Somebody Very Different

By Sam Edelstein, Art Critic, Eastside Gazette, Reprinted by permission.

I had heard of artist Stewart Stewart but I had never seen his artwork. When I was invited to an opening at Jay Johnson's American Folk Heritage Gallery on Madison Avenue I wondered what kind of artist would have a name like that? Stewart Stewart turned out to be an a very talented folk artist.

His views of life are subtly worked into his paintings through the tens and sometimes hundreds of people that appear in his streetscapes. Stewart's paintings require several lengthy visits — one is never enough — because as a viewer, you become a part of his crowded semi-realistic landscapes and street scenes and discover new, amusing characters each time you visit.

As you meander down his colorful sidewalks with pink and purple buildings, you recognize some of your own neighbors, or maybe even yourself. As you attend one of his "parties" you find yourself laughing along with his eccentrically costumed guests. His magical "flamingles" are your friends, and you surely played on his world-wide beaches and placed your bets at his ultra-diverse racetrack.

Viewers were treated to a group of 3-dimensional multi media boxes, each depicting a slice of Americana. You can't help but smile at what the characters in Stewart's paintings are doing.

Among the outstanding paintings included, "My Lincoln Road," a large, 3-dimensional, mixed media box, which catches the flavor, vitality and energy of one of the most famous tourist streets in the world.

His style is somewhere between Brut and Representational. The difficulty in describing his style comes from the fact that it is different from most artists I've seen. Stewart is irreverent views on life and even death are depicted in his artwork, making each painting as much a conversation piece as it is a visual piece. I guarantee that you will walk away smiling.

The exhibit is at Jay Johnson's American Folk Heritage Gallery, 1043 Madison Av, NYC through June 2nd.

PRINTED BY PERMISSION OF THE EASTSIDE GAZETTE, JANUARY 1986.

Art Exhibitions: America's Folk Heritage Gallery (New York); The Hortt Exhibition -- The Museum of Art, Hortt Exhibition Winner (Ft. Lauderdale, FL); Galerie Bonheur (Greenwich, CT); Cuban Museum (Miami, FL); Gallery: Why Not? (Miami Beach, FL); The Gallery at the Island Club, (Miami Beach,FL) "Two Person Show" -- Amdur Gallery (Miami Beach, FL); Gallery of the Eccentric (Coral Gables, FL); Sokolsky Gallery (Miami Beach, FL); "Portraits" -- Metro Dade Library (Miami, FL); "A Salute to Outstanding Florida Artists" -- State Capitol Building, (Tallahassee, FL); The Sher Gallery (Aventura, FL).

Publications: Country Living Magazine, Salon (Tokyo, Japan magazine), The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, Modern Maturity Magazine, and in a variety of syndicated newspaper articles. A documentary for 1ARD German Television; PBS Television WLRN and WPBS TV (Miami,FL)

Stewart is also a professional actor. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), appearing in over 40 films, American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA), and Actors Equity Association (AEA). He has appeared in numerous films and commercials as well as off Broadway Theater. He had a brief role on the CBS soap opera ìThe Guiding Light in the late 80s.

Stewart graduated from the University of Toledo with a degree in Public Relations. Before becoming a professional artist, he operated his own public relations firm staging national promotions for such clients as Opera Star Roberta Peters, Musicians Doc Severinsen, Errol Garner, Singer Nancy Wilson, The House of Hermes, and Superba Cravats. He is listed in Who's Who in America's South and Southwest and The Who's Who of Corporate Executives.