Making Magic with Murray an Interview with the Illustrious Illustrator, Murray Tinkelman

designer The Official Publication of the University & College Designers Association / Vol. 32, No. 2 Making Magic with Murray An Interview with the Illustrious Illustrator, Murray Tinkelman 1 INSPIRATION Recently at New Jersey City University (NJCU) we were afforded the rare privilege of hosting a remarkable illustration show called The Artist and the Baseball Card curated by Illustration legend Murray Tinkelman. NJCU illustration faculty member, and illustrator of the baseball card Catfish Hunter, Dennis Dittrich introduced his long time friend, professor, and mentor by saying: “When someone reaches a point—and very few people do—but when someone reaches a point in their field where they are absolutely peerless—where whatever that person does cannot be duplicated, imitated, or replicated—they can go by one name. Prince. MacGyver. Santa. in my everyday work. I am even comfortable in the Above: Murray role of teaching those very same principles. I have Tinkelman with NJCU And in illustration circles it’s Murray. Go to any my degree in studio art with an emphasis in graphic illustration faculty illustration department, in just about any art school design, and therefore was taught an overview of member Dennis or university in the country, and you say: “Did visual arts with a broad brush stroke, and although Dittrich and Ella Rue. you work with Murray?” Nobody says: “Murray I can draw, and I can paint, I honed my skills in the who?”. (Nobody says: “Santa who?”) It’s just that area of design. I am fully confident in my ability Below: Mac Baldrige, everybody knows who he is. That’s the impact he to recognize fine art and I can distinguish the Team Roper has had on the education of American illustrators. difference between the marvelous and mediocre. Into every life a little Murray Tinkelman should fall.” I am in utter awe of fine artists; of those who can brush their instruments of choice across their To that end, my hope is to mete out a little Murray. canvas with grace, ease, and agility and can visually To share a little bit of his wit, his wisdom, and his articulate something both magnificent and illustrious experiences, to dazzle you with his talents, meaningful. Murray is unparalleled. His some of his personal anecdotes, and his memories. I detail to perspective, his intent to work to was afforded the singular honor to be a part of the the very best of his ability, his eye for organization and planning of this show at NJCU, fine minutia is staggering. His work and to that end was granted an opportunity to is stunning, and his gifted mastery see, first hand, his studio, replete with his massive is only made more profound collection of Mets memorabilia, amazing artwork, by his commanding ability to and prized possessions, in addition to speaking to communicate. him, at length, about his professional history, his exceptional experiences, and his thoughts on the Murray is kind and generous education of the illustrators of tomorrow. But before and welcoming. He’s gracious I expound on his experiences I would like to share a and eager to share his little bit of my own. knowledge and experiences. He I am a designer. I am not an illustrator. I understand welcomes Photograph by Ella Rue Ella by Photograph the principles of design and I use those principles questions, aking Magic with Murray: An Interview with the Illustrious Illustrator, Murray Tinkelman by Ella Rue 18 19 and encourages a one-man exhibit of his baseball art at The National Rue: Where do you turn for inspiration? Tinkelman: Yes, I had several. I was lucky enough interaction, and doesn’t Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, to be represented by a great, great, great studio. leave one feeling like New York, in 1994 and The United States Sports Tinkelman: Actually the first part of my career It was an advertising art and illustration studio. the lesser person for Academy in Daphne, Alabama, in 1995. His work I turned to every artist and every illustrator who It had about 45 artists under one roof. Some of simply asking. He and is represented in the permanent collections of the was published. I had many favorite illustrators those artists were Coby Whitmore, Joe DeMers, his wife, Carol, made Brooklyn Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, the individually, in other words not all at the same time. Joe Bowler, Lorraine Fox. These are all people who me feel completely International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum, There was a time when I loved Milton Glaser, I still have been inducted subsequently into the Society of comfortable and and the New Britain Museum of American