John Pitre
Encyclopedia
John Pitre is an American
visionary art
painter based in Hawaii
. He has been called the most bankable living American surrealist
.
One of John Pitre's best known paintings is A New Dawn, a 1965 work which shows a modern human reduced to the status of a caveman
in the midst of smoldering urban ruins. This painting, in the weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks
more than thirty five years later, was seen by some as a foreshadowing of what came to be known as the Ground Zero
of those events. In 2004, the owner of the original painting, which was valued in 1997 at $
1.7 million, offered A New Dawn in trade for a £
1 million house on the London real estate market.
John Pitre's art addresses issues such as ecology, overpopulation, responsibility for stewardship of the Earth, the quest to understand the mysteries of the universe, and the fragility of life and of relationships. Posters of his paintings were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s and one of them, a print of his painting Restrictions, has sold several million copies.
John Pitre studied at the Art Students League of New York
and has lived and worked in Hawaii for three decades. With his wife Patricia, his ex-wife Ginette and their artist daughters Dawn Pitre and Tanya Joy, he is the proprietor of Pitre Fine Arts in Honolulu
.
(ROM) and Time Works exercise equipment
which was rated the "Best of What's new in 1993" by Popular Science
magazine. With decorative tile artist Thomas Deir, who was his apprentice
at the time, Pitre co-invented Genesis Artist Colors, a synthetic
oil paint
which remains wet and malleable until it is heat cured
.
Pitre is also a diver
, an environmentalist
, the founder and director of Natural Power Concepts, and pilots helicopter
s and ultralight
seaplane
s.
s:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
visionary art
Visionary art
Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences.-Definition:...
painter based in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He has been called the most bankable living American surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
.
One of John Pitre's best known paintings is A New Dawn, a 1965 work which shows a modern human reduced to the status of a caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
in the midst of smoldering urban ruins. This painting, in the weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
more than thirty five years later, was seen by some as a foreshadowing of what came to be known as the Ground Zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
of those events. In 2004, the owner of the original painting, which was valued in 1997 at $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.7 million, offered A New Dawn in trade for a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million house on the London real estate market.
John Pitre's art addresses issues such as ecology, overpopulation, responsibility for stewardship of the Earth, the quest to understand the mysteries of the universe, and the fragility of life and of relationships. Posters of his paintings were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s and one of them, a print of his painting Restrictions, has sold several million copies.
John Pitre studied at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
and has lived and worked in Hawaii for three decades. With his wife Patricia, his ex-wife Ginette and their artist daughters Dawn Pitre and Tanya Joy, he is the proprietor of Pitre Fine Arts in Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
.
Inventions
Pitre is also an inventor. Pitre invented the Range of MotionRange of Motion (exercise machine)
Range of Motion or ROM is an exercise machine that won the 1991 Popular Science award for "Best of what's new" in leisure products. It claims to give a full workout in 4 minutes and costs $14,615 .The Range of Motion was invented by artist John Pitre....
(ROM) and Time Works exercise equipment
Exercise equipment
An apparatus or device used in any given physical activity for shaping and forming muscle groups for specific areas of the body. A mechanism or machine that is intended to promote health and fitness by using motion with varying degrees of resistance either fixed or adjustable.-Exercise...
which was rated the "Best of What's new in 1993" by Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
magazine. With decorative tile artist Thomas Deir, who was his apprentice
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
at the time, Pitre co-invented Genesis Artist Colors, a synthetic
Chemical synthesis
In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions to get a product, or several products. This happens by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions...
oil paint
Oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...
which remains wet and malleable until it is heat cured
Curing (chemistry)
Curing is a term in polymer chemistry and process engineering that refers to the toughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking of polymer chains, brought about by chemical additives, ultraviolet radiation, electron beam or heat...
.
Pitre is also a diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
, an environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, the founder and director of Natural Power Concepts, and pilots helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s and ultralight
Ultralight aviation
The term "ultralight aviation" refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person airplanes., also called microlight aircraft in the UK, India and New Zealand...
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s.
Patents
A few of John Pitre's patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s:
- 1988: variable resistance exercise apparatus
- 1997: plastisol paint, with Thomas Deir
- 1999: full body exercise apparatus
Books
- John Pitre: The Art and Works of a Visionary. Barbara T. Erskine and Roger Jellinek, eds. HonoluluHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
: Pitre Fine Arts, 1996. ISBN 0-96481-830-2.