Kent Twitchell
Encyclopedia
Kent Twitchell is an American
mural
ist who is most active in Los Angeles
. He is most famous for his larger-than-life mural portraits, often of celebrities and artists. His murals are realism
not photorealism
according to Twitchell.
as a display artist (1965-66) in Atlanta, Georgia. Twitchell joined the United States Air Force
and was stationed in London
, where he served as an illustrator
.
Upon his discharge, he studied art at East Los Angeles College
(AA
, 1968), California State University, Los Angeles
(BA
, 1972), and the Otis College of Art and Design
(MFA
, 1977). He was active in the creation of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles and served on its advisory board.
In 1992 he won a major victory for the cause of legal protection of murals as public art
when a court awarded him damages for the destruction of his mural The Freeway Lady. He was based in Echo Park, California for most of his career, until the 1994 Northridge earthquake
destroyed his studio. Shortly thereafter, Twitchell and his family moved to northern California.
In 2008 he settled a lawsuit against the U.S. Government and 12 other defendants for painting over his 70 feet (21.3 m) landmark mural of Edward Ruscha
, an important Los Angeles-based Pop artist. The settlement amount – $1.1 million – is believed to be the largest settlement ever under the seldom-invoked Federal Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA)
or the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA
). VARA and CAPA forbid desecration, alteration, or destruction of certain public works of art without prior notice to the artist to allow for removal. The U.S. Government is contributing $250,000 to the settlement amount. William Brutocao, with the intellectual property law firm Sheldon Mak Rose & Anderson PC, served as Mr. Twitchell’s lead trial attorney in this complex and legally-challenging case. “This settlement sets an important precedent which will benefit other artists,” said Mr. Twitchell. “This resolution makes it clear that when it comes to public art, you have to respect the artist’s rights, or incur significant liability.”
His most recent show was in Los Angeles, California April 2009 at the LOOK gallery entitled "Thriller: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool: Exploring the Lost Works of Kent Twitchell." The exhibition included sketches, photos and drawings for "lost" murals, as well as one that was completed but never installed or shown to the public: A 100 feet (30.5 m), 60 feet (18.3 m) portrait of Michael Jackson
, created in the early 1990s for the side of the former Barker Bros. building in Hollywood, now the El Capitan Theatre
, and a mural of actor Steve McQueen
. He currently has a studio in downtown Los Angeles.
After the death of musician Michael Jackson
on June 25, 2009 interest was revived in Twitchell's Michael Jackson mural which is 100 feet (30.5 m) tall and 60 feet (18.3 m) wide entitled "The King of Pop." November 2009 Kent Twitchell painted two murals on two pieces of the Berlin wall for the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. One was the portrait of John Kennedy, the other Ronald Reagan. They depicted the US Presidents at the beginning and the fall of the Berlin wall. Controversy ensued and Twitchell was disappointed when only one piece could fit in the installation as per the organizers of the exhibit. Twitchell decided to display half of each piece in the exhibit which worked out perfectly.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
ist who is most active in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He is most famous for his larger-than-life mural portraits, often of celebrities and artists. His murals are realism
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
not photorealism
Photorealism
Photorealism is the genre of painting based on using the camera and photographs to gather information and then from this information creating a painting that appears photographic...
according to Twitchell.
Biography
Twitchell's father was Robert Twitchell who was a farmer. Twitchell went to Dimondale High School (1957-59) and Everett High School (class of 1960.) He worked for J. C. PenneyJ. C. Penney
-External links:*...
as a display artist (1965-66) in Atlanta, Georgia. Twitchell joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and was stationed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he served as an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
.
Upon his discharge, he studied art at East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College is a community college of the Los Angeles Community College District in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park. Fourteen communities comprise its primary service area...
(AA
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
, 1968), California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, 1972), and the Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
(MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
, 1977). He was active in the creation of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles and served on its advisory board.
In 1992 he won a major victory for the cause of legal protection of murals as public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
when a court awarded him damages for the destruction of his mural The Freeway Lady. He was based in Echo Park, California for most of his career, until the 1994 Northridge earthquake
Northridge earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...
destroyed his studio. Shortly thereafter, Twitchell and his family moved to northern California.
In 2008 he settled a lawsuit against the U.S. Government and 12 other defendants for painting over his 70 feet (21.3 m) landmark mural of Edward Ruscha
Edward Ruscha
Edward Joseph Ruscha IV is an American artist associated with the Pop art movement. He has worked in the media of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, and film. Ruscha lives and works in Culver City, California...
, an important Los Angeles-based Pop artist. The settlement amount – $1.1 million – is believed to be the largest settlement ever under the seldom-invoked Federal Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA)
Visual Artists Rights Act
The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 , , is a United States law protecting artist rights.VARA was the first federal copyright legislation to grant protection to moral rights...
or the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA
California Art Preservation Act
The California Art Preservation Act is a 1979 California law that provides legal protection for artists' moral rights. The law is currently codified at California Civil Code §987. The law has since been amended in part...
). VARA and CAPA forbid desecration, alteration, or destruction of certain public works of art without prior notice to the artist to allow for removal. The U.S. Government is contributing $250,000 to the settlement amount. William Brutocao, with the intellectual property law firm Sheldon Mak Rose & Anderson PC, served as Mr. Twitchell’s lead trial attorney in this complex and legally-challenging case. “This settlement sets an important precedent which will benefit other artists,” said Mr. Twitchell. “This resolution makes it clear that when it comes to public art, you have to respect the artist’s rights, or incur significant liability.”
