August 26th, 2010
I went to one of my favorite events of the entire year earlier this week – MDA Summer Camp. Every summer, The Muscular Dystrophy Association hosts over 90 week-long camps around the country for children with Muscular Dystrophy and related diseases. It’s an incredibly magical experience. The kids have a fantastic time, experiencing some freedom, having fun, and building lifelong relationships. To some families affected by Muscular Dystrophy, summer camp is the vacation of a lifetime. I have been lucky enough to attend four such camps and each time, I’ve worked with some of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen to create some wonderful works of art. This year, I again partnered with the A&P and Food Emporium and attended camp on A&P Day when dozens of A&P employees volunteer their time and effort to meeting the kids and helping out.
Every year MDA Camp has a different theme…this year it was the television show SURVIVOR. So, my staff and I prepared a project to do with the kids that would have something to do with this theme. So, in just about 2 hours, and with the help of more than 40 disabled children, we put together an original artwork based on one of my limited edition releases titled SERENITY OF THE WILDLIFE. The kids drew all of the elements that are 3-D on the matting of the artwork and they helped me glue up the artwork in the center. As always, MDA Camp was a rewarding experience for me and these kids just touched my heart. They all show such courage and are truly inspirations to all of us!
In the interest of continuing to promote and raise money for the MDA, I want to remind you about the recyclable grocery bags I designed. They are being sold at The Food Emporium throughout Manhattan to benefit the MDA. You can read my earlier blog about them for more information. Please make sure you pick one up. If you’re not located in the area, you can order them by mail by calling the Food Emporium Catering Department at 212-381-0885.
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Tags: A&P, Charles Fazzino, MDA Summer Camp, Muscular Dystrophy Association, The Food Emporium
Posted in 3D pop art, Charity Involvement |
August 20th, 2010
I am so excited to report to you that my friend Tuule has opened a gallery in Helsinki, Finland dedicated to showing my artwork exclusively! I have known Tuule for several years now and she already has a gallery called Galleria Dix. I’ve blogged about her gallery before and have been there for a few very well-received shows.
Now, she’s decided to open up a gallery called Fazzino Showroom down the street. She has spent most of the summer months rennovating, decorating, and hanging and now the gallery is officially open! I hope to get there in the near future to see it for myself. I must admit that my mother (of Finnish descent for those of you who haven’t been following my blog 
) is bursting with pride. I am definitely proud myself…to have my name on the marquis of a gallery in Helsinki.
If you’re in the area, please do stop by. Here is the contact information:
Fazzino Showroom
Uudenmaankatu 19-21
00120 Helsinki, Finland
info@galleriadix.fi
www.galleriadix.fi
Phone – +358-400-282828
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Tags: Fazzino, Fazzino Showroom, Finland, Galleria Dix, Helsinki, Tuule
Posted in 3D pop art, Contemporary Art News |
August 17th, 2010
We received a bunch of really cool pictures from our friend Christian last week. He has one of the most eclectic and extensive Fazzino collections we’ve ever seen. He has some of my most unique pieces and has come up with some amazing ways to display them – custom pedestals, reflective surfaces, and spectacular lighting.
He was kind enough to shoot some of the pieces he owns, in their displays. The shots below are all from his collection, guess which one is not the Fazzino
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Tags: art displays, Christian Baehr, Fazzino collector, pop art collection
Posted in 3D pop art, Collectors Mail Bag |
August 5th, 2010
I often like to feature the artwork of artists I meet during my travels on this blog. While I was in Austin a few months ago, doing the show with Michael Godard at The Russell Collection Gallery. I met Jenny Meyer, an aspiring artist and collector. She told me about her work and later emailed me some images. I find her work very interesting…she has a great sense of movement and her compositions are thought-provoking and colorful. I like her palette very much. The images I’m showing here are from a new collection she is working on. Here is a description in her own words.
“During the weekend of “Art City Austin,” I met Charles when I went to see his show at the Russell Collection Gallery in Austin. I was really drawn to the style of his work, the 3D element in his pieces, and his use of color. It was one of the best shows I’ve seen in Austin. Charles was very kind in taking the time to discuss various art ventures with me.
