Philip Stein
Encyclopedia
Philip Stein better known as "Estaño" (b. Newark, New Jersey
, February 5, 1919 - d. Manhattan
, April 27, 2009), was an American
painter and muralist
.
in Brooklyn
and at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan
. He also painted several pictures during his World War II
service as a soldier of the Eighth Air Force
and the Ninth United States Army. After he returned to the United States in November 1945, he participated in night classes at the New School for Social Research, due to the benefit of the GI educational bill. In 1943 he married Gertrude Goodkin. They moved to Los Angeles
in 1946, where he worked in the film studios, and visited courses at Chouinard School of Art in the evenings. His last work in Hollywood was the scenery design for the opera Boris Godunov
. After the Hollywood strike of 1947, he made use of the time he had left to study with the GI Bill. He moved to Mexico
in 1948, where he visited the art school in San Miguel de Allende
and later the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) in Mexico City
, and joined the muralism movement. From 1948 to 1958 he painted murals together with David Alfaro Siqueiros
, who nicknamed him "Estaño". Stein exhibited for his first time in Mexico City in 1953. In 1958 he returned to the United States, where he painted the back-wall mural of the Village Vanguard
club, which is run by his sister Lorraine Gordon, widow of Max Gordon
. From the 1980s to 1993, he and his wife lived in Vilassar de Dalt
, where he painted, hosted a jazz radio show and produced two albums on the Jazz Art label by Big Chief Russell Moore
.
He died in April 2009, and left his wife Gertrude and his two daughters Elizabeth Frame of Boulder, Colorado, and Anne Stein of Los Angeles.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, February 5, 1919 - d. Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, April 27, 2009), was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter and muralist
Mexican Muralism
Mexican muralism is a Mexican art movement. The most important period of this movement took place primarily from the 1920s to the 1960s, though it exerted an influence on later generations of Mexican artists...
.
Biography
Stein studied painting autodidactically, before he visited classes at the Pratt InstitutePratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He also painted several pictures during his World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service as a soldier of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and the Ninth United States Army. After he returned to the United States in November 1945, he participated in night classes at the New School for Social Research, due to the benefit of the GI educational bill. In 1943 he married Gertrude Goodkin. They moved to 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...
in 1946, where he worked in the film studios, and visited courses at Chouinard School of Art in the evenings. His last work in Hollywood was the scenery design for the opera Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
. After the Hollywood strike of 1947, he made use of the time he had left to study with the GI Bill. He moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1948, where he visited the art school in San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is 274 km from Mexico City and 97 km from the state capital of Guanajuato...
and later the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, and joined the muralism movement. From 1948 to 1958 he painted murals together with David Alfaro Siqueiros
David Alfaro Siqueiros
José David Alfaro Siqueiros was a social realist painter, known for his large murals in fresco that helped establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance, together with works by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, and also a member of the Mexican Communist Party who participated in an...
, who nicknamed him "Estaño". Stein exhibited for his first time in Mexico City in 1953. In 1958 he returned to the United States, where he painted the back-wall mural of the Village Vanguard
Village Vanguard
The Village Vanguard is a jazz club located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. At first, it also featured other forms of music such as folk music and beat poetry, but it switched to an all-jazz format in 1957.-History:Over 100 jazz...
club, which is run by his sister Lorraine Gordon, widow of Max Gordon
Max Gordon
Max Gordon was a jazz promoter who founded the Village Vanguard jazz club in New York City.Born in Lithuania, Gordon settled with his family in Portland, Oregon, where he later attended Reed College....
. From the 1980s to 1993, he and his wife lived in Vilassar de Dalt
Vilassar de Dalt
Vilassar de Dalt is a village in Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona and the comarca of Maresme. The name comes from the Roman name Villa Azari, later changed to Vilassar...
, where he painted, hosted a jazz radio show and produced two albums on the Jazz Art label by Big Chief Russell Moore
Big Chief Russell Moore
Big Chief Russell Moore was an American jazz trombonist.Moore was a Pima American Indian, and lived in Blue Island, Illinois from age twelve, where he studied trumpet, piano, drums, french horn, and trombone. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1930s, where he worked freelance with Lionel Hampton...
.
He died in April 2009, and left his wife Gertrude and his two daughters Elizabeth Frame of Boulder, Colorado, and Anne Stein of Los Angeles.