Author Topic: Last January, world famous Toronto gay artist Steve Walker died at 50  (Read 48878 times)

Offline Sason

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LOL

The whole list of "recent posts" on the front page, is from this thread!  ;D

You really struck a chord there, John!


Düva pööp is a förce of natüre

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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i can't get over how prolific he was.

There seems to be an endless flood of paintings.



Yes.




“I was moved by something that I was capable of doing,” Walker would later recall.




Amazingly talented, he was also quite a worker--




LOL

The whole list of "recent posts" on the front page, is from this thread!  ;D

You really struck a chord there, John!



Thanks, Sonja!

"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Oh, my goodness!  :o

This is terrible news.  :'(

At first the name rang no bells--I'm "that way" about names--but when I started to look at the images I was shocked. I know so many of them. I've been in the gallery in Provincetown that sold his works. I've bought cards with reproductions of his work.

I'm no art critic; I'm not competent to judge. But I liked his style of photorealism.

This is a terrible loss.

 :'(
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline milomorris

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One of the things I like about Walker's work is that there is a sense of motion in everything. Even when the subjects are just standing or sitting, you get a sense that they are breathing, blinking, etc.
  The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Offline milomorris

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It says this one was done in 2005. I wonder if it could have been inspired by Brokeback Mountain? It certainly invokes thoughts of Ennis.
  The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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   Oh my god.  I am so sad about this.  I have admired this mans art, for a very long time now.  I never knew his name however.  I am a great admirerer of his work.  It is possibly the most talented display of emotion from his subjects of any artist ever.  Believe me, I have seen most of the great works of art, if not in person, still studied in one way or another.   I think he deserves to be up there with  all of them. 

  I can never believe the depth of emotion, he can produce, with only two people in a frame.  In many cases even one.  I don't know if it is simply the color palatte that he uses?  Or if it is the fact that many of them are looking away from the viewer, the subjects never look directly toward the "camera".  That in itself is a show of shyness and fear.  It has much to do with body language, but there is more to it than that.  It is just an ability he  seemed to have inately. 

   The ability to show true inner feeling without placing the usual grotesque facial or physical obviousness in most artwork, to display those emotions.  Or the physical horrors.  I am in awe of his talent.  I vow he will become one of the most acclaimed artists of his time.  He may have been, rather introverted, and  shy about  displaying his work.  Possibly because of the insipid mind set in some parts of the world.  However I do believe, when this is more or less, water under the bridge.  He will then be fully recognized by the world for his very special. and wonderful talent.

    I wish I had even a copy, of his work.  He is now my second favorite artist of all tiime, next to VanGoch. Who also had that unique ability to paint emotion.  Even though his art was in the main, landscape.  He also painted subjects as well.  They were almost, seeminegly a practice, of technique, rather an afterthough because of not having anything better to choose from.  Showing the facial features and seemingly to use these, as practice, rather than convey emotion.  He was able to show his own emotions, though, in his landscapes.  Both his lonliness, and the dispair.  The madness is most obvious, in his most famous piece, Starry Night.   He has been until now, in my opinion undisputedly the best.  Now Mr Walker has displayed the same talent, however differently it is on first look. He has shown the singular ability to place both elements into his frames.  At first glance, it seems almost simplistic.  Nearly to the point of being cute.  However on closer examination.  You see the true depth of his ability.  I am in awe...his work is truly magnificent.  His talent will be truly missed.


     This last one brings to mind the new song in Adams recent album.  The  line "Baby I can smell you on my clothes."  From the song Chokehold.  I wish you guys would all check it out.  He has such a great lineup of songs in it.  If it is not your type of favoite, music wise.  I think there is still a lot you could identify with.  He has definitely not gotten the support from the gay community he deserves to.  He is doing so much work and help for the community, I think he deserves to at least be acknowledged for his efforts in this regard.  He truly is in my opinion the most esciting new artist in music today.  I hope he is around for many many years to come.  His is such a great guy, and his talent is boundless.  He is having through his own mindset, plus tremendous pressure from the gay community to become a role model.  He said at first, " don't believe I am qualified to be a roll mode.  I am just a guy, trying to sing, who happens to be gay."  They would not let that happen, and he soon recognized, simply by being in the public eye, he had to make his stand and use his persona to represent the people in the community.  He is working almost nonstop to make and promote his music, and then has worked for two large chariities.  In addition to this he has taken on almost every other group supported activity he has been asked to participate in.  He truly is a great roll model for the community.  I just wish they would support him in kind.  They have generally not been as supportive of him, as he has of them.. I tell you the truth  I find that highly disappointing...

