KATONAH, N.Y. - Who looks at a pair of needle-nose pliers and sees a pterodactyl?
Or, for that matter, a disposable razor, a praying mantis; a wooden clothespin, a horse’s head; or a handful of safety pins, a school of fish?
Well, Stan Eisenman sure does.
The Brooklyn born artist’s menagerie of inspired found-object critters is only one small part of a lifelong portfolio that includes oils, watercolors, sculptures, stone art, computer art, pencil drawings, painted objects, jewelry, totems, posters, and logos.
Eisenman, who just turned 90, was the founder of an award-winning graphic design firm.
But while very successful in that commercial arena, he never put aside his love of painting and sculpting.
In 2004, when a resident of Pound Ridge, Eisenman’s one-man show at the Hiram Halle Memorial Library got rave reviews from the local press.
He was also one of six Westchester folks – including Bedford’s Martha Stewart – who were invited to paint violins to be auctioned off to raise funds for the Westchester Philharmonic orchestra.
(He now lives in an assisted care facility in Putnam County, says daughter Nina Eisenman of North Salem, with whom he used to live.)
Starting on Sunday, Feb. 1 and running through Friday, Feb. 27, a heaping helping of Eisenman’s whimsical, wild, and wacky pieces will be on display in the Katonah Village Library’s gallery.
The opening reception for Transmutations is set for 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7.
ABOUT STAN
Eisenman attended Lincoln High School in his hometown of Brooklyn where his artistic abilities were recognized and cultivated by his teacher Leon Friend, a highly respected expert and author in the field of art and graphics.
He continued his education at Brooklyn College, where he majored in art and took courses with some of the most respected artists of the time, according to his bio.
Eisenman studied sculpture with Burgoyne Diller, painting with Ad Reinhart, Carl Holty, and Jimmy Ernst; lithography and etching with the surrealist Kurt Seligmann; and graphic arts with Ivan Chermayeff.
After graduating with honors and receiving the “All Arts Award,” Eisenman was offered a job at Chermayeff’s graphic design firm, Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar.
While there, Eisenman won numerous awards for excellence in design.
In 1961, we went on to found his own graphic design firm, Eisenman Associates, where he produced logos, posters, brochures, magazines, and annual reports for corporations such as PepsiCo, which once was headquartered in Somers, Philip Morris, Land O’Lakes, TWA, and Mirage Resorts.
Eisenman also designed exhibits for the Pepsi-Cola Company, including one titled “Optical Illusions” that allowed visitors to not only see the illusion, but to also be a part of it.
Another one was called “Puzzles.” Folks had a blast trying to solve the puzzles that were on display.
Christmas exhibits were a favorite of Eisenman’s. He created one of fanciful Christmas trees that graced the lobby of Pepsi-Cola’s world headquarters building on Park Avenue. Another, made of enormous toys, was featured in Life magazine, according to his bio.
In 1970, he was one of a dozen leading designers who were asked by the Moratorium Committee Against the War in Vietnam to create a “Peace” poster.
It was exhibited at the OK Harris Gallery in New York City and in 2005 it was featured in the book, The Design of Dissent, which was published by Rockport Publishers.
MODUS OPERANDI
In his book, Transmutations, a collection of his found object works, Eisenman talks about being “drawn to non-traditional art.”
He still loved paint, canvas, and paper but couldn’t resist exploring other mediums because they open up “a whole other world of possibilities.”
Eisenman said he was excited whenever he recognized the “potential for transformation using everyday objects.”
Having been a graphic artist, he was interested in “design that communicates, creates desire, or in some way elicits a response,” according to the book.
To Eisenman, the best part of Transmutations is “there’s no language or age barrier.”
“Everyone will understand the art and react to it,” he said.
GOOD TO KNOW
The Katonah Village Library is located at 36 Bedford Road in Katonah, N.Y. For more information about the library, visit www.katonahlibrary.org. For more information about the artist, visit www.staneisenman.com.
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