Tree's Place 1997

Michael Whelan's first one-man exhibition of fine art

Michael Whelan

and

Michael Everett

Sep 08, 2024

∙ Paid

Alt text: In a grassy field stands a leafless tree with limbs bowing gracefully left. Bathed in golden light, bare branches twist and spread like blood vessels against pale sky. Shadow falls across a trunk mostly stripped of bark, and several splintered limbs lie lifeless on the nearby ground. Extending in a line from this gnarly detritus, mist rises off well-manicured lawn as if the ground itself is exhaling. A transparent sphere containing a single flame floats low across the land while a small stream meanders, falling directly behind the sphere as if guiding it along an intended path. Barely visible in a lemony wash that defines soft rolling hills, a white starburst—possibly another sphere blinking out—sits far afield, tinting the bushy topped trees that line the background distance. — THE CROSSING (1997), Oil on Canvas - 30" X 60"

This Started Long Ago…

Back in 1995, I wrote a letter to Michael Whelan offering to create a portfolio of his work online. The World Wide Web was in its infancy, and I pitched the promise of a greater, more direct audience for Michael’s art.

With his blessing, I coded a fan-site that quickly morphed into an official web presence. I hacked up my copy of The Art of Michael Whelan for pictures, and I pieced together scans from prints too large for my scanner bed.

When I ran out of art to feature, Michael provided higher-resolution images from his archive via PhotoCD and CD-Rom. (Even though we’ve gone digital now, I still have stacks of optical media!)

My original copy of THE ART OF MICHAEL WHELAN. The pages are neatly separated from the binding so I could scan them cleanly. — My reference copy of *The Art of Michael Whelan*

As the site gained traction, I began working with Audrey (truly the brains of our operation) to adapt the Glass Onion Graphics mail order catalog. By the end of 1996, we were selling prints and other merchandise securely online.

It’s important to emphasize that I came to this as a hobby shortly after graduating from college. I had a lot of time on my hands. I’m not sure I ever thought about what it would become 30 years later, but the point of this project has become clear to me in recent years. My work isn’t just about building audience…it’s about preserving Michael’s legacy.

Glass Onion Graphics mail order catalog from 1997

Michael Did What With the Website?

A funny thing happened while the Whelans were vacationing on Cape Cod.

Michael presented his new website as a portfolio to Julian Baird, the owner of Tree’s Place Gallery. That exchange led to Michael’s first one-man art show in Orleans, MA in 1997.

LEFT: In a angle view of a massive stepped wall, a solitary figure crouches on the bottom tier looking up, awed by a view of concrete climbing as far as he can see. The facade shows intricate patterns, like many derelict building merged together. A trapezoid of filtered light stretches along the side wall. The muted tones, just gray and rust with a slight hint of blue, combine with dusty quality to give the painting an oppressive atmosphere. CENTER: Light slants down through a circular opening set in a massive stone wall. The perspective is low angle and off-center to present the scale of the environment to dizzying effect. The surface of the facade, worn by ages, is textured concrete—pale. Details of rectangular panels vary throughout to provide endless visual interest. Tattered cloth drapes across some. Rust stains trail off of exposed metal of pipes jutting out. Water stains drip down out of circular recesses. Exposed rebar shows through from years of erosion. Beneath the immense oculus, the line of a tall channel of rusted plates leads up, suggesting the stem of a magnifying glass as light pores through the opening in an intense, hazy plane of radiance. Tiny in scale, a figure struggles up a trail of boards, a makeshift ladder mounted across the gap between rusted plates. RIGHT: A mysterious woman, hooded in windswept robes, stops at the edge of a rocky outcrop. With palm up, she holds out her hand, and above it floats a transparent sphere containing a solitary flame. At the edge of the cliff, she stands framed by a tall arch in the distance. A circle—an echo set above the vessel she holds—sits high in the arch. Anchored by elegantly curving supports, it suggests something mystical as if it may not exist physically in this world but rather serve as a portal to the next. Behind, blue skies fade to a peach streak across the horizon and the misty hills rolling below. She seems poised to step out into open air but she turns her head back, partially revealing her face. Her thoughts linger on where the next step will lead. Will it be over the edge and down? Or does this passage lead to someplace else? — SUBTERRANEANS (1992) • LUMEN 4 (1997) • VERGE (1989)

I remember stumbling into the gallery after the long drive to the Cape. It was the first time I’d seen Michael’s paintings in person, and I was blown away. I realized then how difficult my task would be conveying the brilliance of his work on a computer screen.

