I was very excited to see that Marshall Arisman is on of the headliners for this summer's HOW Conference in Chicago.

I went to his site and discovered an entire series of sacred monkeys!

You never truly outgrow you heros, and Marshall is one of mine: living large, painting with gusto and intensity in the tradition of Goya, Beckmann and Bacon.

I had the privilege of watching him work at my alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis. He produced a quick series of monoprints and paintings in two days using only his fingers and the heel of his palm, working more like a sculptor than a painter.

From Arisman's bio:

The paintings and drawings of Marshall Arisman have been widely exhibited, both internationally and nationally. His work may be seen in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, at the National Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as in many private and corporate collections.

Mr. Arisman's original graphic essay, "Heaven Departed," in which paintings and drawings describe the emotional and spiritual impact of nuclear war on society, was published in book form by Vision Publishers (Tokyo, 1988).

Chairman of the M.F.A. degree program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Marshall Arisman was the first American invited to exhibit his artwork in mainland China. His series, "Sacred Monkeys," appeared at the Guang Dong Museum of Art in April 1999.

Mr. Arisman is the subject of a full-length documentary film directed by Tony Silver titled "Facing the Audience: The Arts of Marshall Arisman." The film will have its premier showing at the 2002 Santa Barbara Film Festival.