Irving Fierstein
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Irving Fierstein | |
|---|---|
 Irving Fierstein, 1970 | |
| Born | 11 January 1915 New York City, United States |
| Died | 25 May 2009 (aged 94) New York City, United States, United States |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking |
| Movement | Cubism |
Irving Fierstein (January 11, 1915 - May 25, 2009) Brooklyn-born artist whose work spanned over half a century was the son of Romanian and Polish Jewish immigrant parents and raised on New York City’s lower east side. In his lifetime Fierstein created an impressive and important body of fine artworks including oils, acrylics, lithographs, etchings and mixed medium reflecting impressionist, cubist, and expressionist schools, many dedicated to themes about social justice.
One of his earliest projects was working with painter Rockwell Kent in 1938 on a Times Square (New York City) billboard in support of the Spanish Civil War freedom fighters against fascism. His 1969 oil on canvas depicting the 1963 beating of African-American civil rights activist Fanny Lou Hamer in a Winona, Mississippi jail was presented to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change in Atlanta in 1977. Fierstein had been deeply moved and angered by the treatment of Hamer by the segregationist authorities and was inspired to undertake the painting while studying at the prestigious Art Students’ League with distinguished impressionist portrait painter Sidney Dickinson (1890 - 1980). This painting was featured in his first one-artist show at the Lynn Kottler Galleries in New York City in December 1970.
[old] Brooklyn-born artist, first studied art and architecture at the Hebrew Technical Institute and later at Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design, and the Art Students League where he studied under post-modern portrait painter Sidney E. Dickenson. During the depression years, Fierstein helped to organize the Commercial Artists and Designers Union which began him on a lifelong battle for social justice. [1] His greatest body of fine artworks was produced starting in the 1960s [2]. He exhibited at the Lynn Kottler Galleries, the Knickerbocker Artists Exhibition (1972- 73), the National Arts Club, and the Allied Artists of America (1973-74).
Background
Served in the Army during WWII (ref?)
Raised family/Married artist Hannah Tompkins (xref wikipedia)
Commercial Artist/Graphic Designer (any notable samples)
Marathon race-walker(ref), USCF-rated chess player (ref), Skier, Ice skater?
Forced Beating of Fanny Lou Hamer
Free South Africa Banners
Exhibitions
A partial list of his exhibitions includes:
- 1970 - One-man show, Lynn Kottler Galleries [3]
- 1972 - Knickerbocker Artists Exhibition [4]
- 1973 - Allied Artists of America [5]
- 1983 - National Arts Club [6]