Henry Strater: American Artist

AbstractRocks Nudes and Flowers: A Portrait of Henry Strater, American Artist (1896- ). 'A portrait of life and works of prolific realist painter who has found in Maine the subjects he likes best,' (Maine State Library description.) Father was a Louisville manufacturer of tobacco. 1931 Strater had his first one-man show in New York, sold seven paintings, a large number for depression times. Studied at Pennsylvania Academy and Royal Academy, Madrid. Was an art student in Paris 1922-1925, painted three portraits of Ernest Hemingway. Painted 'Vertical Strata' an oil of rocks (1967). Explains difficulties of painting on rocky shoreline with changing light and tide. Moved to New York, had studio 55 West 8th street. Painted nudes. Ruth Breton, violinist, he painted her while she played. Painted Wells Bay, Maine. 1933-1938 went west, drove 2,000 miles in Arizona, settled in the Verde Valley. Florida studio, 1966. Brighter colors, larger brushes. Had three wives, none of whom liked him to paint female nudes. Now he 'has been making up for lost time,' he says.

Viewing NotesTitle card: ‘ROCKS NUDES AND FLOWERS’. Title: ‘a portrait of Henry Strater American Artist (1896- )’ Henry Strater, sitting on a rock wall by the water, talking about his youth and family. Shots of paintings and photographs of Strater and his parents. Photo of Strater in uniform. Panning shots of paintings as Strater talks about his early works. Strater talks about his first art show. Strater narrating over images of his artwork and photographs. Strater talks about writers he knows, including Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound. Shot of the first page of: ‘A DRAFT OF XVI. CANTOS of EZRA POUND for the Beginning of a Poem of some Length now first made a Book with Initials by HENRY STRATER’. Pages of the book. Images of Strater’s artwork and photographs. Portrait of Hemingway. Shot of a book ‘ERNEST HEMINGWAY, IN OUR TIME’. Photos and portraits of Hemingway. Strater describing his painting ‘Verticle Strata.’ Shots of paintings fade to images of the real locations. Strater discusses the difficulty of painting marine scenes. Strater working on a painting of a model in a studio. Narration about living in New York over images of paintings and photographs. Description of the painting of the portrait of Ruth Breton. Violin music plays: ‘Music from a Ruth Breton Recording of Le Plus Que Lente by Debussy.’ Strater talking about painting in the 1960s after a heart attack. He discusses the themes of his work. Photographs and narration. Film, photographs and paintings of the western USA. (Arizona) Strater describing portraits of his first wife. A painting of Strater’s second wife. A painting of his third wife. Strater describing the late period of his artwork. Strater talking with his daughter. Strater discusses painting female nudes. A series of nude sketches. Strater painting. Credits: ‘Camera Everett Foster, Sound Val Thompsen. All music recordings donated by violinist Ruth Breton. Consultant: Arnold Eagle, Directed and Edited by: JANE MORRISON. Special Thanks To: Mary Carver, Betty Chamberlain, John Clancy, Mr. & Ms. Thayer Cummings, Ed Ellis, Lou Giansante, Dewitt Hardy, Dorothy Hume, Suzanne Jasper, Betsy Knight, Mr. & Mrs. Berglexler, Wuanita Lewis *, Megan Morates, Bill Strater, David Strater, Happy Strater, Matthew Strater, Minchell Strater, Nick Strater, Pompe Strater * , Sandra Whitehead, The Speed Art Museum. * Opening Speakers’. Title: ‘HENRY STRATER American Artist (1896 - )’ [End of Reel]

• Everett Foster

• Everett Foster