Guy Colwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-03-28)March 28, 1945 (age 80) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Education | California College of Arts and Crafts |
| Known for | Painting, comic book artist, cartoonist |
| Notable work | Inner City Romance |
| Website | www |
Guy Colwell (born March 28, 1945) is an American painter and occasionalunderground cartoonist. Although notAfrican-American himself, Colwell's comics often portray black people in strong roles in stories of life on the streets. His "Figurative SocialSurrealist" paintings reflect on the human condition, economic inequality, injustice, and alienation from the natural world.[1]
Guy Colwell was on born March 28, 1945, inOakland,California.[2] Colwell studied art at the California College of Arts and Crafts (nowCalifornia College of the Arts).[3] After completing two years there, he dropped out to travel and get some life and work experience.
After working an almost two-year stint as a sculptor forMattel, and as he was preparing his return to college, he was arrested fordraft refusal and sentenced to two years in federal prison atMcNeil Island Corrections Center, inWashington state.[4] His experiences there and the period after his release were the genesis of hisunderground comix seriesInner City Romance, published byLast Gasp beginning in 1972.[4] He was financially unable to continue art school as planned but deeply committed to painting as his life work, so was mainly self-taught thereafter.
During the turbulent 1970s scene in San Francisco, Colwell worked as an illustrator for the underground paperGood Times and joined the commune that produced this weekly.[5]
Colwell left theGood Times after the paper ceased publication and concentrated on doing paintings and a few comic books until the mid-1980s. After this creative period marred by drug abuse[citation needed], Colwell worked forRip Off Press as acolorist, also contributing stories, artwork, or production[6] to many underground comic book titles and anthologies. He authored a second comic book series under the titleDoll and completely stopped using drugs and alcohol while working at Rip Off Press.[citation needed]
In 1986, upon hearing ofThe Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament, Colwell took an 18-month leave of absence from Rip Off Press to join what was touted by original Great Peace March organizerDavid Mixner as a major event in American history. While on the GPM, Colwell helped draw route maps for the marchers as well as creating art depicting marchers in their everyday lives. His route maps and drawings are part of theSwarthmore College Peace Collection.[7]
On returning to Rip Off Press, by 1988 relocated toAuburn, California, Colwell became strongly influenced by the great natural beauty and wildlife of theSierra Mountains. Nature and animal subject matter would thereafter become much more prominent in his work and inspired a deeper exploration of surrealism. Travels throughout Europe on foot with a backpack, and several trips to Africa, have deepened this aspect of the pictures he produces. His artwork today is internationally recognized for powerful social commentary.[citation needed] The sometimes uncomfortable images he renders with sharp clarity reminiscent ofRenaissance master works have received praise from art critics,[citation needed] and have been sought after by collectors who are looking for something more than pleasant wall decorations.
His 2004 painting,The Abuse, is his depiction of the prisoner abuse atAbu Ghraib prison in Iraq. This being Colwell's most controversial work, Lori Haigh, the owner of the San Francisco gallery where it was exhibited received death threats and was physically attacked. Her gallery also received damage from unknown persons, causing it to close permanently.[8]
Examples of Colwell's original works can be seen at theCrocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, and thePritikin Museum in San Francisco, which features his magnum opus,Litter Beach. In September 2012, Colwell's work was featured inJuxtapoz magazine. New small works and comic page originals can be seen on theHeritage Auctions website as well as Colwell's own site.
Colwell is married and lives inBerkeley, California, where he devotes himself to creating personal and political art.
