Who Is George Tooker?
George Tooker is an American artist who joins the ranks of Norman Rockwell, MC Escher and Salvador Dali—they are all famous artists who are generally ignored in art history classes, perhaps because their work is perceived as more illustrative and less Fine Art. Make no mistake, George Tooker is one of the greatest living American artists today.
Monograph From Pomegranate
Pomegranate has recently reissued a loving monograph of the complete work of George Tooker that is available for $30.00 (US). This 164-page, full-color over-sized book lovingly reproduces all 165 of his paintings as well as his earlier drawings or studies for his paintings. The artworks of George Tooker are reproduced large and the color quality of the reproductions is true to the originals.
The Style of George Tooker
This book has reproductions of Tooker’s work from many museums including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center, and the Whitney Museum of American Art just to name a few. Tooker’s style was formed at the beginning of his artistic career and has stayed true in that his work has always been figurative, representational and narrative. The style of George Tooker could be described as containing equal parts of American figurative painter Paul Cadmus and Pre-Renaissance Italian painter Ducchio. The people who populate Tooker’s extraordinary paintings have a certain peculiar round-headedness that gives them an endearing, though slightly space alien quality.
Subject Matter
The subject matter of Tooker’s paintings ranges wildly from subway paintings that express urban alienation, to loving portraits of halcyon childhood. Maybe even more important than literal subject matter, Tooker’s real theme seems to be the soft, sensual light that powders his people with a golden glow. (One might think of Tooker as a kinder and fuzzier Carravaggio.) The best part of this monograph from Pomegranate are the essays by Thomas H. Garver that lead us through the various styles, periods and works by Tooker.
The medium that George Tooker uses seems ironic given his contemporary subject matter. Egg tempera is an art medium used by Renaissance masters. I know of no other contemporary artist who uses this antique medium and Tooker is the master.
Buy this book George Tooker by Thomas H. Garver and keep it in your permanent art library forever.
