ABOUT THE ARTIST
When Max Ginsburg entered the art world in the 1960's, he was working in direct opposition to the period's minimalism and rejection of representational art. Ginsburg's fine art reflected and represented his immediate environment: cart vendors, subway riders, street basketball and generally the people of New York, depicting them with unflinching clarity and dignity. He approached this subject sympathetically if unromantically, with his primary motivation being visual truth rather than idealization.
By 1980 the art world still continued to embrace modern “ism’s” such as, conceptual art. As a result, Ginsburg turned towards commercial illustration to earn a better living. He soon found the same empathy that so frankly depicted his fine art's populist realities could also very deftly fashion populist fantasies, his canvases of subway commuters gave way to images of headstrong women peering out onto wind swept prairies.
Ginsburg quickly discovered he had a propensity for the genre. His work went on to grace the covers of over 800 titles--far a field in their variety---ranging from John Knowles,” A Separate Peace”, to Pamela Pacotti's, “Winds of Desire”. His romance illustrations appealed to readers' wishes for exploration or escape: his buxom women were determined and intoxicating, their men handsome and strapping, the settings vast and promising of adventure. When working with revered authors like Mildred Taylor, his empathy and skill combined to produce tender depictions of friendship or family ties in the face of gross social injustice and random tragedy.
Sadly, the work's non-narrative qualities--the subtle tonal shifts, the exacting brushwork and the mastery of color--are, for the most part, lost when viewing reproductions, in which the publisher's premium on narrative and shelf impact is disappointedly apparent. In person, the work's technical finesse is seductive. Ginsburg delineates form with a few well placed strokes of color, a technique that, while hard to master, yields delightfully suggestive results.
Ginsburg's artistic skill placed him in high demand, thus he enjoyed a successful twenty-four year career in illustration, only retiring from the field in 2004 to concentrate again on his fine art. His list of achievements in the field is impressive: Gold Medals from the Society of Illustrators, the Romance Writers of America "Art Emis " Award, the highly acclaimed “Christopher Award”, the Art Directors Club “Merit Award”, The Society Of Newspaper Design’s “New York Times Cover Award” and a one man retrospective at the Franklin Mint. Clients included the New York Times, New York Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Avon, Penguin Putnam, Harlequin, Bantam, Dell, Crown, Pocket Books, Berkley, Leisure, Dial, Puffin and Warner Publications. In addition, Ginsburg is featured in Walt Reed's preeminent reference volume, “The Illustrator in America”. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the New Britain Museum in Connecticut and the Society of Illustrators.
Max Ginsburg lives in Montclair, New Jersey and works at his studio in Long Island City in New York City.
RESUME
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008 (September) Martin Luther King Labor Center, Local 1199, New York, NY
199 3Franklin Mint, Exton, PA
1980 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1980 Reyn Gallery, New York, NY
1979 Gallery 306, Bala Cynwood, PA
1978 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1977 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1977 Martin Luther King Labor Center, Local 1199, New York, NY
1975 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1974 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1972 Martin Luther King Labor Center, Local 1199, New York, NY
1972 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1971 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1969 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1968 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1966 Harbor Gallery, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
1953 Syracuse University
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
(Invitational and Juried, Museums and Galleries, Awards)
2008 Art Cries Out, Online Exhibition Protest Art of 2007
2008 Martin Luther King Labor Center, Gallery 1199, New York, NY
"2008 Social Justice Calendar Art Exhibit"
2007 Art Renewal Center Online Exhibition, 4th International Competition
"Two Honorable Mentions"
2007 Audubon Artists, Inc., New York
"Elias and Lillian Judith Newman Award"
2007 71st National Midyear Exhibition, Butler Institute Museum, Youngstown, OH
"Collector's Prize in Honor of Sir Kenneth Thompson"
2007 Salmagundi Club Non-members Juried Exhibition, New York, NY
"Best in Show Award"
2006 Art Renewal Center Online Exhibition, 3rd International Competition
"Two honorable mentions"
2006 Audubon Artists, Inc. Annual Exhibition", New York, NY
"Silver Medal"
2006 Allied Artists of America Annual Exhibition, New York, NY
"The Len G. Everett Memorial Award"
2006 Eighth Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2003-2006 Allied Artists of America Traveling Show:
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
J. Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
Museum of Texas Tech University, TX
Bergstrom Mahler Museum, WI
Dauville Museum of Fine Art and History, VA
Krasl Art Center, MI
2005 Art Renewal Center Online Exhibition, 2nd International Competition
"Chairman's Choice Award, Purchase Prize", Two"Honorable Mentions"