There’s magic in every brushstroke, a vibrance to his palette, and a presence to each painting that defies words and pixels. You simply have to experience Michael’s art in person to appreciate the scope of his mastery.

LEFT: With a lantern held at his side, a man reaches out to touch the pitted orange texture of a tall standing stone. Stacked tight with no gaps between, rows of stone stretch endlessly to the horizon. Distant, the evening star can barely be seen in the hazy pink sky. RIGHT: Tiny figures, each carrying a light, walk a path cut into the face of an enormous textured stone facade. The path angles angles down before opening to a round circuit where people seem to be defying gravity as they walk the curve even upside down. The channel in the stone resembles the number 9 lying face up. A hole at the center of the loop exposes the sky outside. A boy points his light up toward it but there is no apparent path there. — WAYFARER AND THE EVENING STAR (1997) • ORBIS SCIENTIARUM (1997)

When I rolled in, the show hadn’t officially opened yet but nearly every painting was marked with a sale dot. This sadly was both my introduction to his originals and a quick goodbye to paintings that I would never see in person again.

LEFT: View from behind as a nude female with deep bronze skin stands at the edge of a causeway that gradually slopes into gray green water. With a white blindfold knotted over straight black hair, she can't see the path ahead but she can surely feel foggy atmosphere on her bare skin and the water on her foot as she takes a tentative step forward into the unknown. With each step, the rough stone path is textured with fossil record (trilobites, ammonites, plants, fish, etc). A glass triangular pyramid rests on the stone in the immediate foreground. Pylons set with red bicycle reflectors jut out of the water beside the causeway. The material of the posts changes from rough wood to carved stone to formed metal as the causeway descends symbolizing the progression of technology running alongside evolution in the fossil record. CENTER: A smooth stone facade, reminiscent of a gravestone, occupies the entire foreground of the painting. A square window set into the top center offers a vision of a vibrant blue wave cresting at enormous height and about to crash down. A diagonal shadow cuts across the face of the stone. Three embossed ridges border each side of the stone. Green grass can barely be seen at its base. RIGHT: Reclining on a low broken branch, a woman in white diaphanous gown rests against a tree trunk. Lost in contemplation, her eyes are pressed closed. Her hair falls in tight waves of blonde down her back, and a lavender sash crosses her waist from behind. Tacked to the trunk above her, a red glass heart hangs from a ribbon. The forest beyond is partially obscured by branches of a conifer. Soft light cuts diagonals through the misty air. The tree squats on a grassy island. At its front edge, an open vessel half filled with water contains a solitary flame. A branch crosses in front of the tripod stand it sits upon. A skull is revealed in a knob of the branch, a memento mori revealing the woman's thoughts. — CAUSEWAY (1992) • THE INEXORABLE EQUATION (1997) • RIVER (1996)

The Art of Michael Whelan

At the opening reception, Julian presented Michael’s work in a way that examined and elevated the art, touching on symbolism and deeper meaning. The insight he provided with each piece served as a guide for what I do now.

I’d only dabbled in art history in college. It wasn’t my major, and I’d barely written about art. Julian set the bar high, and I’ll always remember him fondly for his words that night.

