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Nick Fiumefreddo

Ryan Gallagher

English CP 12 Period 2

19th March 2010

Thoughts in a Paintbrush

Very little is known about Wolfgang Kals’ background and where he came from. He was

born in Munich Germany. He has been painting for over 50 years so we can assume he is

60 years old or older (Kals Interview 1). He moved to England when he was a boy

because of his mother’s desire to be closer to home who was also British. (Kals

Interview) When he was growing up in England, he admits that his passion for painting

didn’t surface right away, however, Wolfgang turned out to be the best in his art class at

school. (Kals Interview) Wolfgang never kept records of his early painting nor does he

have any recollection at all as to what they were or looked like. After he graduated school

and realized that his role in life was to paint, he decided to go to art school. He attended

and graduated both Norwich Art School and Sheffield art College and was exclusive to

Oil Paintings and sculptures (Picasso Mio 1). During this time, Wolfgang admits to

having many inspirations, but out of the many, the ones that he states are most important

to him are Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. (Kals Interview) Warhol admits to seeing

Picasso in person during the time he was in art school. Picasso was with his wife

Jacqueline and he was admiring a painting in the square and he was told to flea by a

security guard who evidently, had no clue who he was as did anyone else, Kals states he
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was the only one who knew. He was way to frightened and intimidated by Picasso’s

presence to approach Picasso and introduce himself. (Kals Interview). Wolfgang Kals

specializes in painting celebrities and important public figures. He is also now married

and lives in Ontario with his wife and 5 sons.

Every great artist possesses the uncanny ability to reproduce what he or she sees

and/or feels in every portrait or picture, this is no exception for Wolfgang. Wolfgang is a

genius when it comes to painting. He knows what color to splash on and there is always

method behind his madness. He is a very talented artist because of the footprint he leaves

on the paintings; you know that the painting is his just by looking at it, Just like a great

band has its own signature sound that your ear identifies when their song comes across

the radio. The various paintings Wolfgang produces of various celebrities is what makes

him such a genius in the art world. One can stand back and look at them and just gaze in

amazement. Plus most people who aren’t big art critics or know nothing about art can

appreciate them because they can look at the portraits and identify who the person or

subject is. By doing this the can have a deeper appreciation for the painting and that

brings Wolfgang’s name out. It is what has drew many to him and after looking at some

of his paintings, there is one that is guaranteed to touch someone and they will soon feel

the same way

It is only right to mention where the inspiration of such a bright artist came from.

Andy Warhol was born on August 6th, 1928 (Warhol ix) in Pittsburg Pennsylvania. Andy

Warhol Specialized in silk-screens and pop art. Like Kals Warhol also specialized in

painting celebrities, one of his most famous paintings is that of Marylyn Monroe. He is

also is famous for his design used for a limited time on the Campbell’s soup cans. The
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reason why Warhol has such a significant place in this paper is for one, he is one of Kals

most influential idols, and Warhol also painted a portrait of Michael Jackson.

Created in 1984 for time magazine, this is a very famous portrait of Michael

Jackson that sold for around $800,000 recently (NY Daily News par. 1). In that portrait,

Michael is sporting his red thriller jacket and the shade of red from the jacket outlines

Michaels face and hair in most places with a green background. Also from the direction

the light is pointing, his features are outlined in yellow, while the dark side of his face is

shaded with blue. What is immediately noticeable about the selection of colors is that

they are primary colors. These colors contrast well with the green background in a way

that could possibly states that since the background is not a primary color, Michael is the

only one that stands out due to the fact he is painted using “primary colors” Both portraits

portray Michael right around that era which is pretty cool in the sense that Wolfgang is

thinking like his idol Andy Warhol.

