Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurence Gartel.
Hi Laurence, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was attention the State College of Buffalo and was sitting in the back of a classroom watching Charlie Chaplins “Modern Times.” I had a long lens camera and was wondering if I could capture a moving image with a still camera. A guy approached me and told me there was a center that did all sorts of cool imaging things electronically nearby. I accepted his invitation and found myself at a facility called Media Study/Buffalo. It was an experimental video institute with all sorts of analog system computers. I created all sorts of images but the only way to capture these unique images was to photograph the screen. Most people at the center were creating video on one inch tape and playing it back through reel to reel machines. I saw “still images” as a way of replacing traditional media such as painting. From that day forward April 1976, I never looked back and saw creating Digital Art as a means to make new Art that nobody has ever seen before. For this reason, I am considered the “Father of Digital Art.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While I received many accolades early in my career and in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art before my 25th birthday, the road was not easy. There were many galleries that were skeptical of the medium. They thought Computer Art was a trend and had no longevity. One time I saw five different curators at the Brooklyn Museum and none of them knew what to do with my work not sure of the category it fits into. When applying for grants, there was no medium that suited Electronic imaging. However, there were magazines in the late 70s and early 80s such as Videography, Video, Diversion, Future, Camera 35. Pop Photography, PhotoMethods, and others that did feature articles on my work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have created many firsts with my work starting with the first Digital Art Cover for Forbes Magazine creating the first Digital Art ad ABSOLUT GARTEL for the legendary Absolut Vodka campaign. I was the brand ambassador for Philip Morris Light American throughout Germany creating their advertising campaign. I created the Art for Coca Cola Atlanta Olympics for Marketing, Promotion and Merchandising. I created the official image for DISNEY Millennium. Additionally, I created Art for the NBA Championship Finals, as well as NASA MMS Launch, Feature of the 113th NY International Auto Show with my own Pavilion of 25,000 square feet filled with Art Cars and Motorcycles. More recently, I created the installation “Welcome to Miami” for the Miami Central Brightline Rail Station and “Legends of Rock & Roll” commission for the Seminole Hard Rock Guitar Hotel. The most noted commission was being the Official Artist of the 57th Annual Grammy Awards followed by being the Artist of the Newport Jazz Festival and Monaco International Film Festival.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is being innovative. Always coming up with something unique. Right before covid, I created Art Cubes called Shashibo which are better than a Rubik’s cube. With 36 earth magnets, the cubes are interlocking. The cubes can be found in every Barnes & Nobles in the country. I created a Limited Edition Series that can be found online: www.gartelshashibo.com
Contact Info:
- Email: Gartel@aol.com
- Website: www.gartelmuseum.weebly.com
- Instagram: LaurenceGartel
- Facebook: LaurenceGartel
- Twitter: LaurenceGartel
- Youtube: LaurenceGartel
Image Credits
“Welcome to Miami” Miami Central Brightline Station photo courtesy of Sunman
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