Art. do, but I was certainly heavily influenced by him at Illustrators Hall of Fame. These were and are great entirely welcome one time. There was a time when I was influenced illustrators! Incredible artists! And they adopted in their amazingly Murray also offers a variety of lectures: “The History by Lorraine Fox; she is a marvelous decorative me, when I entered the studio, when I was 20 adorned home. of American Illustration,” “Tinkelman: Fifty Years illustrator. I was the second best Lorraine Fox in years old, I found it very difficult to make a living in Ninety Minutes,” ”Art & Accident,” “The Artist New York City! She was certainly an inspiration. that first year. They were enormously supportive. Murray Tinkelman and the Baseball Card,” and “Future Stars” given There were many other illustrators that I would Their wives were helpful to my wife, and they has won gold medals at colleges, universities, and museums throughout salivate after, just wishing I could do what they did, were my mentors. I did have a great teacher, and from the Society of the country. His lectures offer a delicious first-hand and in some cases I took the trouble to learn to do his name was Ruben Tan. He was kind of a semi- Illustrators, the New account with anecdotal knowledge of the world of what they did and I did it. Now I turn inward for abstract painter. I had a scholarship at the Brooklyn York Art Directors illustration with his lighthearted wit and infectious inspiration. I kind of try to relive my prepubescent Museum, a painting scholarship. So I studied with Club, and the Society enthusiasm peppered throughout. Murray is a living male fantasies. My subject matter is drawn from him for a year. The most brilliant man that I have of Publication part of American illustration history. that: baseball, cowboys and Indians, motorcycles, ever met and although he is not an illustrator, he Designers. He’s been stuff about horror movies, stuff that kids like and introduced me to the fundamentals of art that are commissioned to Rue: Was illustration your first career path? identify with... that’s what I do know. I’m less archetypes: they apply to illustration, Below (left to right): create art by both the interested in “Art” than I am interested in subject painting, and photography—to all the The Babe; Casey National Parks Service Tinkelman: Actually it was my only career path. matter. I draw well enough now to make the visual arts. I guess Ruben was a great Stengel; and The Inner and the United States There was nothing in the world other than making subject matter that I’m interested in visible. Nobody teacher/mentor. City, The New York Air Force. In 1999 pictures that I could do, well that and to talk about questions what it is ... whether it is a face, a hand, Daily News Sunday Murray was named the making pictures. There were no other options. I or a tree. Rue: Should or even could art Magazine, 1976 Above: Murray in recipient of the Distinguished Educator of the Arts sold ice cream on the beach for Good Humor ice be used as an instrument for his studio Award from the Society of Illustrators in New York. cream for half a day and I worked in a doll factory Rue: What is the biggest obstacle for creativity? positive changes? He received the 1995 Sports Artist of the Year from for about a week. But that’s it. Other then that, Below: Book cover The United States Sports Academy, the 1970 Artist illustration is all I’ve ever done. Tinkelman: I talk to my classes about that. Tinkelman: Yes, I guess it could. illustrations, 1978-81 of the Year from the Graphic Arts Guild in New Everybody has heard about fear of failure. “I don’t For example, the artists during York City, and the 2001 Syracuse University Service Rue: What talents do you wish you possessed? want to try this... because what if I fail?” But the turn of last century who Citation, where he taught in the undergraduate there is nothing really more insidious than a fear did all of the glorious paintings program, as well as coordinating, teaching, and Tinkelman: When I started my career in illustration of success. You do something, you “succeed” at and illustrations of the ecology advising in the master’s program for 27 years. He I only had three problems: I couldn’t draw, I something, and by God you have to do it again and of Yellowstone Park, which is now the director of the new M.F.A. program at couldn’t paint, and I was color blind. I sold my first again and again, and maybe for the rest of your led to the National Parks the Hartford Art School, located in the University of illustration in 1951 to Seventeen magazine and it life or at least the rest of your creative life, and I Program.

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