There are many Michael Jackson fans around the globe and most would and

should agree that portrait of Michael Jackson by Wolfgang Kals is absolutely

breathtaking The first thing which I took notice of was Michaels appearance. He looks

like he did back in the 80s right around the time thriller came out which was the time

when he was in his prime. Also, comparing portrait to the original picture from where the

painting is duplicated, as something is noticeably different about the two, even though

they are obviously going to be a bit different. In the original picture, Michael doesn’t

look happy but he doesn’t look sad so he has kind of a blank look on his face and in the

portrait that Kals produced, he has a sort of troubled look on his face which could

possibly reflect Kals emotions at that time. Or possibly could reflect Michaels own
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feelings due to the fact that no one has left him alone for the last decade of his life. Also,

Kals decided to use color runs for this painting particularly around Michaels face. Special

notice is taken under his eyes where pinkish purple paint is running down to his face to

his mouth. This could represent Michaels’ tears running down his face and washing off

his make up which he probably used back then to even his completion of his skin due to

vitaligo which was starting to take effect to his appearance. Kals could possibly be trying

to convey the thought that even though that Michael Jackson was larger than life and a

super star, he was still human and he wasn’t perfect. If you also take notice, this effect

doesn’t just happen in just one specific part of the portrait, its happening all around his

face in all different colors which can be interpreted by the viewer to reinforce that

message.

Also, maybe all the colors can be used to represent Michael as a person due to the

fact that Michael Jackson was in NO WAY a simple person. He wasn’t the type of person

where someone looked at him and classified him, as this or that, he was a very complex

individual. This was probably why a lot of people viewed him differently than others. A

lot of people thought that he was a criminal and a lot of people thought the exact

opposite, that he was still the star in the spot light like he used to back in the 80s.

Kals could of possibly thought in this sense due to that in the background of the paining,

which isn’t very large, he uses a sort of splatter technique which isn’t every noticeable to

the left but can be noticed to the right. It looks as if he didn’t take that much care into

putting detail in the background, al though the color in the background does compliment

some of the streaks running down Michaels forehead. In a sense, it should be felt that it

was sort of an off set goal to try to make Michael seem a bit abstract and try in a sense to
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blend him in to the background. A lot of major celebrities don’t really want or applaud all

of the special treatment they sometimes receive and just want to blend in to society.

Perhaps that’s how Wolfgang felt about Michael and quite possibly that’s how Michael

felt about himself. Perhaps he just viewed him as an ordinary person just trying to live his

life.

As eyes wander around the portrait, special note take note of the way Kals shaded

Michaels’ nose. Those colors are complimented around the page, notably the blue which

gives definition to his cheek bone which travels all of the way from the corner of his lip

up his cheek and travels to his ear which blue defines his whole ear, and the yellow,

which is on both sides of his face, more noticeably under the layers of brown streaks on

the left side and under his nose which go down to his mouth and run off slightly into his

lips. Now even though it looks good, it seems his shading is more intense around his nose

than in any other part of the portrait other than above his eyes. He also lightly swirls the

colors around the bridge of his nose. Michaels nose was subject to controversy back than

and still is today. The majority believed that it was evolved into what it was due to plastic

surgery, and the others believed that it just happened. Michael defended that he didn’t

inflict the change to his nose by plastic surgery. Even if it was, who should care? Even if

he did change that aspect of his appearance Michael is still the same person on the inside

no matter what he may of looked like on the outside. Maybe he felt the same way. This

should apply to everyone but, to each his own.

Not too far from the nose of course are his eyes. He made an extra effort to

heavily emphasize his eyes. Kals put thick black shading around his lids. He didn’t just

do this to make it look good. There must be a reason for why he did it. Anyways, the
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shade of blue he uses really blends with the black and the strokes in some places really

defines his features and makes me think that the portrait could pop off the paper at any

moment. They appear to be full of life, which really compliments Michael in that sense.

He loved life, he loved loving life, and he loved everything there was to love about, life.

He lived everyday to the fullest, and when he was on stage, he gave the audience what

they came to see, a show. Wolfgang sure put on a show in this portrait and does Michael

Jackson justice.

