#275 - Get Your Art Out There for the World with Laurence Gartel

LAURENCE GARTEL, is known to the world as the "FATHER" of Digital Art for over 40-years. His career started working side by side with video guru Nam June Paik at Media Study/Buffalo in upstate New York. He taught Andy Warhol how to use the Amiga Computer in order to produce the album cover for Debbie Harry (Blondie). Growing up in New York City during the Punk Rock era he was friends with Stiv Bators, Sid Vicious, Joey Ramone, Wendy O. Williams, and exhibited his work with Robert Mapplethorpe. Creating Digital Art before the birth of the personal computer his work has been exhibited with the Museum of Modern Art, Long Beach Museum of Art, Princeton Art Museum, Guild Hall, Selby Gallery at Ringling School of Art, Norton Museum of Art, Coral Springs Museum of Art as well as included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History, Bibliothque Nationale Paris and Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, London. Gartel received FotoMentor Lifetime Achievement Award from Palm Beach Photographic in 2009.

Gartel has traveled the world exhibiting and projecting his work in Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy, as well as going to India, creating a Bollywood Music/Video for Universal Entertainment. He has been commissioned to produce artwork on Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as for corporations such as Coca Cola, Philip Morris, Walt Disney, Polaroid, Canon USA, Minolta, Olympus, Kodak, National Basketball Association, Gibson Guitars, Bang & Olufsen, Mobil Oil, Commerzbank, SWATCH, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sprint, Budweiser, Roche Pharmaceuticals, and known for the first Digital Advertisement: ABSOLUT GARTEL for Absolut Vodka.

The year 2015 could have been its own book. Gartel was the Official Artist of the 57^th Annual Grammy Awards, Los Angeles. He "wrapped" the large-scale, one of a kind Grammy Statue with his Digital Art printed to vinyl right here in South Florida. He was the Artist of the NASA MMS Mission, at Kennedy Space Center, as well as being the Artist of the Newport Jazz Festival wrapping a one of a kind Trumpet to honor the career of Miles Davis. Gartel unveiled the First National State Art Car at the Capital building in Concord with Governor Maggie Hassan, reading letters of Commendation from the House of Representatives, Senate, and Congress. Gartel participated in the Los Angeles Street Art Fair creating a commissioned Dodge Viper Art Car and was the Visionary of the 3D Print Conference in Santa Clara. Gartel showcased his 1978 groundbreaking "Self Portrait" film at the 7^th Annual Cairo International Video Festival. He finished the year creating the Official Artwork for the Monaco International Film Festival.

A part of his concentration was focused on Art Cars. The first commission being the TESLA Electric Art Roadster during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2010. He was the "FEATURE" of the 113^th New York International Auto Show with his own 30,000 square foot Pavilion in 2013. Mercedes Benz commissioned Gartel to create a very special Art Car to celebrate their "13^thMillion Friend on Facebook. Gartel unveiled a $250,000 Renntech Mercedes SL65 V-12 Art Car at Fisher Island Club during Art Basel Miami, December 2014, an Award Winner "Best of Class" at Amelia Island 2015. His "Care-Connect" VW Amarok represents the First Solar Satellite Art Truck. Gartel branded the Oslo Motor Show and produced a BMW Mini LIVE for the Norwegian public in October, 2016. Gartel unveiled an Alfa Romeo "Giulia" Art Car to America in March 2017. His current museum show: "WARHOL vs GARTEL HYP POP" was shown at Palazzo Bufalini, Spoleto, Lucca Center of Contemporary Art and Art & Co, Lecce, MomArt in Liguria on the Italian Riviera, as well as book signings with Galerie Zum Harnisch during Art Basel Switzerland. Gartel's Art graced the Front Cover of Boca Magazine, January 2018, and Pompano Magazine February 2018 issues respectively. Gartel produced a Maserati Car Art which opened and closed racing season in Saratoga Springs, NY commissioned by the #DePaulaDriveForCharity. GARTEL's recent exhibition "Digital Titan" was held at the Palm Beach Photographic Museum, West Palm Beach. Gartel's permanent Miami installation is located at the Overtown Courthouse Lobby along with his "Welcome to Miami" installation at Richard Branson's Virgin Miami Central Rail station. His latest commission "Legends of Rock and Roll" is on permanent display at the new Seminole Hard Rock Guitar Hotel. During covid times Mr. Gartel created the Art Cubes called Shashibo (better than a rubiks cube) which is distributed nationally through Barnes & Nobles and 2000 independent toy stores He is currently working on the definitive Encyclopedia of his work: "GARTEL: 50 Years of Digital Art. Volumes 1, II and III, scheduled to be released late 2024.