Irving Fierstein

Irving Fierstein
Irving Fierstein, 1970
Born	(1915-01-11)11 January 1915 New York City, United States
Died	25 May 2009(2009-05-25) (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.

Fierstein began his studies of art and architecture in New York at the Hebrew Technical Institute from which he graduated in 1932. After he studied at the National Academy of Design where he was awarded the top medal in 1937, and later at Cooper Union where he also learned commercial art and lettering.

[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. His greatest body of fine artworks was produced starting in the 1960s . 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?

Exhibitions

A partial list of his exhibitions includes: • 1970 - Lynn Kottler Galleries, Irving Fierstein: One artist show, New York, New York • 1972 - Knickerbocker Artist Exhibition, National Arts Club, 22nd Annual Exhibition, Group show, New York, New York • 1973 - Knickerbocker Artists Exhibition, National Arts Club, 23rd Annual Exhibition, Group show, New York, New York • 1973 – National Academy Galleries, Allied Artists of America, 16th Annual Exhibition, Group show, New York, New York • 1998 - New York Public Library, Fort Washington Branch, “Contemporary Lithographs and Etchings by Irving Fierstein”, New York, NY • 2000 – International Action Center, The Iraq Exhibit, with eyewitness photographs by Bill Hackwell and Sara Flounders, New York, New York • 2001 - International Action Center, “Celebrating Irving Fierstein’s 65 years as a people’s artist”, New York, New York • 2002 - New York Public Library, Fort Washington Branch, “Impressionist Paintings of Washington Heights and Central Park by Irving Fierstein”, New York, New York • 2003 - New York Public Library, Fort Washington Branch, “Paintings with Social Themes by Irving Fierstein”, New York, New York

The “People’s Artist”

In addition to his fine art achievements, Fierstein’s contributions to the social justice and anti-war movements included political cartoons and designing/illustrating leaflets, posters, buttons, placards, and banners. Starting in 1981 he pioneered the creation of painted illustrated banners to be used as visual inspiration in progressive marches and demonstrations. In the early 1980s, he created a street-wide banner for the New York Lesbian and Gay Pride march (now LGBTQ) that was carried in the parade each year after. He created over 200 illustrated banners addressing issues such as racism, war, and poverty.

Free South Africa Button by Irv Fierstein, 1985

Responding to the mushrooming anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa and derived from a 1984-85 New Years greeting card he created, Fierstein designed and illustrated a button, banner, placard, and t-shirt depicted two fists breaking a chain with the slogan “Free South Africa”. This design was not only used in anti-apartheid marches in the United States, but the image came to be used the world over and to symbolize the struggle in South Africa. The button appeared on the collar of white South African anti-apartheid writer, journalist, and filmmaker Rian Malan when he was featured on Esquire magazine’s cover in November 1985. Actor Laurence Fishburne wore the t-shirt with the image in Spike Lee’s 1988 movie “School Daze” , and a clip of the banner painted by Fierstein which was carried in an August 1985 New York anti-Apartheid march and elsewhere was shown in the 2012 Documentary “Sing Your Song” celebrating the life of singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte, as well as in other national and international media.

External links

• Irving Fierstein memorial site
• Free South Africa Button
• An alternate South Africa Button