Michael Jackson was the King of pop and there will never be another performer

like him. He was nearly unparalleled as a performer in his prime, actually, he was pretty

much unparalleled through out his career. Now, being a painter of celebrities and having

painted stars like Michael Jackson, Marylyn Monroe, and Picasso, how appropriate and

fitting that Wolfgang Kals paint the late Elvis Presley. It’s freaky how Elvis Presley and

Michael Jackson parallel each other. Back in the day, Elvis couldn’t be compared to any

other musician; he was on his own level. He revolutionized the art of performing live and

the way of making rock music. Elvis didn’t create rock and roll, but he was so

electrifying and good at what he loved doing he was dubbed the king (Elvis Presley 6).

Kals must have felt that Elvis was significant enough to paint and he sure made a

statement in this dazzling portrait of the king.

When eyes on this portrait, the first color, one of the first things the viewer should

take immediate take note of is the baby blue that encases Elvis’s suit and also is some

how encompassed through out all the colors in the painting which sets the tone. Their is a

little bit of blue in the sky in the background, on the roof of what looks like a motel in the

background, on the borders of the windows which are blue, the tone of Elvis’s skin.
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When an Elvis fan lays their eyes upon this, they should immediately think of one of

Elvis’s most famous songs, blue suede shoes. Elvis did not create this song, but it has

quickly become one of the most famous covers of all time. The song states that you can

do anything you want to do but you can you cannot step on his blue suede shoes. It’s only

natural to believe Elvis was veiled in blue in this portrait is because like his “blue suede

shoes”, Kals wanted the viewer to look at Elvis as if he was also untouchable. Perhaps

Wolfgang is giving us a look into his soul as to how he feels about Elvis. The majority

can agree with that statement. In fact the only performer that has been able to achieve and

maintain that status that Elvis held for so long was Michael Jackson… What an odd

coincidence!

Elvis’s head really stands out because around his head are these gold color

looking lightning bolts around his head. This could possibly be a reference to the king’s

motto, TCB “taking care of business” (Elvis Presley 232). The logo/emblem is quite

simple but effective. It consists of the three letters representing the 3 words, T, C, and B.

In the middle is a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt is something special that can be

related with the portrait because if you take note of the lightning bolt, it isn’t a solid

lightning bolt. It consists of 4 vertical lines that parallel each other to create the lightning

bolt effect. Encompassing the logo is a blue horizon like background, which can go back

to the reference of the blue suede shoes in the sense that Elvis, or his logo is untouchable.

One way a person could view this is that because that Elvis died too soon, Kals

envisioned that the untouchable lightning bolt was finally able to break and it was fit by

Kals to scatter the broken pieces around the face of the king. I believe that because the

lightning bolt was finally broken, someone else was then able to claim the throne that
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Elvis held for so long. There always has to be a king to the throne, and Elvis and Michael

were kings who indeed did “Take care of business”.

In the background of the painting, it appears to be a big motel. Off to right hand

side of the portrait, railings are visible, as well as stairs, and bushes. The building is a sort

of brownish red color with a grey foundation. The sign is also grey and in white lettering

in cursive, one can clearly see that Elvis is headlining the motel; it appears to start off

“el”. Elvis also appears to be standing near a bus waiving to someone or something.

Something that is also noticeable that behind an array of colors on the bottom right of the

portrait, Elvis is holding a brown suitcase and appears to be waving. This can be

interpreted in many ways, but there are two things that pop into mind, a positive

interpretation and a grim interpretation. On one hand a person could possibly think that

that Elvis is getting off the bus after coming in from doing a gig at the last town and is

being applauded by a good amount of people starving for his presence to grace the stage.

