In celebration of a man who inspired many.
*Written April 12, 2020
Heartbroken to hear that my friend and mentor Richard Cramer passed away this morning. The impact he had on my life was/is/will always be, immeasurable.
He influenced everything from the colors I choose (to this day) to the way I think of the craft of art making itself. When it came to painting, Richard was PASSION. He was opinionated, obstinate, direct and bold in ways that people either really loved, or, well, didn't. He was the first person I'd met that felt about painting the way I did. He lived for it. We connected over this kindred obsession and he taught me how to lean into it, to trust and how to surrender to the process. He taught me how to listen to color and still, I hear him say "When color calls, obey it".
In his classes, we made color charts that documented and analyzed minute differences between every possible shade and tone imaginable. Every color was scrutinized, and if you weren't thoroughly engaged and enraptured by it all as he was, you were asked to go elsewhere. Connect with anyone that's taken his color theory class, and they too, will reminisce about charts, diagrams and swatches.
In his painting class, students were asked to write letters to each other about their paintings. I still have a stack of ones I'd received in 1994. We were directed to write the positives and negatives and encouraged to give of our time, figuring it out together.
Finding Richard and other like-minded professors and community at Tyler School of Art was like finding home. It was to me as Hogwarts is to Harry.
I have a terrible memory for most things, but I remember my first semester in his painting class. We were asked to paint a replica of one of our favorite paintings. I chose Rubens' The Elevation of the Cross and thought it would be a good idea to start out on red paper. After a few sessions with it, he came over and said "Wow, you sure like that color red, don't you". I can actually hear the tone of it. Snarky, mixed with thoughtful. That was the thing about Richard, you always knew where you stood, and no matter what his opinion, you knew he cared, and that he wanted to help you get to where you wanted to go.
At one point, he asked me "What color do you hate?" I said "Pink". He then told me that my next painting had to be filled with it. It was the best painting I'd ever done at that point. Here I am, how many years later, still thinking of that conversation as I look at how that color pervades throughout my life.
There was NEVER a "No, you can't do that". It was always, "What do you want to do and how big do you want to do it?" Then it was... "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? GO DO IT!"
Richard taught me to take up space, that it's ok to be big in life, and to fly. I forget these lessons sometimes, but dammit if I wasn't blessed to have someone like that guiding my sails those early years.
There's one printed image from my film days that's followed me to every studio I've had. It's a black and white of Carol and Richard from 1994 when they took my friend Staci and I around New York for a day of gallery hopping. They treated us to a deli lunch and as we sat across from them, I felt immense joy and gratitude. I felt hope for all the possibilities of a lifetime of making art ahead.
To Carol Markel, my love and admiration to you. Heartbroken for your loss.
Ann
Visiting Richard and Carol in New York 1994
Richard was known for taking his Urban Industrial Landscape class to Coal Country in Pennsylvania.
In 1994, our class of about 20 students checked in to the Yuengling mansion in Pottsville where we'd sleep on bedrolls on the floor before waking to a full day of painting, drawing and photography. Everyone was pretty excited and like most art school parties with beer, there were sketchbooks. Richard asked for a piece of paper from mine, and this is what I got back. I didn't understand the ROTC reference at the time, but in hindsight it's really funny to me.. because I was in training just of an artistic sort.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Critiques with Richard could be intense, but my favorite thing to do was to sit next to him and posture myself exactly as he was. His opinions around painting were often provocative and I think that's what drew a lot of people to him. He was opinionated but was able to finesse meeting students where they were. His passion for painting was endless and he enjoyed sharing that. He was present and honest. His pose was one of my favorite things about him because it was the visual that encapsulated all of that.
A visit with Richard and Carol
When visiting in 2015, I snapped a quick pic of them with one of their images in the book Advanced Style by Ari Seth Cohen.
A few links worthy of a visit:
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