Today we’d like to introduce you to John Himmelfarb.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I decided I wanted to become an artist when I was a junior in college and began exhibiting my work in public in 1968. After college, I sublet some studio space in Pilsen on Halsted near 18th, then bought a building in 1971, on 19th and Peoria. I gradually developed a national following through exhibitions and travel, but mostly kept my studio in that area until 1991, when I bought an old department store building in Heart of Chicago. At first, most of my work was on paper, but gradually, painting became a bigger part of my work. I found a very good dealer to show my work in New York and had other galleries that showed my work in Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha and sometimes other places.
In 2007, I was invited to go to the Kohler cast iron foundry as part of their Art in Industry program and learned I could work in metal. At that point, I started making sculpture as well as flat work. I started using the abstract image of a truck in much of my work, and after making some smaller truck sculptures, got the idea to use real trucks that drive with salvaged metal welded together to make the sculptures. I was inspired by the shapes and colors of the scrapper trucks that came by my studio every day.
Today, my clients are a mix of individual collectors, corporations, and museums. I don’t have any walk-in retail sales. Everything is done by appointment or online.
Has it been a smooth road?
Looking back, it looks like a steady progression, but in reality, it was often very difficult to keep the business going and also to keep making better work. The ups and downs of the economy hit artists very hard, as art is the first thing people stop buying when they are concerned about the financial situation, and it’s the last thing they resume buying after the economy recovers. My strategy has always been to keep a very low overhead, but even so, I’ve made some mistakes, like buying new equipment or hiring more help just before a downturn.
Juggling the studio along with marriage and raising kids has always been exciting, even if a challenge at times. When I began, I had no idea how much travel would be involved in this kind of work. I’ve even exhibited and worked abroad once in a while. I had a show in a museum in Korea in the 1990’s, and last year I was invited to do some work in Venice, Italy.
Today, my work is in museum and private collections throughout the country and I’ve benefited from the long recovery we are in now.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with John Himmelfarb – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I make things I want to make and then hope to find someone who wants to buy them. This is the opposite of the usual business model of finding what people want and then making it.
Sometimes, I’m asked to make something for a specific site. I made two 15′ by 20′ paintings for the airport in Boston, for instance, and also made a ceramic tile mural for the Pink Line stop at Kedzie. These kinds of projects are high pressure but rewarding.
I can’t say that I’m proud of my company, it’s just what I do and I’ve had help from so many people who have taught me about printmaking, welding, and many other techniques. But I’m pleased that my work is well accepted and that I am able to continue to learn how to use new methods, including computers, to make my work.
I have a very personal style, so generally, I think that the individuality of my work is what sets me apart from other artists.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The opportunities here are endless, both in terms of resources and inspiration, and a big audience for art. Its central location has made it easy to develop clients from around the country.
I’m most upset about the gun violence in Chicago.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2400 S Oakley Ave
- Website: johnhimmelfarb.com
- Phone: 773-612-3606
- Email: johnhimmelfarb@gmail.com
- Instagram: @johnhimmelfarb
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Himmelfarbart/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
