ARTIST oF THE DAY: Oliver Jeffers

ARTIST oF THE DAY: Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers works with a range of media including painting, typography, collage, installation and cartography. His practice is heavily influencd by the culture of his hometown of Belfast, where he grew up. "My interest in duality, as a continuing theme in my art, is definitely born from the contradictions inherent in being Northern Irish", he says. "There's also a sense of humour that's particular to Northern Ireland – a darkness that underpins everything, where nothing is sacred and everything can be laughed at".

ARTIST OF THE DAY: ERIC CARLE

ARTIST OF THE DAY: ERIC CARLE

Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, Eric Carle moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old; he was educated there, and graduated from the prestigious art school, the Akademie der bildenden Künste, in Stuttgart. But his dream was always to return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. So, in 1952, with a fine portfolio in hand and forty dollars in his pocket, he arrived in New York. Soon he found a job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times. Later, he was the art director of an advertising agency for many years.

ARTIST OF THE DAY: SHEL SILVERSTEIN

ARTIST OF THE DAY: SHEL SILVERSTEIN

Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930, in Chicago. Silverstein studied music and established himself as a musician and composer, writing songs including “A Boy Named Sue,” popularized by Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn’s “One’s on the Way.” Silverstein also wrote children’s literature, including The Giving Tree and the poetry collection A Light in the Attic. He died in 1999.

ARTIST OF THE DAY: EDWARD GOREY

ARTIST OF THE DAY: EDWARD GOREY

Author and artist EDWARD ST. JOHN GOREY (1925-2000) was a child prodigy, drawing pictures at the age of two, and teaching himself to read by the age of three. Excelling at school, he skipped some early years, arriving at Chicago’s legendary Francis Parker School in the ninth grade. He emerged there as an exceptional student, contributing to many school events, exhibiting in the annual art shows, appearing in school publications and even in Chicago newspapers. Approaching graduation, he had the highest regional scores on college boards and received scholarships to Harvard and other academic institutions. After graduation from Francis Parker, with pending draft notices at the age of 17, Gorey enrolled for some art courses at the Art Institute of Chicago before entering the U.S. Army. He served during World War II from 1943 until after the end of the war—primarily at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.

ARTIST OF THE DAY: PHILIP GUSTON

ARTIST OF THE DAY: PHILIP GUSTON

Philip Guston, known for his eclectic style and experimentation with figuration as well as abstraction, was born in 1913 in Montreal. In 1919 his family moved to Los Angeles, and with an interest in art, he was encouraged by his mother to take a correspondence course in cartooning. He attended the Manual Arts High School, where he became a friend of Jackson Pollock, a fellow student. After being expelled from that school, Guston independently pursued his interest in art, including comics, as well as delving into various philosophical theories. In 1930 he received a scholarship to the Otis Art Institute. He left after three months.