Malcolm T. Liepke
Works:
Pensive
Last Dance
Alone Together
Reading in Bed
Before the Bath
In Her Arms
Bio:
Upon seeing his work, critics and collectors alike are comparing Malcolm Liepke’s imagery with that of Degas, Sargent, Whistler, and other classic artists. Yet, with these comparisons made on a frequent basis, Liepke is the first to interject that those artists are his heroes, not his peers.
These are powerful and impressive comments for the work of an artist in his thirties. However, Liepke is only just blossoming as he considers his work, “an endless process of growing, of defining my vision, refining my craft, and producing work I hope will be timeless.”
And timeless they are. With a humanity and vision thought to have been lost in today’s sometimes indecipherable art world, Liepke’s images are to the canvas what Walt Whitman’s words are to the page; a celebration of the common man. Not those in the spotlight, but the unspoken supporting cast. The seamstresses and tailors, fighters and laborers, all play important roles in Liepke’s paintings and original lithographs.
Raised in Minneapolis, Liepke decided to attend the Art Center College in Los Angeles. His artistic aspirations, however, encountered ‘roadblocks’. He hungered for ‘classical’ training rather than the ‘conceptual’ ideas being taught. He then decided to move to New York. This decision would be the impetus for his meteoric career rise.
“When I moved to New York, I started going to museums and learning from all the great artists…Velazquez, Whistler, Chase, Vuillard, Sorolla and others. I learned color and composition and technique. I realized that their work was my kind of work. They were my heroes, so I became their student.”
In a new artistic endeavor, that of original lithography, Liepke has once again mastered a most difficult medium. Choosing to work on the same Voirin lithographic presses as Toulouse Lautrec did centuries before, Liepke has hand-drawn each of the plates necessary to complete these important images. The works reveal Liepke’s sensitivity and elegance that are enhanced by the grace of the lithographic medium.
Since 1979, Liepke has become a well-respected name in both the fine art and illustrative fields. His paintings have been exhibited with such prestigious organizations as The National Academy of Design, The American Watercolor Society, The Pastel Society of America, Allied Artists, The National Arts Club and The Hudson Valley Arts Association.
His art has also appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated. Awards from the prestigious Society of Illustrators include:
3 Gold Medals
1 Silver Medal
1 Norman Rockwell Award
2 Past Chairman Awards
Malcolm Liepke’s classic imagery will prove him to be a most important and highly collected artist in the coming years. In Liepke’s own words: “My art isn’t clever or symbolic. I hope it’s human and emotional. And well done.”