    I do not believe, that the only music gay people listen to is classic, show tunes, or Madonna.  There has to be more diversity to the choices in music than that.  How about Jazz, or dance, or any of the other choices?
« Last Edit: May 19, 2012, 04:03:46 pm by ifyoucantfixit »



     Beautiful mind

Offline southendmd

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I had a lovely talk with James Lyman, owner of the Lyman-Eyer gallery in Provincetown.  After some chit-chat about Steve Walker, he confided that there has been some controversy in the estate, as there are only 32 paintings left.  And no one knows what they are worth, they are in only 4 galleries, two in Canada. 

Regardless, he has the exclusive for the prints, and they are gorgeous--giglee prints on canvas in three sizes.  He has about two dozen large size prints that are signed by the artist.  In addition, most of Walker's oeuvre is available in prints in three size--you can see them on the website link above.  He had quite a few in the small size that I thumbed through, including the Brokeback homage, and the color and texture is really beautiful. 

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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I had a lovely talk with James Lyman, owner of the Lyman-Eyer gallery in Provincetown.  After some chit-chat about Steve Walker, he confided that there has been some controversy in the estate, as there are only 32 paintings left.  And no one knows what they are worth, they are in only 4 galleries, two in Canada. 

Regardless, he has the exclusive for the prints, and they are gorgeous--giglee prints on canvas in three sizes.  He has about two dozen large size prints that are signed by the artist.  In addition, most of Walker's oeuvre is available in prints in three size--you can see them on the website link above.  He had quite a few in the small size that I thumbed through, including the Brokeback homage, and the color and texture is really beautiful. 


Thanks, Paul!!

 :-*


"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/news/national-news/5698-steve-walker-iconic-gay-painter-50-passes-away.html


Steve Walker,
Iconic Gay Painter, 50,
Passes Away

Written by R.E. Frederique
Thursday, 23 February 2012 10:09
 




His work has been a recognizable part of gay culture for at least the past two decades. Steve Walker’s paintings can be described as pensive, quiet, emotional, haunting, empathetic, knowing. The men who inhabit these paintings tell a story that is at once very personal, yet seemingly familiar to all gay men. Walker himself saw his work as having a universal message.  He once said, “As a homosexual, I have been moved, educated and inspired by works that deal with a heterosexual context. Why would I assume that a heterosexual would be incapable of appreciating work that speaks to common themes in life, as seen through my eyes as a gay man?”
 
Twice in the past two years, Steve Walker has been gracious enough to allow SFGN to use one of his paintings in our publication. Once as the cover for SFGN’s issue for May 24, 2010. Then again last year, as an illustration for Pier Angelo’s moving requiem after the loss of his partner Jack.  The painting Pier had chosen for this purpose was titled “Lost at Sea.”  Walker informed us that, “Ironically, in the painting is my last true love, Turker... who died at the age of 29.... I think of him every day.”  Walker added, “Ten years later, the sadness is still overwhelming.”
 
Entirely self-taught, Steve Walker began painting in the early 1990s after visiting the galleries and museums of Europe. The popularity of Walker’s paintings increased over the years and now sell at prices in the thousands of dollars.  Among his most popular paintings are the images that depict the “Wave Wall” on Fort Lauderdale Beach. His work is represented mainly by Lyman-Eyer Gallery in Massachusetts.
 
Steve Walker died of a heart attack on Jan. 4 at his home in Costa Rica. The funeral will be held in his native Canada on Feb. 25 at 11am – at the Our Lady of the Visitation Parish in Ottawa.
 
As for his legacy, Walker himself said it best in an autobiographical note:  “My paintings contain as many questions as answers. I hope that in its silence, the body of my work has given a voice to my life, the lives of others, and in doing so, the dignity of all people.”
 
SFGN intends to feature the paintings of Steve Walker in the Spring issue of our glossy magazine, The Mirror.  The quality of reproduction will more faithful to the originals than it would be in newsprint.


"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/arts/6115-steve-walker-looking-back-the-mirror.html


Steve Walker:
Looking Back
(The Mirror )

Written by and images courtesy by
Debbie Burke, Art Frenzie
Friday, 04 May 2012 13:24
 


"Rest on the Flight to Fort Lauderdale"


It still seems very surreal to me and it is with great sadness and regret to write about the sudden passing of my friend and internationally acclaimed artist Steve Walker at the age of 50 on January 4, 2012. We here at Art Frenzie in Wilton Manors, Fla. are mourning his loss along with his family, other friends and the international art world.

