com
Huck said he is
surprised and delighted that his artwork is selling rapidly
every day.
Currently, Huck
is working on new artwork and in 2003, there will be an exhibition
called "2 Suites by Tom Huck," which will be at
the Mary Leigh and Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University
in Evnaston, Ill.
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