Tony Curtis, Thinking Inside The Box Posted By: Keith Hunt

At 81, Tony Curtis is defying convention. During a time when many of his living contemporaries have faded into the comfortable obscurity of retirement, this legend of the silver screen is arguably at the peak of his second-and in many ways, first-career as a celebrated painter and boxed assemblage maker. As children we grew up watching Dad paint, daughter Jamie Lee Curtis announced at her father's 80th birthday celebration in June 2005. We did not realize that we grew up with a famous movie star. The same questioning and receptive mind that captures the subtle nuances of daily life and later incorporates them into his film roles has spent the last several decades storing sights and memories that now flower on his vivid, intensely-colored canvases and populate his cubed compositions. The glamour of the film world has left an indelible mark on his visual images; each film locale and co-star has provided Curtis with new inspiration for his artwork. Demand for showings of his art keeps Curtis constantly on the move. In May, the Carmel Art Festival in California celebrated Tony Curtis Day, honoring the artist in an enormously successful show at Gallerie Amsterdam.Tony CurtisTony Curtis Artonline art gallery