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Also sprach Lutyens

September 29, 2013, 11:41 pm
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The son of Miss Wong

September 30, 2013, 11:09 am
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Green Lady Winehouse

October 1, 2013, 1:23 am
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British photographer Kate Friend came up with this portrait of two legends in one image: Amy Winehouse and Tretchi's 'Green Lady'.


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Journey's End to be auctioned today

October 1, 2013, 10:37 pm
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The legendary painting will (hopefully) be hammered off by Bonhams auctioneers in London on Wednesday, 2 October.

Amanda Botha, a Cape Town journalist, was friends with Tretchikoff in the 1960s and 1970s. She asked him once if the message of Journey's End was sad. He said: 'Of course, not! It’s wonderful. If things were to last forever, there will be no room for anything new and beautiful'.

Tretchikoff with the McCays, the original owners of Journey's End, next to the legendary painting.

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Dangerously close to The Louvre

October 3, 2013, 2:16 am
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One of my favourite Tretchikoff mash-ups was produced by Beau Bo D'Or, a British collage artist in 2008. Here's what he writes about himself: 'I mangle pictures and have done the odd cartoon. Have done work for The Guardian, Channel 4 news, Independent, The Times and have had work nicked by most of the rest of the newspapers and a satirical TV show.'

It's worth noting that a couple of years before, South African artist Braam Kruger produced a painting called Tretchikoff da Vinci:


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iTunes loves Tretchikoff

October 3, 2013, 2:34 am
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Blue picture of Mrs Thatcher!

October 3, 2013, 10:01 pm
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Tretchikoff used to show interviewers an issue of Punch with the headline: ‘Free inside. Blue picture of Mrs T!’ ‘Just look’, he would say. ‘You will laugh like blazes!’ The picture on the insert was a portrait of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with an extraordinarily bluish complexion. The Iron Lady was dressed in a yellow Asian gown, which showed beyond any doubt that this was a take on Tretchi’s Chinese Girl.

Roger Birchall, then admissions tutor at Dartington Hall School in Totnes, Devon, painted this picture. He says that Punch had never published prints before and did not do it again before disappearing from the news-stands. ‘It was 1981, and I wanted to find a peaceful, humorous way of getting at the Tory PM’, recounts Mr Birchall. ‘The visual metaphor for my reworking of Thatcher’s head is that, in my opinion, she was cheap, deeply flawed and anti-intellectual. To me, that was very much like a Chinese Girl print.

When journalists asked Tretchikoff how he felt about Birchall’s Blue Lady, he said he was flattered: ‘Tretchi is happy! The Chinese Girl was born in 1952 and she’s still going strong!

The Sunday Telegraph, 1997

From Incredible Tretchikoff by Boris Gorelik (Art/ Books, London, 2013)
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The first mash-up

October 5, 2013, 7:26 am
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Here's the cover of Raymond Williams's book Culture (1981). This is probably the first mash-up of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Tretchi's Chinese Girl. The icon of popular art meets the icon of 'high' art.
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Chinese Girl a la Chow

October 5, 2013, 9:44 am
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The birth of cool

October 6, 2013, 1:03 am
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This Birth of Venus shirt was sold in I was Lord Kitchener's Valet, a Swinging London boutique where Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton bought their vintage military jackets in the 1960s. The designer of the Sgt Pepper's album cover was inspired by the display in its window. The painting on the left was produced by Tretchikoff (who else?)

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One of the many 'Green Ladies'

October 6, 2013, 9:31 pm
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An advert for the Green Lady label (US). They made cool t-shirts in the 1990s.
‘The name Green Lady was an open vessel that we could pour different ideas into’, says the label founder Todd St John. ‘We’d come across the Tretchikoff painting and a similar one by another artist occasionally in thrift stores. Also, there was a Star Trek episode that featured a character that was a green alien woman. These were all of the same era, so we were struck by the fact that these similar images were appearing in multiple places and not sure why.’