On the negative side, a person could possibly think that since Elvis died young, and this

picture is that of when he was in his prime, maybe the bus could represent his way to

heaven and he is waiving good by to all his fans. If this is the case and Elvis is going up

to heaven, then the place he belongs to most to in the great cloud in the sky would be on

the stage of the “great gig” along with all the other greats

It seems that Kals paints pictures of celebrities for a reason. For one he is

excellent at what he does and also, to etch his thoughts and feelings about and feelings

about those who are in the limelight. Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson are the two
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greatest entertainers, musicians, and public figures of all time. Nobody will be able to

duplicate their greatness. For people who have their roots deep within the gardens of

music, they can admire these paintings in a completely different way compared to a

person who just knows who these people are. They feel connected with EVERY aspect of

the painting and every little detail tells a story. In the world of art, Wolfgang Kals is that

Elvis, he is the moonwalker of oil paintings. Exactly like the way Elvis expressed himself

through his roaring voice and electrifying guitar, exactly like the way that Michael

Jackson stunned the masses when Thriller was release and changed the music scene

forever, Wolfgang Kals can covey a plethora of his ideas through each color and stroke

he lays on a blank canvas. That is true talent.

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Pictures Used

Works Cited
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Alagna, Magdalena. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers; Elvis Presley. The Rosen Publishing
Group 2002

This source gives an overview from birth to death of the King of rock and roll,
Elvis Presley. It discuses his influences and much more about him.

Interview with Wolfgang Kals. http//webfarm.foliolink/AssefID22742&AkeyHSACJ6V2

This website contains the most resourceful information about Wolfgang Kals and
is also the source of all the paintings contained in the paper. There is not that
much info about his upbringing and what inspires him so this easily makes this
source the most valuable out of all of them

Tuma, Debbie “Andy Warhol 1984 Portrait of Michael Jackson up for auction”. New
York Daily News 3, Jul. 2009

This source contains both the Portrait from Warhol himself and also some info
about it. I compared this portrait to that done by Wolfgang Kals.

Warhol, Andy. The philosophy of Andy Warhol: from A to B and back again. Harcourt
Books, 1975.

This book contains a lot of information about Andy Warhol and how he thinks.
From everything to fame, money success, work, and a lot more

“Wolfgang Kals Biography”. Picasso Mio http://www.picassomio.com/wolfgang-

kals.html

This site doesn’t contain much info about the artist however it does contain some
info on the artist which no other source has which makes the source valuable.
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Works Consulted

"Art Criticism." Encyclopedia Britannica

This gives some valuable info on art criticism. It explains what critics look for
when they try to classify and critique art

Cedar Lodge Portrait Studios "PORTRAIT HISTORY"

http://cedarlodgeportraitstudio.com/PHOTOGAPHY.aspx
Gives a brief summary about portraiture and techniques used in portraiture

Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University "Questions In Art Criticism" 2001
http://mati.eas.asu.edu/ChicanArte/html_pages/ArtCriticismQues.html
Also gives some insight as to how people Critique art and what they look or in
paintings, pictures and portraits.

"In Full Michael Joseph Jackson." Encyclopedia Britannica

This source gives a brief summary about the life about Michael Jackson which
could be helpful in discussing his portrait by Kals.

"Pablo Picasso" The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

An entry in the encyclopedia which explains the life of Pablo Picasso. This
important because he was one of Wolfgang’s greatest inspirations

Kinsella, Eileen "Warhol Inc." Art News Nov. 2009

http://www.artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2784
Briefly discusses the life of Andy Warhol who was also one of Wolfgang Kals
greatest inspirations

Various Artists Star Portraits "Various Michael Jackson Portraits." http://www.stars-

portraits.com/en/star/michael-jackson.html

Various Pictures and portraits of Michael Jackson in which I can compare Kal’s
portrait to and try to understand why Kals painted Jackson the way he did

"Wolfgang Kals" ArtistSites http://www.artistsites.org/wolfgangkals/

This Source gives a brief summary of the artist, what he enjoys about painting and
why he does it.