Velvet paintings: But is it art?

The high-end material that cheapens art. [Elvis]( performing in a red shirt. A [sensual Marilyn Monroe](, her lips slightly parted, her hair a bright yellow. A [dashing Michael Jackson](, shiny curls framing his chiseled face. These are all subjects of iconic Andy Warhol portraits. But they are, too, very common subjects of a form of visual pop culture that embodies the very opposite of iconic fine art: velvet paintings. Canvas, wood, paper, and cardboard have served as the basis of masterpieces as well as absolute monstrosities, but it seems the world of art can’t even contemplate that anything painted on velvet might be noteworthy. Velvet paintings are unforgivingly associated with bad taste. They are the ultimate kitsch, and in this era of hipster aesthetic, they lend themselves well to some ironic display. But does dark velvet truly hold the power of rendering the most masterful stroke into scoffworthy scribblings? 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Velvet paintings December 15, 2021 “What is that, velvet?!” --------------------------------------------------------------- [Elvis]( performing in a red shirt. A [sensual Marilyn Monroe](, her lips slightly parted, her hair a bright yellow. A [dashing Michael Jackson](, shiny curls framing his chiseled face. These are all subjects of iconic Andy Warhol portraits. But they are, too, very common subjects of a form of visual pop culture that embodies the very opposite of iconic fine art: velvet paintings. Canvas, wood, paper, and cardboard have served as the basis of masterpieces as well as absolute monstrosities, but it seems the world of art can’t even contemplate that anything painted on velvet might be noteworthy. Velvet paintings are unforgivingly associated with bad taste. They are the ultimate kitsch, and in this era of hipster aesthetic, they lend themselves well to some ironic display. But does dark velvet truly hold the power of rendering the most masterful stroke into scoffworthy scribblings? 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( By the digits [$20,000:]( Price commanded for an Edgar Leeteg velvet painting in the 1960s [1,700:]( Number of velvet artworks painted by Leeteg in 15 years of production 3 mm (0.1 in): Maximum height of a velvet pile [$60:]( Typical price of a velvet painting for sale in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1950s [$6,500:]( Asking price for a 1965 velvet painting of a female nude by the artist Wikolia, the most expensive velvet painting on eBay at time of writing [$300 to $700:]( What you’ll have to shell out to turn your photograph into a Velvis (Velvet Elvis) Etsy/Santos Romero Llamas At the service of good art --------------------------------------------------------------- As the authors of [Black Velvet Masterpieces]( note, something in the way all velvet paintings have been relegated outside the realm of art seems a little unfair. Painting on velvet can be a considerable skill, to the point that artists can be reluctant to share their techniques in too much detail. Leeteg, for instance, used a dry brush to paint each strand of a velvet pile, which gave his work added texture. This kind of dedication—or the experiments made by those who used day-glo paint for psychedelic velvet art, for instance—should set the work of masters apart from the cheap, mass-produced replicas and crude portraits of long defunct stars. Yet velvet paintings as a whole remain shunned by the established art world, which seems to refuse considering them even as folk art. The reason might lie precisely in their popularity. Velvet paintings have appeal to the masses because, well, a painting made on velvet is actually kinda neat—it makes you want to touch it, and marvel at its making. The appreciation of a velvet painting is earnest in a way that, like all other kitsch, provides a service to established art. As folklore scholar Eric A. Eliason notes [in Black Velvet Art](, velvet paintings function as “anti-art”: something art lovers can keep a distance from to signal their good taste, the negative that gives value to their positive. Quotable “It’s all about sharing them with people and having a laugh in this cruel, awful world we live in.” —Carl {NAME}, co-author of [Black Velvet Masterpieces]( and curator of the [​​Velveteria]( museum Etsy/Santos Romero Llamas Pop quiz What are velvet paintings traditionally made with? CrayonsGuacheAcrylicsOil paint Correct. Get you some velvet—you’re ready to roll! Incorrect. Maybe leave it to the masters. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. 1st Dibs/Roger Fowler Brief history [Circa 1300:]( Marco Polo introduces velvet paintings—which he had seen in Asia, likely depicting Hindu deities—to the west. [14th century:]( Velvet paintings, typically of religious subjects, become common in Europe. Orthodox priests in the Russian Caucasus are especially skilled in painting them. [1500s:]( Via Spanish colonialism, velvet paintings reach the Philippines and Mexico, where they establish a tradition that continues today. [1930s:]( Edgar Leeteg, the father of modern velvet painting, moves to Hawaii; he finds a cheap stock of velveteen and uses it instead of canvas as a support for his paintings. [1940s:]( During World War II, American soldiers discover Leeteg’s work (as well as that of many imitators) in Hawaii. They carry velvet paintings with them around the Pacific, where they become a local form of folk art. [1953:]( Leeteg dies, having achieved considerable commercial fortune, although no recognition from the art world. [1964:]( Honolulu gallerist Lou Kreitzman displays the work of eight velvet paintings to represent Hawaiian art at the New York World Fair. [1990s:]( After falling out of popularity for a spell, the production of velvet paintings once again takes off thanks to new Indian and Chinese velvet painting factories. Fun Fact! Corduroy is a type of—and is [even called](—ribbed velvet. dailymotion Watch this! Anthony Bourdain tours the black velvet painting museum --------------------------------------------------------------- The ​​Velveteria Epicenter of Art Fighting Cultural Deprivation is scheduled to open in March 2022 in New Mexico. This will be the third location for the world’s only museum exclusively dedicated to velvet painting, which has been open on and off since the early 2000s first in Portland, Oregon, and then in Los Angeles, California. In 2007, Velveteria was featured in [Anthony Bourdain’s travel show](, No Reservations. DIY Vintage velvet painting kits abound on sites like Etsy and Ebay. Many are paint-by-number (another often dismissed art form that gained cult status), and few require much in the way of previous knowledge. Grab one yourself, see how you do, and send us a picture of the result. Some recommendations: [$54.95:]( A noble-looking Irish setter among some flowers [$16.28:]( Two swans and some lily pads [$48.50:]( A smug clown in a checked tie Etsy/Jorge Terrones Poll Can velvet paintings be art? [Click here to vote]( Painting! On velvet! What’s not art about it?🙈 😬Maybe, but I am not going to show you my collection just yet 💬 let's talk! In last week’s poll about [office chairs](, a resounding 82% of you looked for back support when choosing a place to sit while you work. ✉️ Robert wrote, “Not sure how you came up with the ‘translation’ (or transliteration) of chair glue for Sitzfleisch but l think it’s a bit off. Chair is not too much of a stretch as Sitz or sitzen is seat or to sit. For example, Sitzplatz is literally a seating place. However, Fleisch is meat or flesh. Germans often use it in a phrase like ‘I don’t have the Sitzfleisch for long meetings.’ In this case maybe butt padding is a better literal translation although the image is more about having patience or perseverance. Especially when the meeting could have been an email.” ✏️ [What did you think of today’s email?](mailto:obsession%2Bfeedback@qz.com?cc=&subject=Thoughts%20about%20velvet%20paintings.%20&body=) 💡 [What should we obsess over next?](mailto:obsession%2Bideas@qz.com?cc=&subject=Obsess%20over%20this%20next.&body=) [🎲 Show me a random Obsession]( Today’s email was written by [Annalisa Merelli]( (obviously knew corduroy was velvet, duh), edited by [Susan Howson]( (did not know corduroy was velvet), and produced by [Jordan Weinstock]( (constantly confuses the two). [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( The correct answer to the quiz is Oil paint. Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! 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