Marvin Israel
Encyclopedia
Marvin Israel was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Bessie and Harry Israel. He was an American artist, photographer, painter, teacher and art director from New York
known for modern/surreal interiors, abstract imagery. Created sinister shadowy and exuberant interiors with implications of violence. The violence was often sexual in nature. In 1950 he was a graduate student at Syracuse University
. He met and married Margaret Ponce; spent two years in Paris
studying and painting. In 1952 he had his first one-man show at Galerie Arnaud, Paris, France. In 1953 was the start of his photographic period; studied design with Alexey Brodovitch
. In 1955 he got his Masters of Fine Arts in graphic design from Yale
; became art director for Seventeen Magazine. In 1956 he photographed Elvis. In 1960,he left photography as his main media to concentrate on drawing in charcoal, pastel and ink; becomes fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar
. In 1961 he became art director for Atlantic Records
. In 1963 taught painting and design in New York City at Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union
and at the Rhode Island School of Design
In 1966 he had his first one-man show at Cordier and Elkstron Gallery in NYC. In 1967 he became art director for Mademoiselle Magazine. In 1970 he designed Richard Avedon
's photo exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In 1978 he had a retrospective exhibition in the Brusberg Gallery in Hanover, West Germany. In May of 1984 while in Dallas, Texas working on Richard Avedon
's exhibition, "In the American West" he had a heart attack and died.
He was married to Cuban-born New York artist Margaret Ponce Israel
. He maintained a two-story cupola studio/living space on top of a New York City skyscraper. He was widely known among American artists and photographers and was friendly with such notable photographers and artists as Diane Arbus
, Lisette Model
, Mary Frank
, Robert Frank
, Lee Friedlander
, Peter Beard, Saul Leiter
, Garry Winogrand
and Richard Avedon
. In 1972 he appeared as himself in the documentary film, "Going Where I've Never Been: The Photography of Diane Arbus"
In 1986 a retrospective of Marvin's art was held at Parson's School of Design. In 1991 a retrospective was held at Twining Gallery in NYC.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
known for modern/surreal interiors, abstract imagery. Created sinister shadowy and exuberant interiors with implications of violence. The violence was often sexual in nature. In 1950 he was a graduate student at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. He met and married Margaret Ponce; spent two years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
studying and painting. In 1952 he had his first one-man show at Galerie Arnaud, Paris, France. In 1953 was the start of his photographic period; studied design with Alexey Brodovitch
Alexey Brodovitch
Alexey Brodovitch was a Russian-born photographer, designer and instructor who is most famous for his art direction of fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar from 1938 to 1958.- Early life in Russia :...
. In 1955 he got his Masters of Fine Arts in graphic design from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
; became art director for Seventeen Magazine. In 1956 he photographed Elvis. In 1960,he left photography as his main media to concentrate on drawing in charcoal, pastel and ink; becomes fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
. In 1961 he became art director for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. In 1963 taught painting and design in New York City at Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
and at the Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
In 1966 he had his first one-man show at Cordier and Elkstron Gallery in NYC. In 1967 he became art director for Mademoiselle Magazine. In 1970 he designed Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
's photo exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In 1978 he had a retrospective exhibition in the Brusberg Gallery in Hanover, West Germany. In May of 1984 while in Dallas, Texas working on Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
's exhibition, "In the American West" he had a heart attack and died.
He was married to Cuban-born New York artist Margaret Ponce Israel
Margaret Ponce Israel
Margaret Ponce Israel was a painter and ceramist who lived and worked in New York City. She was married to New York artist Marvin Israel. She was born in 1929 in Havana, Cuba and died in 1987 in Manhattan. She was hit by a tractor-trailer while riding her bike on West 23rd Street...
. He maintained a two-story cupola studio/living space on top of a New York City skyscraper. He was widely known among American artists and photographers and was friendly with such notable photographers and artists as Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971) was an American photographer and writer noted for black-and-white square photographs of "deviant and marginal people or of people whose normality seems ugly or surreal." A friend said that Arbus said that she was "afraid.....
, Lisette Model
Lisette Model
Lisette Model was an Austrian-born American photographer.Lisette Model was born Elise Felic Amelie Stern in Vienna, Austria...
, Mary Frank
Mary Frank
Mary Frank née Mary Lockspeiser is a visual artist known primarily as a sculptor, painter and printmaker/illustrator.- Biography :...
, Robert Frank
Robert Frank
Robert Frank , born in Zürich, Switzerland, is an important figure in American photography and film. His most notable work, the 1958 photobook titled The Americans, was influential, and earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his fresh and skeptical outsider's view of American...
, Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander is an American photographer and artist. In the 1960s and 70s, working primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film, Friedlander evolved an influential and often imitated visual language of urban "social landscape," with many of the photographs including fragments of...
, Peter Beard, Saul Leiter
Saul Leiter
Saul Leiter is an American photographer and painter whose early work in the 1940s and 1950s was an important contribution to what came to be recognized as The New York School.-Biography:...
, Garry Winogrand
Garry Winogrand
Garry Winogrand was a street photographer known for his portrayal of America in the mid-20th century. John Szarkowski called him the central photographer of his generation....
and Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
. In 1972 he appeared as himself in the documentary film, "Going Where I've Never Been: The Photography of Diane Arbus"
In 1986 a retrospective of Marvin's art was held at Parson's School of Design. In 1991 a retrospective was held at Twining Gallery in NYC.