LEFT: A massive stone arch straddles the horizon. The milky white stone texture of the "rainbow" stands against misty lavender sky. Gray-blue lines mark randomly patterns of interconnected lines and shapes. Circle, egg, broken ladder, swirl, hour glass—none of the shapes or lines repeat. Transparent spheres, each containing a solitary flame, float toward the arch. A long causeway extends out across a channel of blue water to the center of the arch. The channel splits what appears to be a futuristic city as seen from very high up. Skyscraper-like structures appear tiny against a stretch of flat concrete as they cast long shadows that run parallel to the horizon. TOP LEFT: A woman wrapped in a sheet of white fabric contemplates a red glass heart held at arm's length. The glow of light from behind bathes her long, wavy red hair. She holds her left arm extended exposing one bare breast from beneath the folds of cloth. The pale skin of her arm catches highlights of golden light. Between thumb and forefinger, she pinches a thin red ribbon weighed down by the small glass heart. The wall beside her is made of rough olive stone set with brown ammonite fossils in relief. TOP RIGHT: A shirtless man in jeans hugs his arms close as he sits upon a broken ammonite half buried on the beach. The chambers of the shell are half filled with water. Wind blows the man’s long blonde hair as staggered puffs of clouds drift overhead. BOTTOM RIGHT: On a gently arching slope of smooth sand, a woman is down on all fours with her head resting against a transparent sphere glowing with golden light. Her eyes are closed and her expression peaceful as she wraps arms around the sphere. A long white satin cloak mostly covers her but she appears to be naked underneath. One leg is drawn up to her chest and the other extends back as the fabric ripples as it recedes down the slope. Behind her is a cloudy lavender sky. — THE RAINBOW (1991) • PRUDENCE II (1997) • HUMILITY (1997) • THE LEAVETAKING (1992)

Later, we gathered at Julian’s house for the after party.

Basking in the glow of a successful opening, Michael entertained a close circle of friends with stories, which included his time pumping gas in high school and a close encounter that happened late one night.

We looked out over the water as he explained his fascination with UFOs and how he’d memorized the Dewey decimal code at an early age so he could always find those books no matter where he moved.

LEFT: Light falls soft across a concrete wall made of tall rectangular panels forming an illuminated patch in the shape of a long trapezoid. The concrete panels vary in texture to express differing degrees of weathering of the stone. Switchbacks cut left to right and back again to form a large S-shape that climbs the enormous structural wall. RIGHT: A low angled view follows the curve of concrete wall up a cavernous toroidal space. The structure at the upper edge of the curve drops off, opening the tunnel to blue sky. The contrast against pale concrete evokes the appearance of the human eye. At the lower center of the opening, a figure in a cloak holds a metal ring, which simultaneously looks like an iris while echoing the artist's sigil (the letters M and W combined inside a circle. Rebar set in concrete forms a ladder up the curving slope, further defined by its rust stained trail. Next to the ladder, a weathered five-pointed star is painted in yellow on the irregularly paneled concrete wall. — CLIMBER (1992) • LUMEN 5.1 (1997)

Starstruck, I soaked it all in. For me, this was just the beginning of a long, unexpected friendship, and a prime example that sometimes you should meet your heroes.

(Paid subscribers will find additional photos and a little bit more of the story down below)

Julian Baird and Michael Whelan pose with smiles in front of PASSAGE: VERGE and CAUSEWAY — Gallery owner Julian Baird and Michael Whelan at the opening reception in 1997

A Time for Personal Visions

I had the opportunity to visit Michael after the Tree’s Place show. We sat down for an interview to talk about what it all meant to him. What he shared back then is particularly relevant now that he’s announced his retirement from illustration. (Rather than sharing a link that may be overlooked, I’ll share that conversation next week so that it gets the attention it deserves.)

I mentioned in the art reveal for WIND AND TRUTH last week that I was excited about what lies ahead for Michael. This feels like an inflection point in his career, one that we’ve seen before following the exhibition at Tree’s Place. The overwhelming success of that show gave Michael the confidence to pursue fine art as his primary focus.

For years, Michael shifted back and forth, trying to find a balance between his first love illustration and the fine art that fulfills him creatively. At 74 years old, it seems right to put commercial deadlines behind him and focus on work that he wants to do.

When he first walked me through the studio, it was back in ‘97. Michael explained that he had more ideas than he’d ever have time to paint. He kept them stored in a run of filing cabinets upstairs. I suspect we’re going to see some of those ideas surface soon and I honestly can’t wait.

Weekly Art Recap

Grid of images corresponding to the list below — Art featured Sept 1-7

Art featured this week:

John Carter of Mars - the last Barsoom cover for Edgar Rice Burroughs
Orbis Scientiarum - an exploration on the limits of human perception
Chaos Abides - a new Elric and the 1st L&PG for 2024
The End of Nature II - a portentous personal vision
2061: Odyssey Three - cover illustration for Arthur C. Clarke
Lord of Discordia - a riff on the Crimson King and album cover for Evile

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Let Us Know Your Thoughts…

What did you think of the new Elric piece this week? Did you attend the show in 1997? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.