My friend Paul
The best artist I personally knew has passed away. The artist that I have the most art from in my house besides my own and that I actually purchased (not traded or gifted) is no longer with us. I don’t know if it is the fact that I’m entering a more serious part of my art career where I could use his advice, but his passing has been very sad to me.
I met Paul Lorenz when I lived in Paducah, KY. He was the star artist in our artist group. We became close friends and would often have dinner with him and his husband Louis in their beautiful kitchen (they are both architects) and have deep conversations about art and shallow gossip about our neighbors. Paul was very involved in the independent film scene in town, so we would watch weird movies from time to time.
In Paducah is when I started getting interested in graphic design. I started designing his promotional materials (brochures, postcards…). It gave me confidence in my design abilities that someone who was so particular about aesthetics would consider my design work good enough to hire me. I got to recognize that designing for him was very easy because I just had to put a big picture of his art and some text, and no one would think about the text and just look at the art. Which is what any art postcard should do.
One year he went to the Florence Biennale and asked me to design a postcard for him. He gave me photos of his art and photos of Rennaissance paintings in Florence. I decided to combine his art with the Florence art. I was nervous to show him. Artists HATE when you mess with their art. What would the people in Florence think about their art being messed with? Making it even worse was that it was a painting of Jesus 😱 I showed Paul my design and he thought about it for awhile and finally said, “Let’s go with it1” That showed me that in art, is good to take risks and push the boundaries.
When he passed, Louis asked me if I still had that graphic. He wanted to use it in Paul’s memorial. It surprised me that he remembered that image 20 or so years later. I did have it. It is the perfect image for that moment, and I’m so honored that there was a little part of me there.
He never thought very highly of quilting as an art medium but never discouraged me in pursing it. Just the opposite, he wanted me to push myself and break from traditional quilt ideas and think more as an artist. He (and Louis) would always encourage me to move out of our little town in western Kentucky and be closer to a bigger city where I would have more opportunities. I didn’t move near DC because of their advice, but they were correct. My career and living situation have improved enormously because I live here.
From his obituary, in an interview, Paul was asked the following:
What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people understand that my work is my autobiography. I hope they let the work tell my story, whether it feels scattered or direct. I hope their interpretation is acknowledged as being one facet of my reality and history. Art does not have one definition, but by looking at everything cumulatively, my story shows life, enthusiasm, mystery and completeness. No regrets!
You will live forever here with me in your art, my friend.
