About my Portrait of JD
January 23, 2025
This is a supplementary document providing historic information about my portrait of James Dean (the painting & prints). First, there are 2 small sets of non-standard, off-market, pre-publication prints, “edition variants” (EV) copies that were inappropriate for release in the final limited edition (LE) of 150 prints (in the “Remembering ~ B&W” series). Those copies will remain off-market non-LE prints, for use as gifts, etc.
The history of my portrait of JD (“Remembering”) and the print series began long before 2017. That year I decided to restart my art education, with the guidance and tutelage of Adam Grosowski. As part of the term final, our assignment was to do fast black & white paintings. If we wanted, my class-mates and I could choose to do renditions of “Xeroxed” copies of iconic images, of people, etc. So, among the many copies available, I saw and selected the copy of a photo of JD that still seems very rare. Clearly, the original photo was an enigmatic image of the charismatic actor. Dean’s emotive intensity and concentration were enhanced by the chiarascuro contrast of light and deep shadow. The project was very challenging for me, for several reasons. One was translating my Vision of the 8.5″ x 11″ copy of the photo to a much larger painting. Another issue was more difficult.
For example, most of my earlier work and background in the arts involved illustration, work with pen & ink, sketching, serigraphy, and graphic design. So, my JD portrait project was a huge leap beyond the artwork I did in the previous 40 years or so. Thus, my habitual “perfectionism” caused “mental blocks” that threatened to prevent accomplishing the mission (a painting done in about 4 hours). Luckily, Adam gladly helped me get my painting completed, with encouragement, advice, and a few exemplary brushstrokes.
Since 2017, my original painting remained at home, admired by many friends and acquaintances. In most of those years I focused on scientific research, political analysis, meta-economics, writing, and R&D of next-gen monetary technology. Yet, the image of JD’s intense concentration finally compelled me to share it with the world. Yes, the original painting included a bit of my mentor’s touch, energy, and magic, but many of the early works of the great renaissance masters were also influenced by their mentors and apprentice collaborators. Now though, modern “experts” consider “student works” with one touch of a mentor’s brush as not “the work” of an apprentice artist. So, re-did my portrait of JD, as a new, different work of digital art, appropriate for limited editions, for fine art collectors of our modern world.
Hence, the B&W series of prints (of “Remembering”) and all subsequent series, featuring my unique variations of the portrait (with colors etc.), are/will be my original works of art. For now, you can see a small lo-res watermarked version of the new JD portrait print at my “Michael’s *MAD Gallery” page.
Michael Lucas Monterey: Creative Evolutionary 