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Howard Kanovitz
Looking at Me (Signed twice with heart drawing and inscription)

1981

About the Item

Howard Kanovitz Looking at Me (Signed twice with heart drawing and inscription), 1981 Color Lithograph on Wove Paper Pencil signed and annotated Artist Proof (AP) by artist on the front. Ink signed and Inscribed on the back Original vintage frame included with inscription on the back This impressive, playful color lithograph by the photo/hyper realist pioneer and beloved teacher Howard Kanovitz is a prime example of Kanovitz shift to using pastels starting in the 1970s "with the goal of creating work as fully realized as any painting". Hand signed by the artist on the recto and verso (front and back). On the back of this work is an original heart drawing with a lovely inscription that reads as follows: For Earle & Camilla Love Howard Christmas 1981 P.S. The title of this is: "Looking at Me" Unique proof This work was gifted by Howard Kanovitz to the legendary art world figures Earl and Camilla McGrath. (Camilla died in 2007. and Earl died in 2016 at the age of 84.) McGrath was a Hollywood script writer turned Atlantic Records music executive turned blue chip art gallery owner. His wife, Camilla Pecci-Blunt McGrath was an Italian countess whose family were art patrons of the European Avante Garde. In remembering Earl McGrath for Vanity Fair magazine, Warhol's editor and confidant Bob Colacello interviewed the many celebrities and artists who adored McGrath: "He was the last of a breed, one of the last great gentlemen and bohemians,” says Harrison Ford.."; He was the funniest man I have ever known,” declares Jerry Hall, whose friendship with McGrath went back to 1975, when she was the girlfriend of Bryan Ferry and he was vice president of Atlantic Records. “He also had a huge heart and was a magnet for us all in New York and Los Angeles.”; “Earl was so brilliantly irreverent,” says Anjelica Huston, who credits McGrath with introducing her to her late husband, the sculptor Robert Graham, who showed at his Los Angeles gallery; “He wasn’t always the jokester,” notes Brice Marden, who frequently dined tête-à-tête with McGrath. “He also had a keen eye and a kind of natural wisdom, albeit with a slightly warped attitude towards things. I just found him a really good person to hang out with. Whenever I had some deep question, I always wanted to consult Earl. It was reassuring to hear what he had to say.”...So who was this Earl McGrath? Unknown to the general public (and liking it that way), he was very well known to the very well known, the ultimate insider equally at home in the upper echelons of music, art, letters, and entertainment. Among the regulars who flocked to the salon-like lunches and dinners he and his wife, Countess Camilla Pecci-Blunt, a descendant of Pope Leo XIII, gave at their apartment across from Carnegie Hall and their house in West Hollywood were Andy Warhol; Mick Jagger; Gore Vidal; Audrey Hepburn; Anita Loos; Cy Twombly; Larry Rivers; Francesco and Alba Clemente; Prince Rupert Loewenstein; Connie Wald; Wendy Stark; Michelle Phillips; Julian Sands; Annie Leibovitz; Jann and Jane Wenner; Sonny and Gita Mehta; Terry Southern; Fernanda Eberstadt; Wes Anderson; Prince Michael of Greece and his wife, Marina Karella (who showed at McGrath’s gallery); Christopher Isherwood; Isabella Rossellini; Bernardo Bertolucci; and Dennis Hopper..." Measurements: Frame: 20.7 x 18.7 x 1 inch Print: 20 x 18 inches Provenance: From the estate of Earl and Camilla McGrath
  • Creator:
    Howard Kanovitz (1929 - 2009, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1981
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 20.7 in (52.58 cm)Width: 18.7 in (47.5 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Not examined outside of vintage frame, but the work appears to be in excellent condition.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1745212684252
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