This year, Hal celebrates his tenth anniversary as a gallery owner, but his passion for art is decades old. At fifteen years old, he saw a picture of Picasso in his studio with a myriad of paintings in progress and his kids playing in the studio. At that moment, he knew his future and his dharma was to be a painter.
Since then, Hal Marcus has spent the last 35 years not only painting, but educating family and friends that being a painter wasn’t a hobby - it was his profession. Hal’s family wanted him to be a part of the family business. He tried the business world, but like all spiritual souls his need was to return to his passion, creating unique one-of-a-kind paintings and being a mentor to other artists. Hal credits his own mentors as not only the masters - Picasso and Matisse - but also local artists like Manuel Acosta and Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. “My painting is my passion,” Hal says. “I wanted to be like Picasso; I wanted to create a demand for my work. I wanted to work on ten different paintings at one time.”
The vibrant, folk-art style of a Hal Marcus painting is a testament to his roots. “Growing up along the border and going over to Juarez at an early age with my grandmother exposed me to a different and colorful culture of Mexico. Over the years, I and other local artists have developed a unique El Paso style of art.” His inspirations are also promoted by travel to France, Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Spain, Israel, Africa and China.
Hal starts each painting with a small drawing or sketch. He then comes to his studio, usually at night, and sketches them and frames them to “let them cook.” I have visited Hal’s gallery many times and I have seen paintings on the easels upside down. I have seen paintings on the floor. At first I was baffled, but as I come to know Hal, it is clear he is studying his craft and his work. To Hal, a painting is much more alive than a flat piece of canvas. “The paintings become objects with voices and spirits and I get messages from the paintings in progress that say place blue here, yellow here and so forth.”
Readers of Ventanas know Hal’s style, but to see his work first-hand is the only way to understand the texture of his art. The texture of the canvas surface reveals thick paint strokes. “Color, form and texture are just part of my craft” remarks Hal. “Finally, I feel after thirty-eight years of painting I have matured as an artist. I have my own style. Most of my art has human beings, mostly women in them. I like to paint images of interesting people; they invite the viewer into the thoughts of the painting.”
In many artists’ work, particularly scenic art, it is clear to understand the message of art. In Hal’s paintings they are both complex and simple. Each painting has multiple interpretations. You can stand and interact with the painting for hours and your opinion of what he intended would change as you shift your view of the canvas.
As mentioned, one of Hal’s greatest satisfactions is to mentor other artists, and his gallery is proof of that. In addition to his support of several local artists, Hal likes to support his community, teaching and hosting regular art classes for both children and adults at the gallery, and by creating art for local charities. Hal was also recently recognized by the El Paso Museum of Art, and now serves on their advisory board. Each year he lends his gallery to various organizations for fund raising.
If you ask Hal how many paintings he has contributed to various collections around the Borderland - both public and private - he will reluctantly tell you that he does not measure his impact in numbers. If pressed, he guesses he has created five thousand or more paintings during his career. He would rather impact the lives of others with paintings that make a connection; that help one see an interpretation of that piece within themselves.
Hal Marcus will host his first-ever One Man Show April 27, 2006 as part of his 10-year celebration of the opening of Hal Marcus Gallery. Part of that show will include a complete grouping of new works to be unveiled at his show. Hal Marcus Gallery is located at 800 N. Mesa just one block from I -10 in downtown El Paso. Visit www.halmarcus.com for more information.
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