I have a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I studied in the Advanced Painting department. I now work out of Austin, but my hopes as an artist, are to have my paintings exhibited in prestigious galleries around the world, along with a great fan base and consistent collectors.
My style of work is considered abstract, modern, pop art. My influences come from different forms of entertainment, such as games, toys, and cartoons. I enjoy taking existing forms from popular culture, and abstracting them to create new and exciting shapes. My work is very optimistic, which is why I use bright colors. I hope my whimsical paintings are able to put my audience in a cheerful and inspire them to play.
I am working on a new series that is combining human and robot forms. The robots in this series represent technology. The concept behind this is that we have created technology and, in a way, it has kind of taken over our lives–and become us. So, these pieces are focusing on hybriding robot forms with humans. In a way, that mirrors our own lives, because we so heavily rely on technology now and take its usefulness for granted. I wanted to have a playful take on the idea, and approach it in a whimsical manner by my use of color and cartoon imagery, as to make it more light-hearted and approachable.”
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Tags: Art City Austin, Charles Fazzino, Jenny Meyer, The Russell Collection
Posted in Collectors Mail Bag |
July 28th, 2010
Last week, I had the incredible honor of visiting Joyce Randolph , (aka Trixie) and sitting with her to sign part of my new 3D pop art edition titled: The Honeymooners. Joyce actually knows my mother because they are both members of the Finlandia Foundation. Not many people are aware of Joyce’s Finnish heritage. I first met Joyce at a Finlandia Foundation event I attended with my mom and dad soon after I graduated from The School of Visual Arts in NYC. I remember her then as the sweetest lady…always ready with a story and a smile! Well, she hasn’t changed all that much. She’s as beautiful as ever and she lights up the room….and so down to earth! She loves to talk about her days on the set at CBS and she shared her stories about Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Audrey Meadows. I originally contacted Joyce months ago when I started work on the new edition because I knew that I wanted her to sign part of the edition for me. I’m proud that she has done so and I’m proud of the way the piece turned out. I hope you enjoy it.
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Tags: Charles Fazzino, Joyce Randolph, The Honeymooners, Trixie
Posted in 3D pop art, Pop Culture and Entertainment Art |
July 22nd, 2010
I received this note from my friend Joseph earlier today. Thank you so much for the kind words!
Mr. Fazzino,
I recently purchased “Just A Cab Ride Cross Town” the deluxe edition, it is absolutely fantastic. Whenever I have company I purposely don’t point it out to people, I let the piece point itself out! It is truly a conversation starter. To see the look on the faces of people who may not be familiar with your work is priceless. I’ve been a fan of yours for quite some time now, I recently just got married (8 months ago) and after all the “hustle and bustle” of planning a wedding I was able to make my first Fazzino purchase. Aside from marrying the love of my life…it was the second best thing I’ve done!!!
I am often in JFK International Airport and recently just saw your mural for American Airlines…I WISH I HAD A WALL IN MY HOME BIG ENOUGH FOR IT!!!! It’s spectacular, I wanted to keep taking the escalator to make sure I didn’t miss an inch of it. I look forward to adding more pieces to my collection…I’ve got my eye on your NYC scenes popping out of the apple. Since I’m a native New Yorker those are the ones I lean towards.
Keep doing what you do. You’re a true artist in every sense of the word. What you do is unique, inspiring, entertaining, loud and most of all…beautiful!
Thank you very much!!!
Joseph
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Tags: american airlines, Fazzino Collectors, JFK International Airport
Posted in Collectors Mail Bag |
July 21st, 2010
My work has been shown in Paris for more than fifteen years. For the last ten, my 3d pop art has been represented throughout France by Olivier and Nicolas Waltman, owners of the prestigious Paris Art Gallery called Galerie Artima . I wanted to congratulate them personally on their tenth anniversary and to encourage you, if you’re ever in Paris, to stop by and see them. I am proud to have them representing me and my work and over the course of ten years, they have expanded the Fazzino reach into more than twenty major cities throughout the country. Their passion for artwork is endless and their dedication to their customers is exemplary.
