― Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
I've been on here for over 3 years now, and I had posted much of my art before, but today I like to refresh memories of my early post of this painting on Steemit, clumsily put together at that time. It is about a canvas that at least at the time I created it in 1975, was the largest canvas I had painted. I subsequently exhibited it in my first solo exhibition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada the following year, and it resonated with the art critic of the (now defunct) Albertan Newspaper, the late J. Brooks Joyner that he wrote a glowing review.
MONUMENT TO THE UNBORN WAR HERO - acrylic on canvas 100 x 86 cm - 1975
One painting that seems to summarize Rapp’s attitude is his Monument to the unborn War Hero. A large painting which includes scenes of brutality; tyranny; the soldier in various historical periods; images of Hitler; human sculls; alarming pictures of wolves; warplanes overhead and a very bold nude female figure giving birth to what appears to be a crucified figure of man. It is his visual summary of the consequences of war. Rapp is an accomplished artist, and like so many European artists who have settled in Canada, he has a strong command of modern surrealist imagery.
critique by J. Brooks Joyner, Editor Visual Arts, The Albertan, Saturday, May 29th, 1976
Posted on my Pixels site it has been viewed 68,561 times, more than any of my other works posted there, and to date is my second best seller for prints. Unfortunately I did not have a good enough photo of it for printing full size.
The painting was sold in Alberta, Canada, a long time ago. The photo I have is a 8x10 inch analog that I scanned. Actually lucky to even have a photo: in those days the majority of my work was sold without any photographic record of it.
Find it on my Website HERE
The meticulously painted fetus, the subject of this painting, I had used in a variety of ways after that in digital creations, for one, as a recurring New Years Greeting where I combined it with a frozen waterfall (this years edition):
BABY IN ICE - first used it as a New Years card in 2012
and in a decalcomania digital work that I also use as my banner image on my Facebook page:
DECALCOMANIAC TRANSMISSION TOWERS - acrylic on mylar and digital collage - 2015
Visit my website
▼
PRINTS OF MY ARTWORK AVAILABLE HERE:
If you find this useful, please repost!
MY INTRODUCTION - ABOUT MY WORK
Do you happen to have the negative of the analog picture? You can do much bigger prints if you still have the negative.
The artwork is amazing! No wonder it caught the critiques eye.
No, unfortunately not - that would have been my first thought. Back then photos for a portfolio were taken by a professional photographer from the gallery. All they gave me was a hard copy.
I had other photos taken for a in-house publication by the company I worked for, and the photographer gave me the negatives (though b/w) so at least of those I have decent sizes. But this work was not among it. Only a portrait of me sitting in front of it. Beneath it you see another part of a painting where I have no record of. Come to think of it, I should have included that in my post:
I love this portrait! Is there any chance to get in contact with the photographer? They still might have the negatives stored somewhere :)
he died a long time ago. He was the official photographer of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Nick Morant. He did those with a old fashioned plate camera. He did give me the contact prints also. I might have them stashed somewhere. The scans I made from paper are large enough for what I am using it for.
I have slides of some old artwork, if this artwork is among them I would have to look, but they would need to be professionally scanned to digital.
I am sorry to hear that, I hope you find the slide! I only know professional film labs in Europe but I am sure there is plenty of them in Canada as well.
Bingo - good thing we had this conversation. I found a whole bunch of slides and negatives from way back when, then I researched and found a place in Vienna that looks super professional who would be able to scan my slides super large: X-LARGE 45 Megapixel = 5500 dpi
That's quite a work. Thank you for sharing it
Thank you for your kind remarks and support. It is much appreciated. 😀
I checked your page and am in full agreement with this post of yours. One comment by @detlev resonates with me, about overwriting Steemit posts, and this is exactly what I am doing, and have done quite a few times. Whereas this one I reposted as Hive. I started with overwriting my introduction which is linked on every footer of my posts, to point to Hive only.
I have loved this work, it is full of symbolism and surrealism, it is very powerful. If you had the opportunity to review any of my posts about my work I would love to read your opinion, greetings from Mexico
Thanks, I will check it out. It has been some time ago, but I exhibited in Mexico before, 2014 in San Cristóbal de las Casas. A year later in Monterey.
Thaks mate. How was your experience exhibiting in Mexico?
MONUMENT TO THE UNBORN WAR HERO -Very interesting and beautiful painting! This painting includes much elements and symbols from the past! I can not take my eyes off! Congratulations!!!