tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post4245833046972002054..comments2024-03-29T03:40:49.981-04:00Comments on Today's Inspiration: The Incursion of the Avant-garde: Jack Potterleifpenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-56061227831210791712011-07-02T09:14:36.941-04:002011-07-02T09:14:36.941-04:00I was student and friend of Jack's. He will be...I was student and friend of Jack's. He will be deeply missed. His desire to motivate me to visit Holland one day lead to me finding my place there. He made a profound difference in my life indeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-77890649026436669782011-06-05T17:09:23.532-04:002011-06-05T17:09:23.532-04:00Jack was a dear friend and mentor to me...I studie...Jack was a dear friend and mentor to me...I studied with him and I modeled for his classes at SVA and the Society of Illustrators. Besides Jack's amazing intuitive sense about everything, he always had great words that seemed to summed up a message he wanted to convey to his students. One of my favorites and one I constantly refer to is..."A Statement of Fact is Used as a Basis for Reasoning"!<br /><br />I miss Jack so much and cherish all the times we had together. I had the luxury of a close friendship with him...and was influenced in great ways that totally shaped who I am today!!<br /><br />Rochellerochellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04680050476008105640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-54504578944474886522011-06-05T17:08:59.231-04:002011-06-05T17:08:59.231-04:00Jack was a dear friend and mentor to me...I studie...Jack was a dear friend and mentor to me...I studied with him and I modeled for his classes at SVA and the Society of Illustrators. Besides Jack's amazing intuitive sense about everything, he always had great words that seemed to summed up a message he wanted to convey to his students. One of my favorites and one I constantly refer to is..."A Statement of Fact is Used as a Basis for Reasoning"!<br /><br />I miss Jack so much and cherish all the times we had together. I had the luxury of a close friendship with him...and was influenced in great ways that totally shaped who I am today!!<br /><br />Rochellerochellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04680050476008105640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-43011803309154422692011-05-14T09:07:07.143-04:002011-05-14T09:07:07.143-04:00I studied drawing under Mr. Potter at SVA in the 8...I studied drawing under Mr. Potter at SVA in the 80´s and strangely enough there is not a day especially when I draw that I don´t think of him. His classroom was up in the 2nd floor of the E23rd St building. People would pile up benches and balance themselves on them to get a place. His class was always full. He had a very strong and gentle voice and quite a task master, but always with an example and love. Where ever he is... Thanks Mr. Potter!<br />PS: "chicken scratch" one of his favorites don´tsfederico rodriguezhttp://federicodrawings.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-83198150022733436402010-11-27T22:24:50.909-05:002010-11-27T22:24:50.909-05:00i would like to visit katherina denzinger now........i would like to visit katherina denzinger now.......she was my favorite teacher at parsons in the late 1970's . I just looked at a Degas drawing and remembered her talking about his line. now, much older, I "get" it. I liked how neurotic she was too........like she had an interesting life outside of being a teacher....wish I could reconnect with her again after more than 30 years.....Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08670629636457538169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-11607402869182555752010-02-02T21:05:47.633-05:002010-02-02T21:05:47.633-05:00Katarina Denzinger was my FAVORITE teacher in Pars...Katarina Denzinger was my FAVORITE teacher in Parsons. She taught us how to think "out of the box" I am eternally grateful to her….....I loved her critique, “too cartoony!" with a German Accent. She never could remember our first names. Always just our last ones. and she always knew all your work you have ever done. I loved that teacher.... Where is she now??....Maria Sinelnikov Farberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05196561207357641503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-88397169245555900502010-01-31T17:42:26.269-05:002010-01-31T17:42:26.269-05:00I stumbled over this blog today while trying to te...I stumbled over this blog today while trying to tell my son about this extraordinary drawing teacher I had at SVA in the late '60s and early '70s. I took--three times--his class called "Drawing and Thinking: A Gymnasium for the Mind."<br /><br />I would go back to his class every couple of years, to knock all the cobwebs out, loosen up the tight screws in my head, and refresh myself. <br /><br />My favorite lesson of his was to look at the "negative space" and draw around it. It was like the old story of Michelangelo cutting away from the stone "everything that was not David."<br /><br />Jack made me think of drawing the way writers think of Haiku: nothing extraneous, but everything essential, seen clearly and presented with simplicity.<br /><br />As a person, he could also be brusque and impatient with fussy over-thinkers, yet encouraging and warm towards those who came into his studio with an open mind, open eyes, and focus.<br /><br />Thank you for this insightful revisiting.Brendanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-12633419638690473732009-08-13T00:33:58.977-04:002009-08-13T00:33:58.977-04:00his cruel econonomy of lines: he used to croon to ...his cruel econonomy of lines: he used to croon to us <br />"marvelous se-lec-tivity..." or "what is it the most?" there is not a day that goes by that i dont use his lessons. miss you jack.