to Paris as quickly as he could. Adickes experienced
Paris the first time in 1945, while in the army at 18
years old. Six decades later, the old world elegance,
architecture, and history he experienced there still
shape his artistic vision. Adickes says, "I didn't
always know I would be an artist. I was raised in
small town Huntsville and no artists were really
there. My father was an engineer and an Aggie,
and I thought I would be flying planes. Being in
France is what inspired me to be an artist. I'm very
interested in history, and you can see the history of
the 21st century in my work."
to study painting for two years at the Atelier Leger
under Fernand Leger. "That whole two years was
the making of everything," says Adickes. "My style
of painting when I arrived in Paris was Mexican
or regional American, and then, when I went
to France, it became European, and I've never
painted any other style since. I met a guy (at Atelier
Leger) who was a New York fashion photographer.
We became friends and I worked for him and
carried the camera. That influenced my style of
elegant thin lines. I'm painting a lot today that was
influenced by that period. I like tall skinny things
and that might be from that fashion period."
describes, "is to create a body
of work that will be around
one hundred, two hundred
years from now, in contrast
to contemporary artists that
are doing things that are
and painted over
tomorrow. I see
the world through
the eyes of my
generation,
so I have a broader
view than a 20
year old does. I
don't criticize this
generation,
they care about
what's going to
be around twenty
years from now. I
lived in France for
six years, and that's
where the idea of
permanence came
in. I want to be here
forever."
"My sculptures are going to be here because they
are too heavy to move. They're concrete."
quickly replies, "To heaven." After a moment,
he continues, "Everybody agrees that the most
important thing in life is doing what you love to
do as much as you can and doing what you don't
like to do as little as possible. You owe it to yourself
creative ways you can."