2005 Allied Artists Of America Exhibition, New York, NY.
"The Ethel Gilmore-Charles J. Romans Memorial Award"
2005 Seventh Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2004 Romance Writers of America
"Art Emis Award", (for Harlequin Cover Art )
2004 Invitational Exhibition, Cavalier Gallery, Greenwich , CT
2004 Art Students League Instructors Small Painting Exhibition, Salander O'Reilly Gallery
2004 Invitational Exhibition, Henoch Gallery, New York, NY
2004 179th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Art,
The National Academy of Design, New York, NY
2004 Allied Artists of America Invitational Exhibition, New York, NY
"Silver Medal"
1992 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1991 The Christopher's, New York, NY
"Christopher Award" (for drawings illustrating "Mississippi Bridge"
1990 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1989 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1988 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1987 The Art Directors Club 66th Annual Exhibition, New York, NY
"Merit Award" for an illustration "Australia" for H.J.Heinz Co.
1987 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1986 "Art on Labor", The Historical Society of New York, NY
1986 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1985 "The Still Life Exhibition Group" Hermitage Foundation Museum, VA
1985 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1984 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
"Gold Medal"
1983 Society of Newspaper Design, New York, NY
"New York Times Cover Design Award" (painting "Alone")
1983 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1983 "Painting New York" The Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY
1982 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1981 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1980 Grand Central Galleries, New York, NY
1980 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1979 Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibit, New York, NY
1979 Board of Education, City of New York
"Teacher Recognition Award" (student murals, H.S. of Art & Design)
1978 " Hassam and Speicher Fund Purchase Exhibition",
American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
1978 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"The Salmagundi Club Award"
1974 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"Jane Peterson Award"
1971 Audubon Artists Exhibition, New York, NY
"Honorable Mention"
1964 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"Jane Peterson Award"
1963 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
1963 National Arts Club Exhibition, New York, NY
"Pauline Law Award"
1962 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"Edith Lehman Award"
1961 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"Gloria Layton Prize"
TEACHING
1997-2000The Art Student's League, New York, NY1984-2001School of Visual Arts, New York, NY1960-1982High School of Art and Design, New York, NY
JUROR
Audubon Artist, New York, NY
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, New York, NY
Allied Artists of America, New York, NY
Society of Illustrators, New York, NY
Rembrandt Peale Museum , Baltimore , MD
DEMONSTRATIONS
1998 Society of Illustrators, New York, NY
"Painting from Life" demonstration1963 Allied Artists of America Exhibition, New York, NY
"Painting from Life" demonstration
CLIENTS
New York Times Magazine
New York Magazine
Fortune Magazine
Harper Collins Publications
Dial Books/Penguin Publications
Simpson Paper Co.
Bantam Publications
Harlequin Enterprises
Warner Publications
H.J. Heinz & Co.
Dell Publications
Crown Books
Berkley Publications
Franklin Mint
Leisure Books
T.V.Guide
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
New Britain Museum, New Britain, CT
Society of Illustrators, New York, NY
New York Cultural Center Museum
Fairleigh Dickinson University , NJ
H.J.Heinz Company
Martin Luther King Labor Center
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2007 "Butler Institute Midyear Exhibition", Business Journal, July, 20
2006 Steve Smith, "Max Ginsburg: Working-Class Choreography",
The Artist's Magazine, July/August
2003 Reed, Walt, The Illustrator in America 1860 - 2000, Collins Press
1986 "Art on Labor", The Village Voice
1983 Glueck, Grace, "New York Through Artists Eyes", The New York Times, October 14th
1980 Palette Talk, "How I Paint A Figure Composition", (Grumbacher Publication)
1980 Paris Jeanne, review, Newsday, Long Island, October 24
1980 Review, The Observer, October 16
1980 Preston, Malcom, review. Newsday, Long Island, November 1
1979 Review, Philadelphia Enquirer May 1
11978 Noticias Das Caldas, N.Y.C. October1978Paris, Jeanne, review, Newsday. Long Island. November 3
1977 Paris, Jeanne, review, Newsday. Long Island. April 29
1977 "Paintings by Max Ginsburg", 1199 News, January
1975 Paris, Jeanne, review, Newsday, Long Island, April 19
1974 Paris, Jeanne, review, Newsday, Long Island, March 14
1972 Raymond, Paul, review, World Magazine March 4
1972 Preston, Malcom, review, Newsday, Long Island, October 3
11972 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press
1970 Greenberg, Irwin, "Max Ginsburg: Underground and Above Ground",
American Artist Magazine, September
1971 Preston, Malcom, review, Newsday, Long Island
1971 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press, October 15
1969 Preston, Malcom, review, Newsday, Long Island, September 29th
1969 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press
1968 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press, May 12
1967 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press, June 11
1966 Paris, Jeanne, review, Long Island Press
EDUCATION
1963 City University of New York, M.A.
1953 Syracuse University, B.F.A.
1949 H.S. of Music and Art
BORN 1931 Paris, France