Lovin' Life After 50: Phoenix- December 2017 by Times Media Group

The Art of Life

Fred Tieken’s Gallery and Studio is a colorful oasis. BY KENNETH LAFAVE

My Father’s Retirement Ranch has been serving the West Valley since 1979, offering a variety of options for Senior Living. When you become part of our Community, you can expect to be treated as part of our “Ranch Family”. We are but a short walk to shopping,

public library, movie theatre, restaurants, and a wealth of community services and businesses. You will find physical therapy and beauty shop services on site. Golf, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, rodeo, and other recreational opportunities are just minutes away!

Our “Ranch Family” is a community of residents who love to call this home — We are sure you will too! In our ASSISTED LIVING LODGE, individual needs and preferences are a priority. The Ranch is committed to providing an environment of dignity, independence, privacy, and choice while pursing an ever-higher standard of Service and Care.

Surprisingly Affordable — Surprisingly Fun

Wickenburg’s Premier Independent and Assisted Living Community

“Come Do Life with Us” 400 N. Jefferson St.

(928) 684-5925

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| DECEMBER 2017

Life at the Ranch Includes:

➤ Two Delicious Daily Meals ➤ All Utilities ➤ Housekeeping ➤ Laundry ➤ Maintenance ➤ 1 or 2 Bedrooms Available ➤ Garden Level Accomodations

Do a search for “Fred Tieken” and you will find Fred Tieken the graphic designer, Fred Tieken the rock ‘n’ roll saxophonist, Fred Tieken the classic car collector, Fred Tieken the artist, and Fred Tieken the gallery owner. As you may have guessed, they are all the same guy. “The looser and more childlike I am, the better,” Tieken says, speaking of the quality of his paintings, which exhibit a kind of free sophistication. But he could also be talking about his life, in which he’s Fred Tieken took up painting seven years ago and has since totally abandoned the usual gained national acclaim. (Photo courtesy Fred Tieken) • A green-eyed figure with bars for teeth, expectations. As a musician in the 1950s, he fronted a racially integrated holding a hand grenade. The words “War rock ‘n’ roll band when segregation was is hell” are written over him, but “hell” has still the norm. As a graphic artist, he relied been crossed out and “fun” substituted. Seeing Tieken’s paintings reproduced more on improvisation than on preonline is one thing, but viewing them as ordained design. And just seven short years ago, as a the giant canvases they really are is quite “retired” man of 75, Tieken embarked on another, and it is easy to do if you are in Scottsdale, because Tieken owns a gallery a new and demanding career as a painter. His workaholism started early. “In my – The Tieken Studio and Gallery, 5202 E. early days, I burned the candle at both Gold Dust Avenue – where his paintings ends. I would work the day at a design firm hang beside those of others. Not many artists run their own galleries, in a town in downstate Illinois, then after work I’d head for Chicago, play a gig, and but for Tieken and his wife, Gail, it came be back for work in the morning. To this about almost naturally. “We were on an acre and a third, and so we thought, ‘Let’s day, I’m not a good sleeper.” Tieken put aside the saxophone a put a building in the back.’ And then few years ago, and today channels the Gail said, ‘Why don’t we just turn it into a creativity he expressed in music as a young gallery?’ It was perfect, because it didn’t man into paintings that look like the visual hinder our home. When you enter our property, you go through a gate, and a sign equivalent of a busy bebop solo. His paintings are what you might points in one direction to the gallery and in expect from a man who doesn’t follow the other to my studio, which is attached rules: Colors clash, images collide, styles our house. It’s all very modern-looking, get juggled and celebrities sometimes with lots of glass. For openings, we rent intrude. In some paintings, words appear Klieg lights and serve wine in real glasses. or even dominate. Take a look at the digital Art collectors from New York and Germany reproductions at fredtieken.com/gallery, say they’ve never seen anything like it.” The Gold Dust Avenue gallery, dubbed and you find, among other images: • A man opens a pizza box and exclaims, Tieken Studio and Gallery AZ, is but one his face contorted in rage, “I said no of three that Tieken’s enormous, virtually overnight success as an artist has enabled anchovies!” • Andy Warhol stares at you, as a kind of him to open. A second, small studio is located in Venice, California, and in October, still life with bananas. • An enormous orange cat, wearing Fred and Gail opened the Tieken Gallery cowboy boots on all paws, stares over its L.A. in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles. For more information about Tieken haunches at the bird riding on his back. • A man carries a bird cage. The bird Studio and Gallery AZ, or to read more inside looks longingly down at two similar, about Fred Tieken’s varied career, go to fredtieken.com. uncaged birds, who gaze sadly back.