To Be Young, Gifted & GARTEL L
aurence Gartel is considered to be the “Father” of the Digital Art movement around the world for over 30 years. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Joan Whitney Payson Museum, Long Beach Museum of Art, Princeton Art Museum, PS 1, Norton Museum, Palm Beach Photographic Center and in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History and the Bibliotheque Nationale. His biography for his pioneering efforts is included in “Who’s Who,” “Who’s Who in the East,” “Who’s Who in America,” “Who’s Who in American Art,” and “Who’s Who in the World.” Born and raised in New York City, Mr. Gartel had the opportunity to teach Andy Warhol how to use the Amiga Computer, went to the School of Visual Arts and associated with fellow student and graffiti artist Keith Haring, where he earned his BFA degree majoring in Graphics. Gartel went to CW Post College, going for his MA in photography under Arthur Liepzig. He started his electronic career working side-by-side with Nam June Paik at Media Study/ Buffalo in western New York State. Gartel had many associations with musicians including Debbie Harry (Blondie), Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols), Stiv Bators (Dead Boys), Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls), Ace Frehley (Kiss), and Wendy O Williams (Plasmatics). In recent years, Gartel has created artwork for such Pop Culture stars such as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. His ABSOLUT GARTEL commission for Absolut Vodka is perhaps his most well known artwork, the advertisement graced the pages of Art in America, Artforum, Sothebys, Art and Auction, Art and Antiques, ArtByte, Scientific American, Technology Review, WIRED, & New York Magazine. It is known as the first Digital Photograph ever ever created for this famous advertising campaign and is included in ABSOLUT BOOK by Richard Lewis, who was a creative director for the agency that handled the account, TBWA. Mr. Gartel has several monograph books on his work including, Laurence Gartel: A Cybernetic Romance published by Gibbs Smith, ©1989 Utah with the introduction written by video guru Nam June Paik; GARTEL: Arte & Tecnologia, published by Edizioni Mazzotta, © 1998 Milan, Italy, introduction by noted art historian and critic Pierre Restany (250 pages over 400 color plates). He is also included in the Italian Art History Textbook: La Storia Dell Arte published by Editions Giunti, 2001, Florence. Michelangelo at the front of the book and Gartel is the final page, representing “New Visual Languages.” Mr. Gartel was included in the book Art of the Digital Age written by Professor Bruce Wands” and published by Thames and Hudson, 2006. In October 2007 the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acquired an early (circa 1978) Gartel digital video piece for their permanent collection. Mr. Gartel’s new Ferrari series will be shown as a large installation at the Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris, later this year. 58 • Fine Art Magazine • Spring 2009
Digital Media Pioneer meets Pop star
Portrait of Gartel and Britney Spears © GARTEL 2009