On a recent morning, WAG had the pleasure of touring the Louis K. Meisel Gallery on Prince Street in SoHo.
I had contacted Meisel, one of the New York art world’s most noted dealers, to request an interview for our next issue. February’s topic is Voluptuaries, or “Keeping the Body Beautiful,” and we wanted to take a look at the history and enduring appeal of the pinup.
So who better to speak to than Meisel, a collector, author and all-around expert on the subject?
After all, this is the man who has written, with his late business partner Charles G. Martignette, the definitive book on the subject, “The Great American Pin-Up.”
Many might know Meisel more for coining the phrase Photorealism – a style he continues to explore, support and promote – and his longtime representation of such artists as Richard Estes, Charles Bell and Chuck Close, to name just a few.
Our story will focus on pinups, and Meisel gave us a wonderful glimpse through the history and sharing stories about artists from Alberto Vargas to Gil Elvgren, from Mel Ramos to Greg Hildebrandt.
Quite a few of those artists and their pinup work are featured in the current Meisel exhibition, “Lots’A Naked Ladies… And One Guy,” which Meisel told us he had just extended at least a month past its scheduled Dec. 20 ending. It’s an intriguing look into how the body has been interpreted by artists over the years, to be sure.
The Louis K. Meisel Gallery is at 141 Prince St. Visit meiselgallery.com or call (212) 677-1340 for more details.
