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Brushes With FameFrom: Palm Beach Illustrated Posted: November 26, 2007 For the better part of three decades, the canvas PAUL STANLEY was best known for painting was his own face. As a front man for the legendary rock band KISS, Paul has been electrifying audiences in his signature spandex and platform boots since the band’s debut in the mid-1970s. These days, however, he has discovered another artistic passion, one that requires much more personal insight and much less personal makeup. His growing collection of original paintings, which began as a cathartic journey, has ended up resonating with art lovers, collectors and critics alike and earned him a whole new audience of devoted fans. PBI: What led you down this latest road of artistic expression? STANLEY: Divorce will jolt you in ways you may not expect. My best friend told me that I needed to paint. He seemed to feel I needed a release—and he was right. I went out and bought canvases and brushes and basically started on an emotional journey, a way to discover in myself things that were going on and put them on canvas. Kind of like stream-of-consciousness, but instead of words, using color and texture. How would you describe your art? It’s about delving into myself. When I start a painting it’s like a trip in which I don’t know where I’m going, but I know when I’ve gotten there. It’s really about finding an emotional connection and once I feel that’s complete, I tend to believe that it will connect and resonate with someone else. So far I’m pretty right. What’s the difference between creating music and creating works of art? Music has many more boundaries and frameworks that you have to work within. You have the structure of the music, the melody on top of that, and then the lyrics have to rhyme. Everything has to fit within parameters. Whereas with art, there are no rules. You don’t have the same limitations because if it can be done with color and texture, the possibilities are endless. Did you always consider art a public expression, or were you nervous about sharing your paintings with the world? It was done for very personal reasons, almost like therapy, but when I saw how other people were relating to it, it was just a matter of time before I began showing my pieces in public. It’s great in the sense that we all share a connection through our emotions and it goes beyond words. Is it tough for some people to move beyond your KISS days into this new facet of your life? No doubt my success and fame gets my foot in the door, but you still have every right to slam the door. Few people are going to buy a painting because they love your music and I prefer it that way. I originally started painting for myself, but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that the more my paintings are embraced and sold, the more I want to paint. No artist ever starved by choice. What are your thoughts on inspiration? Talent, whether it’s in art or music, comes from being able to conjure up inspiration. If you sit around waiting for inspiration, you may be waiting a long time. Are your art and your music two distinct worlds? I never bring paint brushes on stage and I never bring a guitar to paint with. What new avenues are you interested in pursuing? Everything is appealing. What I love about my life is, whenever I climb a mountain, I see another one next to it. You can always figure out how important something is to you by what kind of struggles you’re willing to go through to achieve it. What’s been the high point of this journey? For me, going to a gallery show and being surrounded by a world I’ve created is pretty astounding. To have walls covered with things that have sprung from me, it’s a high. Paul will be appearing at the Wentworth Gallery in Palm Beach Gardens on November 30, 2007 from 6-9 p.m. and at the Wentworth Gallery in Boca Raton on December 1, 2007 from 6-9 p.m. |
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