Vina as a 'green Orion animal woman' (Star Trek)
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A tribute to Pricess Di with a twist

October 7, 2013, 10:50 pm
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Diana Tretchikoff by York-born artist David Kettley.

Kettley enjoyed Tretchikoff’s work since his early teens when the prints were sold in high-street shops.

‘Tretchikoff’s painting of Miss Wong has been an important icon to me’, says the artist. ‘When I decided to embark on a portrait of Diana, I wanted to emphasise her own iconic status. Combining the two images gave me the opportunity to show my respect to both Tretchikoff and Diana.’
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Lenka has died

October 8, 2013, 5:00 am
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1913-2013
Leonora Schmidt-Salomonson passed away on 1 August, according to the obituary in today's Times. She was 99 years old.

Lady of the Tropics
Lenka, as Tretchikoff called her (a diminutive for the Russian name Lena), was his model, his muse and his lover during World War 2, when he lived in Jakarta, released on parole by Japanese occupation authorities. 

Red Jacket
In October 2012, Red Jacket, one of the many Tretchikoff's portraits of Lenka, was sold for  £337,250 at Bonhams, London.

Watch Yvonne du Toit's documenrary Red Jacket to learn more about Lenka's story. To order a DVD, write to joyride@xsinet.co.za
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Miss Wong: forever young

October 8, 2013, 10:59 pm
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Rian Hughes. Miss Wong, 2001
This 21st-century version of Tretchikoff's Miss Wong was created by British graphic designer, typographer and illustrator Rian Hughes.

© myfonts.com

‘Tretchikoff’s art is considered beautiful and evocative – two terms you will rarely hear mentioned by modern fine artists, but that has strong resonance for people in the real world,’ says Rian. ‘Tretchikoff refused to play the art gallery game. What we see displayed in establishment galleries is generally controlled by a self-appointed aesthetic elite who place themselves between the product and the consumer. That’s why I like graphic design and illustration. It’s democratic, it’s art for reproduction. It reaches a wide audience in the same manner that music can, and thus can be a vibrant part of the cultural landscape.’
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Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl to be unveiled in South Africa

November 21, 2013, 8:14 am
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On Friday, 29th November 2013, Vladimir Tretchikoff’s iconic painting Chinese Girl will be unveiled at Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch.

Tretchikoff's best-known work and the most famous painting in the history of South African art was acquired by Chairman of Graff Diamonds, Laurence Graff OBE in March 2013. The sale was handled by Bonhams, London. Graff's company is said to have handled more diamonds of notable rarity and beauty than any other jeweller.

Commenting on the painting, the new owner said: 'As a young man, I noticed the image of Tretchikoff’s Chinese Girl continuously displayed in many different locations in print form. It was the first piece of art that made an impact on me, and I believe ignited my interest and passion for art. You can imagine my surprise to have learned of the sale of the original painting and of course, my decision to buy it was immediate.'

The unveiling of Chinese Girl will be marked by a special fund-raising event in support of Graff Diamonds’ charitable foundation For Africa’s Children Every Time (FACET), which aims to support the education, health and well-being of the people of sub-Saharan Africa.

Guests will be treated to insights from leading Tretchikoff experts; Boris Gorelik (writer, historian and author of Incredible Tretchikoff, the first complete biography of the artist), Riason Naidoo (Director: Iziko Art Collections South African National Gallery & Old Town House) and Stephan Welz (Managing Director at Strauss & Co) followed by a delicious four course menu accompanied by Delaire Graff wine pairings and a charity auction.

All proceeds raised at the unveiling will be used to support FACET’s three charitable initiatives in Lesotho, Botswana and the winelands of Stellenbosch.  

Johann Laubser, General Manager at Delaire Graff Estate commented: 'From 30th November 2013, Chinese Girl will be placed on public display at the Estate. I’m certain it will attract a lot of attention and my team and I look forward to welcoming all those who visit us to experience this beautiful piece first-hand.”

