Sunday, January 22, 2012

Remembering Peter...

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Today marks 32 years since the passing of Peter Schmidt during a painting holiday in the Canary Islands.  Though I never met him, through my work assembling www.PeterSchmidtWeb.com, I have come to know him well, getting to know him has been a rewarding and enriching experience for me.  I have met his two children, his brother and sister, two of his wives and countless friends and acquaintances.  All have been very kind and generous, letting me into their homes and their lives for the purpose of documenting the life of this obscure but dedicated artist.  As his friend Alain D'Hooghe once said to me, "there is not a day that passes that I don't think about him..."

These pictures were furnished by his sister, Sarah Haffner, artist, of Berlin Germany.
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Sunday, January 1, 2012

"Winterflowers", Eggert Pétursson

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"Winterflowers"
2011
Eggert Pétursson(b. 1956)
Oil on canvas, 20" x 10"
Dedicated to Peter Schmidt
(Collection of John Emr)
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I absolutely love this artist's work.  He has been a pivotal supporter and good friend to me and of the Peter Schmidt Web.  He and his friend Ingolfur Arnarsson are responsible for all of the content culled from Peter's time spent in Iceland.  A while back, I humbly asked Eggert to enter into a trade, one of mine for one of his.  He agreed.  Within days, I dug out one of my favorite pieces, "Duchamp Box" and shipped it to Reykjavik.  After Eggert completed the work for his spring and summer exhibits, he took a well needed break, and about 2 months ago, set aside some time to create a painting for me.  A month ago he advised me he'd completed it, and that once it was dry, he'd send it to New York.  The painting arrived on the day of Christman Eve.  I was very anxious to see it.  I calmed myself, sat down and carefully opened the package.  As I finally came to the last layer of protection, I could see the work.  I was so stunned by the beauty and intricacy of the painting I was literally trembling.  After years of seeing Eggert's work on the internet, I could only imagine the level of detail and sheer beauty he was capable of.  A superlative effort. 
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These are the first flowers that bloom after the harsh Icelandic winter...
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http://www.kvikmyndir.com/eggertpeturssonis/
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