We first met Steve in 1997 when we had a problem getting a shipment of his work from his distributor. Their lateness, which screwed up Christmas orders for our clients, prompted us to contact him directly. That initial contact blossomed into not only a wonderful friendship, but also a great business relationship with us becoming his Southeastern distributor…which, by the way has been imitated but will never be duplicated. We invited him to come down to do exhibitions with us when we had our first gallery in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors.
 
The first time he came down here it was unannounced. He surprised us and we introduced his work to Wilton Manors and South Florida, which of course was, and still is, greeted with an awesome response. We had the pleasure of his visits every two to three years since that first one for signing events. We were always joined at the hip during his stays and would book him for as many exhibitions as time allowed. His work has appeared at such places as Georgie's Alibi, Cathode Ray, AnyWayz and many private showings. We even took him up to St. Pete Alibi so we could share his work up there. He loved our community. We always had a great time meeting and greeting fans of his work, and introducing many others to his work.



"Guesthouse"


We would get together every afternoon during his visits and stay together through the exhibitions. We’d hang out until the wee hours sharing lots of laughs and solving all the world’s problems. While visiting he always found his solitary time to explore Fort Lauderdale to get more ideas for future paintings. Steve was a news fanatic and CNN would keep him keenly aware of world events, as he would work on his paintings. He was kind of shy in his own way. He was quiet, introspective and reflective, which always spoke volumes in his paintings. He'd always say "there’s so much strength in silence.”
 
He taught himself to paint after the AIDS epidemic and always hoped that his work would enlighten people. He taught himself to paint and regularly used the themes of love, light, loss, touching, watching, thinking, yearning, reflecting and fearing.
 
"I paint about life, mine and yours,” he always said. His brilliance and insight was absolutely incredible.
 
I must say: he's one of the most talented and visionary artists I ever met in 23 years of being in this business. It was always like Christmas getting the shipments of the new originals he would create for each show. Just seeing the new concepts was very exciting and amazing. Every image tells a myriad of stories and evokes a great variety of emotions in people viewing them.
 


Steve Walker


He always said, "I hope that in its silence, the body of my work has given a voice to my life and lives of others, and in doing so gives dignity to all the people I paint about.”
 
We always sold out of his originals every time along with hundreds of reproductions on canvas and print. It was difficult for him to keep up with the demand for originals at the various galleries around the world.
 
Steve was very profound beyond his years. He was always making notes and sketches of conceptual thoughts for fear that he might forget them. Favorite songs, phrases, movies, celebrities and the great masters he got to see in his travels through Europe influenced his work.
 
Just the titles he would come up with are part of the works of art themselves.
 
He never liked painting faces much. We stayed up all night while he continuously kept signing prints I was feeding him, talking about Barbara Streisand and his fear of not being able to paint her. Not long after that trip he called me said "I did it!!" He had painted an absolutely stunning rendering of a self-portrait of himself as a young man watching Funny Girl,  titled Funny Boy.  How many of us remember the feeling of watching that for the first time? He never did sell that original.
 
We had a lot of great times together. He had a hysterically dry sense of humor. We would always find time during his visits to go somewhere and sing karaoke for him. He loved anything my business partner Bernadette would sing for him. I of course always had to sing "My Man" for him.
 
Many have compared his work to the likes of Hopper 's realism. I believe his unique style has made him comparable to the Norman Rockwell of our society.
 


"Funny Boy 2"


His artwork has also been used on over 20 books worldwide and his works have made their mark all over the world and has received international acclaim.
 
I would just like to say bravo to our beloved friend Steve Walker. You really have left a legacy behind in your paintings. We are very proud to have his entire collection of reproductions for viewing and for purchase on our Facebook Page and in the gallery, while our website is currently under reconstruction.
 
We also carry an extensive collection of Steve's works at Art Frenzie, 2055 Wilton Drive, in Wilton Manors, FL.
 
To our most loveable, pragmatic and sensitive friend Steve, you will be sorely missed here, your beautiful smile, your quick wit and one of a kind charm, simply put - your sheer brilliance. I know you are with the angels now, yet, you have gone way too soon. Rest in peace my friend. From all your friends here at Art Frenzie and in South Florida.
 
We are also planning a local memorial tribute to celebrate Steve's life here locally, date and location to be announced shortly. Please call 954-560-3684 or write [email protected] .


"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"