| 
Video>>
June 21, 2007, Dana Point. Artist Cliff Wassmann's paintings of Antarctica, which go on display at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts July 1 have caught the eye of Lucasfilm's art licensing program. While displaying the paintings at the New York Art Expo, James Monosmith, director of Acme Archives, a publisher of collectible film-based art noticed the similarity between the frozen landscapes Wassmann had painted and the ice world Hoth, featured in "Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back"
Acme Archives, official licensee of Lucasfilm, had just started a new series of limited edition prints based on the films. Unlike conceptual art, this interpretive series presents views that were not seen in the films but fit within the Star Wars universe. Wassmann's icy visions are now being released as special collector's edition prints. The first in the series "The Approaching Storm" depicts the dreaded Imperial Walkers marching across a frozen ice plain. The original painting was unveiled at the 30th anniversary Star Wars Convention in May in Los Angeles. More works of the ice planet as well as other scenes will be released later in the year. "The Approaching Storm" is available as a limited edition giclee in two sizes. To purchase go to shop.starwars.com
Wassmann's original Antarctica paintings, a project he has been working on for two years will help kick off the Festival of Arts 75th anniversary. After painting the South Orange County coast almost exclusively for the past 20 years, Wassmann has now focused on a series of oils based upon his journey to Antarctica in 1998.
Wassmann hopes that this new series of paintings will raise awareness of the threat posed by these changes. Based on his photographs taken of the Antarctic Peninsula, the paintings depict not only the glaciers and icebergs but also the whales, penguins and other marine life that thrive in this unique ecosystem. One painting of Deception Island contains over 500 hundred penguins! The island is a major breeding ground for Chinstrap penguins, which climb up and down its steep slopes by the thousands in their quest for food to feed their chicks.
Trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the nation's oldest art school in Philadelphia, Wassmann has developed a highly realistic style using oil paints on masonite panels. The panels allow for beautiful blends and ease in applying the final details that make Wassmann’s work unique.
For more info:
Cliff Wassmann. 949.291.6718
James Monosmith, Acme Archives (www.acmearchivesdirect.com)
Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts (www.foapom.com)
|