Delaire Graff Estate is one of South Africa’s finest vineyards and was acquired by Laurence Graff in 2003. A state of the art winery and restaurant opened in 2009 followed by its lodges and spa in May 2010. The Estate is now considered to be one of South Africa’s leading luxury destinations, winning accolades for its wine, food, design and accommodation.

Chinese Girl was one of the world’s best-selling prints of the fifties and sixties. Tretchikoff claimed to have sold over half a million large format reproductions of the print.
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What if this was signed 'Tretchikoff'?

November 24, 2013, 10:59 pm
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Ellies' Fashion Diary has posted a gorgeous photo session done by Terence Donovan for a Pirelli calendar in the 1980s.




But I wonder what the art establishment would say if these were paintinings done by Tretchikoff. He created many similar works during his career:



For these, he was accused of objectifying his models and entrenching racial stereotypes. Interesting, eh?

By the way, Tretchikoff didn't paint his black models naked because this would have been unthinkable in the apartheid South Africa where he lived!
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Tretchikoff's Madonna

December 1, 2013, 1:38 am
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This is Madonnaof the East, painted in Jakarta during World War 2.

It's the first painting Tretchikoff sold after he moved to South Africa in 1946.

The picture belongs to the Rupert family, owners of the Rembrandt Group (Cartier, Alfred Dunhill, Piaget, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin and Montblanc). But you won't find it at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch. There's no way they'd have a Tretchikoff on display there!
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Tretchikoff’s Chinese Girl Unveiled at Delaire Graff Estate

December 1, 2013, 2:36 am
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Ms Pon-su-san with the Chinese Girl painting
On Friday 29th November 2013, Vladimir Tretchikoff’s iconic painting Chinese Girlreturned home to South Africa, unveiled at Delaire Graff Estate by Tretchikoff’s original model, Monika Pon-su-san.

The piece, which is said to be one of the most reproduced and recognisable paintings in the world was acquired by Chairman of Graff Diamonds, Laurence Graff OBE in March 2013.

Commenting on the painting Mr Graff said: “As a young man, I noticed the image of Tretchikoff’s Chinese Girl continuously displayed in many different locations in print form.

“It was the first piece of art that made an impact on me, and I believe ignited my interest and passion for art. You can imagine my surprise to have learned of the sale of the original painting and of course, my decision to buy it was immediate.”
Vladimir Tretchikoff’s Daughter, Mimi Mercorio and Vladimir Tretchikoff’s Granddaughter, Natasha Swift

The unveiling of Chinese Girl was marked by a special fundraising event in support of Graff Diamonds’ charitable foundation For Africa’s Children Every Time (FACET), which aims to support the education, health and well-being of the people of sub-Saharan Africa.

Guests were treated to insights from leading Tretchikoff experts; Andrew Lamprecht (Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town), Boris Gorelik (Writer, Historian and Tretchikoff Biographer) and Stephan Welz (Managing Director at Strauss & Co) followed by a delicious four course menu accompanied by Delaire Graff wine pairings and a charity auction.

All proceeds raised at the unveiling will be used to support FACET’s three charitable initiatives in Lesotho, Botswana and the winelands of Stellenbosch.
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Green Lady - beautiful body!

December 19, 2013, 3:58 am
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©2013 Emma Hack

If you happen to be in Adelaide, Australia, in February 2014, go and see this amazing work by a local artist, Emma Hack.

She's the one who produced body art featured in Australian singer Gotye's hit video Somebody That I Used to Know.

Hack will showcase her new work - women body-painted in iconic images from the 1950 - at the Adelaide Fringe from 14 February.

Her artistic statement goes like this:

'The beauty behind some of the world's most gorgeous images of woman are filled with intrigue and a deeper sense of how women have been viewed throughout the mid 20th century. Beautiful women captures the sensitivity of Hack's creations, inspired by artists, cultures and filmmakers views of woman from the past.'

© 2013 Emma Hack
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Tretchikoff is 100!

December 27, 2013, 1:59 am
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Yesterday was Vladimir Tretchikoff's centenary. He was born on 26 December (Old Style: 13 December) 1913.
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