Robert Farrington

ARTIST STATEMENT AND BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in the far East, (Washington D.C.) Farrington studied at the Corcoran School of Art under Richard Lahey, himself a student of Robert Henri of the New York "Ash-Can " School of Art.

After meeting and shaking hands with Harry Truman at the National Gallery of Art, he " went west" and rented apartment in Hollywood across from the Hollywood Bowl and above the actor Richard Basehart, newly arrived from Broadway.

In Santa Monica, after checking the " stars" stars on Hollywood boulevard, he took an art course at the McHammer Arts Studio and discovered Venice on an art outing.

After a visit to Korea, FArrington returned to the states and was discharged at Kirtland AFB in Mexico.

Off to California again he met Laurence Lipton, (author of "the Holy Barbarians" ) and showed at his "Beatnik" Gallery, " the Gas-House" until it was torn down together with the old "St. Mark's" Hotel in 1962.

On remembering the earlier visit to Venice and looking for a house to rent for Farrington found Venice again and has been painting there ever since.

I have been paintings Venice, Calif., (Slum- by- the- sea) since the mid 50's and have watched it grow from a shabby oil spattered dingy seaside hovel to a dingy money grubbing hovel. Never the less, I've tried to record the "Passing Parade" of Venice as buildings and businesses have come and gone, and will do so until last colorful building falls into the sea.

Lipton said "if the country was tipped up toward the west everything loose would fall into Venice", and that's why I love to paint Venice with its many eccentricities.

I also enjoy painting by many friends and enemies as they come and go and have written a book about them with over 150 photos, entitled "Venice of the Universe," sold sometimes at the Small World Bookstore on Ocean Front Walk in Venice. (Free to painting buyers)

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