http://floridaagenda.com/2012/02/16/artist-steve-walker-passes-iconic-gay-artist-leaves-legacy-of-beauty/ARTIST STEVE WALKER PASSES
Iconic Gay Artist
Leaves Legacy of Beauty
Posted on 16 February 2012 Internationally- renowned gay artist Steve Walker passed away unexpectedly at his home in Costa Rica on Jan. 4. The news of Walker’s death was released in a written statement by his estate last weekend. No cause of death was included in the written statement by representatives of his estate in Canada.
The work of the artist, who was only 50 when he died, is immediately recognizable by both seasoned art lovers and novices alike, and some of them were painted in South Florida. Most of the Ottawa-native’s work depicts men interacting with each other or with nature.
Fort Lauderdale Beach, including the famed
Wave Wall, served as the setting for several of his pieces.
Art consumed much of Walker’s earliest childhood: friends say that he started drawing at the age of three or four. A self-taught artist, Walker began painting after a trip to Europe when he was 25. He spent much of that time in Europe touring the great galleries and museums. It was the first time he was exposed to great painting, and the first time he recognized the potential power of the art form.
“I was moved by something that I was capable of doing,” Walker would later recall. His first paintings were done in a somewhat secretive way, as he had no intention of exhibiting or selling them and had no aspirations to becoming a professional artist.
The universal themes he depicted were done without respect to race, gender, socio-economic class, culture, or sexual orientation. However, his work is unique because he conveys these themes through the subjects in his paintings: young gay men.
“Remove the gender of the painting’s subjects and what we have is human relationships in general, and one’s relationship to the world itself,” Walker explained.
The focus of his paintings often depicted sadness and loneliness, to reflect the reality that much of life is sad and lonely. Walker often portrayed people in relationships as separate entities; that is the way he viewed them. He also used a small and consistent palette of colors with which he was comfortable and which became associated with his signature style.
“We started carrying his originals about one-and-a-half years ago,” said
Tommy LaFashia, the owner of
Gallery XO and himself an artist. Gallery XO is the exclusive
Broward County gallery for Walker’s original artwork.
“About four weeks ago, we got a call at about seven one morning from the person who handles Steve’s artwork, telling me that he passed away. He has a sister who is acting as executor and is taking care of the estate and creating a foundation in Steve’s name. They want to make sure they preserve Steve’s legacy and keep his artwork out there.”
LaFashia explained that the estate initially wanted to keep Walker’s death secret until arrangements could be made, and an inventory of his work taken.
“We have four original works at the gallery,” said LaFashia. “We were told by the estate they are not to be sold until [the estate] gets everything together and they can talk to all the galleries. The original artwork will be available at some point, but I’m not sure when that will be.”
Walker’s original pieces at Gallery XO are titled
“Platano y Pipa,” “Sculpture Series No. 1,” “Two Umbrellas,” and
“Vintage Twilight.” LaFashia said that he expects the estate to raise the prices on Walker’s artwork, and that the original works will carry a premium price.
Walker is survived by his parents,
Gloria and
Gilbert Walker, his brother,
Kevin, and sister,
Marjorie. Another brother,
Bruce, predeceased him.