Todd White Named Official Grammy Artist
December 7, 2006
Highly-regarded artist Todd White was selected to create the official artwork for the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards, and his captivating work was unveiled today at the press conference announcing the nominations for the upcoming ceremony. The vibrant oil-on-canvas painting depicts a lively, colorful scene that celebrates music and the wide recognition of the GRAMMY Awards. The piece will be used as the official image for the world's premier music event, as well as grace the cover of the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards program book and promotional poster."From its ability to connect people and transform individuals through its attitude, color and mood, music is powerful and ever-evolving. The Recording Academy is proud to have a unique artist of Todd White's caliber and passion involved in capturing this canvas of emotions in our 49th GRAMMY Awards artwork," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow. "Todd's paintings are infectious, and his official GRAMMY piece truly captures the unique spirit and allure of Music's Biggest Night."White's oil-on-canvas paintings have been described as "art with a twist." Whether capturing timeless scenes with contrasting colors or stolen moments in dominant colors of red, khaki, black and white, each tells a story of passion between lovers, friends, patrons and co-workers. Scenes depict intimate evenings filled with wine, martinis, coffee, cigarettes, cigars, cameras, and most importantly, the human spirit. Physiques are exaggerated and texturized to illustrate the subject's story, whether it is masked masculinity, flowered femininity, humor or elusive mystery. Details and backgrounds are manipulated to captivate the viewer's eye and transplant him into the scene. Each painting is asymmetrical in nature yet confident and strong.
White's rat-pack-meets-Picasso style results, in part, from his desire to reveal his characters' innermost thoughts and emotions. In addition to more obvious influences, such as Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele, White credits Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Bridget Bardot, Nat King Cole and the style and feel of "the age of cool." His original oil-on-canvas paintings and limited edition prints have enjoyed considerable success in art galleries in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
Reminiscent of the German Expressionists, White seems to have captured an international trend in attitude, color, and mood. NBC's "Extra!" recently named him the "hot new artist" most sought after by high-profile celebrities. Collectors of his work include Vin Diesel, Michael Douglas and Hugh Hefner, among others.
"I wanted to celebrate the fact that all these people are together for a special occasion," says White of his GRAMMY piece, "and they're thinking, 'This isn't a competition.' But they’re also clearly thinking, 'I want that GRAMMY.'"The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Feb. 11, 2007, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