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-70784148161838052602009-05-12T00:45:00.000-04:002009-05-12T00:45:00.000-04:00God Bless Jack, Thats all I could say... he certai...God Bless Jack, Thats all I could say... he certainly left all of his students a gift, a part of himself<br /><br />James Bello<br />jimbelloart<br /> email me for pic of Jack in the Classroom :<br /><br />jbello2@optonline.netJim Bellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-88395081915411666412009-02-17T13:01:00.000-05:002009-02-17T13:01:00.000-05:00the illustrator you are talking about is katarina ...the illustrator you are talking about is katarina denzinger. she and jack potter were two of my favorite teachers.misszisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280398710788974932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-52809394000647244932008-04-21T10:33:00.000-04:002008-04-21T10:33:00.000-04:00Jack was not only a great illustrator and teacher ...Jack was not only a great illustrator and teacher he was an amazing human being. He could tell by looking at our work "were we were at" in our lives. When models didn't show up he would model for us. <BR/>I did a drawing of him that I cherish, and shows a vitality that came from being in his class. When he thought you were doing "good" he would stroke your shoulders and say "good-good" in a very comforting voice. However if he thought you were wasting your time and his, he would say "even God can't help you.elenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10541313166678278290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-22642537158386661132008-04-21T10:30:00.000-04:002008-04-21T10:30:00.000-04:00Jack was not only a great illustrator and teacher ...Jack was not only a great illustrator and teacher he was an amazing human being. He could tell by looking at our work "were we were at" in our lives. When models didn't show up he would model for us. <BR/>I did a drawing of him that I cherish, and shows a vitality that came from being in his class. When he thought you were doing "good" he would stroke your shoulders and say "good-good" in a very comforting voice. However if he thought you were wasting your time and his, he would say "even God can't help you.elenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10541313166678278290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-89223711593611146022008-02-26T18:11:00.000-05:002008-02-26T18:11:00.000-05:00I just want to say again how much I LOVE this blog...I just want to say again how much I LOVE this blog. Thanks for all your research and for bringing these beautiful images to us, as well as your insightful commentary.<BR/><BR/>Now I have a question for you or other readers. I'm looking for the name of a fashion illustrator who worked for Harpers Bazaar in the 1960s. Her first name, if memory serves, was Katrina. She did bold ink drawings with beautiful exciting and fluid lines. I think she also taught at Parsons for many years.<BR/><BR/>I figure, if any one knows, it will be one of you.<BR/><BR/>Thanks.Liza Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07012197411969153523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-11585130386630927652008-02-26T18:06:00.000-05:002008-02-26T18:06:00.000-05:00The thing that immediately impresses me about Pott...The thing that immediately impresses me about Potter's style is his cruel economy of lines. A good writer over a period of a lifetime learns to convey his message with the precise amount of words, no more or less than required. Artists do the same thing, and here we see a real craftsman giving his figures the exact proper amount of weight. Beautiful.Ron Fortierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13309149554499286208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-91560862978969723442008-02-25T23:57:00.000-05:002008-02-25T23:57:00.000-05:00I agree with Tom-- to some of my oldest bosses, Fu...I agree with Tom-- to some of my oldest bosses, Fuchs was the transitional style... Art deadlines are compressing at this time, as color photography methods coming down in time and price force most of the painterly illustrators to do bit work, concepts, teach or retire. The '50s-'60s illustrators are using posed photos, sometimes rendered into color from quickie b/w Polaroids. Flats of scrubbed color are made trendy-- quick is king.<BR/>But, unlike Tom's perspective, I don't think of Potter's reaction as Avant but a logical commercial direction; the results definitely muscle in among the photography to grab attention for sales. I was shocked to see so many hard linear graphic styles shown in Idea Books like Westvaco and U&lc.<BR/>I wouldn't be surprised to see a time-line prove that such free-style mass media actually accelerated the '60s counter-culture. By the time my earliest instructors begin to teach ('72), traditional drawing and painting is scorned as timid, at least on the West Coast.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-57520592474541744372008-02-25T15:45:00.000-05:002008-02-25T15:45:00.000-05:00I think perhaps, Potter's fashion orientation, may...I think perhaps, Potter's fashion orientation, may be part of the reason he drew from the model (or life), instead of photographs. Fashion illustrators are accustom to drawing from the model. I think it is easier to be subjective, and it demands editing the information, when drawing from a model or from life... therefor, a less literal interpretation and a more Avant-garde' look is created... and perhaps, not even entirely intentional.<BR/><BR/>Tom WatsonTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13237565169344311948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-67579970935737492712008-02-25T14:23:00.000-05:002008-02-25T14:23:00.000-05:00There's a great story about Jack Potter in Illustr...There's a great story about Jack Potter in <I>Illustration</I> magazine. I can't remember what issue.Allan Lordehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06401964397804979720noreply@blogger.com