To celebrate, Galerie Artima recently opened a special exhibition….interpretations of Mickey Mouse by all of the artists they represent. I received the show catalog in the mail yesterday and was absolutely stunned. What a fabulous concept! One of the most popular icons of all time, Mickey has proved to be a very compelling subject for artists of all types, genres, and nationalities. The Waltmans’ collection has only served to punctuate the place that Mickey Mouse has taken in our collective consciousness.
I thought I would share some of the pieces with you here. Cedric Bouteiller’s provocative and abstract interpretation left me a little perplexed. It’s so interesting, but I’m not really sure what the message is….perhaps Cedric isn’t sure either? On the other hand, the message in Alexandre Durand’s “Day Dream Nation” is ABSOLUTELY clear. Something tells me there’s a little resentment there? And finally, Philippe Huart’s “Merry Pranksters” is just fun…makes me think of Jeff Koons.
There are twenty artists participating in this exhibition, and it’s on display now at Galerie Artima. Take a closer look if you’re in the area or email them for more information at info@galerieartima.com.
Enjoy!
–Charles
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Tags: 3D pop art, Galerie Artima, Mickey Mouse, Paris Art Gallery
Posted in Pop Art Gallery |
July 15th, 2010
Just got back from Anaheim and the All-Star Game!
What an exciting weekend! I got to participate in Fanfest where I showcased my hand painted home plate, helmets, baseballs, and other MLB artwork.
I got some air time on Time Warner Cable’s sports network, and was filmed at my booth for Fox Sports online with Leeann Tweeden.
Here’s some pictures from these interviews and check out the full video on my website’s media room.
-Charles
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Tags: 3D pop art, Anaheim, baseball, Baseball Pop Art, Charles Fazzino, Fox Sports, hand painted equipment, MLB All-Star Game
Posted in 3D pop art, Baseball Art Prints |
July 5th, 2010
On Saturday, I had the great pleasure…and honor…of participating in the annual Baseball Day at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. What an incredible day!
The Fourth of July is all about America…our heritage, our history…and of course, our independence. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate than in the home of one of the greatest artists our country has ever produced. Norman Rockwell was more than an artist…he was a historian. I had the opportunity to tour the museum before our event began. I knew a lot about Mr. Rockwell, but i have never seen so many of his original works assembled in one place. The impact was incredible. Norman Rockwell never shied away from controversy. He painted what he believed. In particular, i saw for the first time, the original of The Golden Rule - an incredibly powerful piece, for which i understand, he received a great deal of hate mail. The artist’s original Stockbridge studio is also on the Museum grounds. I urge you…if you ever find yourself in Stockbridge, MA…make sure you get to The Norman Rockwell Museum. It’s a wonderful look at our country’s history through the middle of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of a brilliant artist.
Now…back to Baseball Day. Of course, Norman Rockwell’s baseball paintings are some of his best known works….you can see them at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Baseball Day is the brainchild of curator Tom Daly whom i met almost a year ago. Tom saw some similarities between my work and career and that of Mr. Rockwell…while i was honored to even be compared…i was able to see what he was talking about…i hope that my legacy, similar to that of Norman Rockwells, is as a pop culture historian, of sorts.
Tom invited me up to Baseball Day and I was more than happy to oblige. There were baseball players, and representatives from the Hall of Fame, and baseball artist Graig Kreindler More than 1,000 people came through the Museum on Saturday. I had the opportunity to meet Linda Ruth Tosetti (Babe Ruth’s grandaughter) who was on hand to talk about her heritage and her legendary grandfather. I worked with a wonderful group of kids…and adults…to create a work that will become part of the Museum’s permanent collection. I understand that it will be on view with the new acquisitions collection in the Fall and i’m VERY proud of that.
It was a fantastic weekend and we had lots of fun and met some great new friends.
Happy Fourth of July to All of You!
–Charles
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Tags: Babe Ruth, Baseball Art, Fazzino, Linda Ruth Tosetti, Norman Rockwell Museum, The Golden Rule
Posted in Arts Education, Baseball Art Prints, Museum Pop Art, Sports Pop Art |