His most recent show was in Los Angeles, California April 2009 at the LOOK gallery entitled "Thriller: The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool: Exploring the Lost Works of Kent Twitchell." The exhibition included sketches, photos and drawings for "lost" murals, as well as one that was completed but never installed or shown to the public: A 100 feet (30.5 m), 60 feet (18.3 m) portrait of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, created in the early 1990s for the side of the former Barker Bros. building in Hollywood, now the El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...
, and a mural of actor Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
. He currently has a studio in downtown Los Angeles.
After the death of musician Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on June 25, 2009 interest was revived in Twitchell's Michael Jackson mural which is 100 feet (30.5 m) tall and 60 feet (18.3 m) wide entitled "The King of Pop." November 2009 Kent Twitchell painted two murals on two pieces of the Berlin wall for the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. One was the portrait of John Kennedy, the other Ronald Reagan. They depicted the US Presidents at the beginning and the fall of the Berlin wall. Controversy ensued and Twitchell was disappointed when only one piece could fit in the installation as per the organizers of the exhibit. Twitchell decided to display half of each piece in the exhibit which worked out perfectly.
Well-known works
| Mural Mural A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of... s |
|||
| Title | Year | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bride and Groom | 1972–1976 | Victor Clothing Company (exterior facing northeast) 240 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California (between 2nd and 3rd streets) | extant |
| Ed Ruscha Monument | 1978–1987 | Job Corps Center, exterior, 1031 South Hill St., Los Angeles, California (between 11th St. and Olympic Boulevard) | Destroyed without authorization (painted over completely) on 02 June, 2006http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-et-mural3jun03,0,1836170.story?coll=la-home-headlines |
| The Freeway Lady | 1974 | Angeles Prince Hotel (exterior), 1255 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, California (visible from the Hollywood Freeway Hollywood Freeway The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley... ) |
painted over in 1987, then relocated to the exterior of the Viva Art Gallery, 13261 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, California |
| Harbor Freeway Overture | 1991–1993 | Citicorp Plaza parking structure (exterior), 8th Street and the Harbor Freeway (110), Los Angeles, California | extant |
| Holy Trinity with Virgin | 1978 | Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior... (exterior) 2401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California (facing Carondelet, west side of campus) |
extant |
| Julius Erving Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim.... (Dr. J) |
1989 | Ridge Avenue at Green Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
extant |
| L.A. Marathon Los Angeles Marathon The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986... Mural |
1990 | Northbound side of the San Diego Freeway (405), Inglewood, California Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census... , just past Century Boulevard; relocated and restored in late 2006 to southbound side of 5 Freeway Interstate 5 Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S... just past Stadium Way exit |
extant |
| Leaf | 1981 | 1566 Ridge Crest Way, Monterey Park, California Monterey Park, California Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"... (near Monterey Pass Road) |
extant |
| 111th Street Jesus Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... |
1984 | Tiger Liquor Store (exterior), corner of Vermont Avenue at 111th Streets, Los Angeles, California | extant |
| Seventh Street Altarpiece | 1983–1984 | Harbor Freeway (110), Los Angeles, California (both sides at 7th St. underpass) | destroyed, then moved to 101 Freeway under Grand overpass, extant but barely visible under heavy tagging |
| Six Los Angeles Artists | 1979 | Employment Development Department Employment Development Department The Employment Development Department is part of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency of the executive branch of the State of California. EDD offers a variety of services to millions of Californians under the Job Service, Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, Workforce Investment,... (exterior rear), 1220 Engracia Avenue, Torrance, California. Artists were Marta Chaffee Stang, Alonzo Davis, Paul Czirban, Oliver Nowlin, Eloy Torrez, and Wayanna Kato. |
extant |
| Steve McQueen Steve McQueen Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination... Monument |
1971 | Northwest corner dwelling at Union Avenue and 12th Street (exterior), Los Angeles, California | painted over completely; restored 2010 |
| Strother Martin Strother Martin Strother Martin was an American actor in numerous films and television programs. Martin is perhaps best known as the prison "captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, where he uttered the line, "What we've got here is...failure to communicate."-Early life:Strother Martin Jr. was born in Kokomo,... Monument |
1972 | 5200 Fountain Avenue at Kingsley Drive (exterior of southwest corner), Los Angeles, California | extant |
| The Watchers | 1984 | Barnsdall Park Junior Arts Center (exterior), 4814 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California | extant |
| The Word http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/p6190017.html | 1989–1990 | Biola University Biola University Biola University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located near Los Angeles. Biola's main campus is in La Mirada in Los Angeles County, California. In addition, the university has several satellite campuses in Chino Hills, Inglewood, San Diego, and Laguna Hills.-... Science Building (exterior), 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California La Mirada, California La Mirada is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census.... |
extant |
External links
- Kent Twitchell at KentTwitchell.com
- Kent Twitchell at LAMurals.org
- Kent Twitchell at LAartscene.org
- Otis College Legacy Project: Kent Twitchell video interview 2008 by Otis students
- Kent Twitchell video interview 2009 by Veronica Aberham of Studio Online