Thursday, February 15, 2018

Artist of the day, February 15: Tony Bennett

Whether he is performing as Tony Bennett or painting as Anthony Benedetto, he offers to the recipient of his artistry a bridge to his personal values and views of the world. He puts his emotions into his work and with that creates a strong connection that is the necessary result of any successful artistic endeavor. Tony Bennett is an artist. He is best known as a revered performer, the recipient of accolades by his peers and honors by his profession. Tony Bennett is also a visual artist, painting under his family name of Benedetto. The painter is an alter ego to the performer, living out a passion that is personal and introspective.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions.

Ever since Anthony Benedetto, at the age of five, began drawing chalk pictures on the sidewalks of his hometown in Astoria, Queens he has had a commitment to art that has flourished. With his standing over six decades as one of the premier entertainers in the world, he finds time to paint every day, sketching the view from the windows of his hotel suite or out in the countrysides to which he travels. The United Nations has commissioned his artwork on two occasions including their 50th Anniversary "Peace" and "Brotherhood" (purchased by Oprah Winfrey for her personal collection). Three Bennett originals are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution, including his portrait of Duke Ellington, which was recently accepted into the National Portrait Gallery. Bennett's painting honoring good friend David Hockney, "Homage to Hockney," is on permanent display at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio and his original oil painting, "Boy on Sailboat, Sydney Bay," is part of the permanent collection at the prestigious National Arts Club in Gramercy Park in Manhattan.

Tony Bennett began formal training as an art student at the School of Industrial Arts (now known as the School of Art and Design) in Manhattan and continued his studies with private studios and teachers throughout the years. A self-proclaimed "museum freak," he visits museums and galleries all over the world, especially during his extensive concert tours. As an artist of both worldly and familiar subjects, Tony Bennett has experimented with a wide range of subjects, has studied the intricacies of various styles, and has learned from the great masters. His body of work reflects an awareness of the history of art and the artist's continuing passion for enjoying and creating that which is universally recognized as beautiful. Common to all his work, be it the oils, watercolors or sketches, is his desire to communicate.

Bennett was commissioned to be the official artist of the 2001 Kentucky Derby and created two original watercolors for this historic racing event.


© 2018. All images are copyrighted ©Benedetto Arts LLC. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission from the artist is obtained.



Mr Tony Bennett

Self Portrait

 Untitled (Still Life)

 South of France

Australian flowers

Greek Port with Remarque

Central Park Landscape: #8, New York

L.A. Downtown

San Francisco Cable Car

Amalfi Coast

Kentucky Oaks Poster

Louis Armstrong

Mar-a-Lago

Mickey Rooney

Miles and Coltrane

Monet's Garden

Nat'l Park, Vienna, Va

Nuns at Sistine Chapel

N.Y. at night

Opera House, Sydney

Orchids



Palm Springs

Rio

Robert De Niro

Roma

Spoonbills

South of France

Still Life

Still Life

Sydney, Australia

The Plaza

Tuscany

Untitled

Venice

Boboli Gardens, Florence

Brotherhood

Capri

Cary Grant

Central Park, New York

Central Park, New York

Central Park, New York

Chianti, Italy

Christo's Gate Central Park



Duke Ellington

Ella Fitzgerald

Endless

George Burns

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

In Paris for the holidays

Italy

James Wistler

Charlie Parker

No comments:

Post a Comment