HAPPENINGS Michael Flohr
Reclaiming “The Golden Age” June 24, 25 & 26, 2011
835 West Harbor Drive, Suite AB, San Diego CA 92101 • 619-238-0320 • RSVP via email to
PR@ecgallery.com G
littering lights, bright red dresses, the energy of a bustling urban landscape—each of these images
recall the electrifying grandeur of the Roaring Twenties. Reverie imposes upon more pressing matters in response to a city’s sensory impressions, and we recall Nick Car- raway’s observation from The Great Gatsby: “I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and wom- en and machines gives to the restless eye” (Fitzgerald 61). Michael Flohr’s paintings illustrate that similar rush
of unfiltered emotion. Although Flohr’s works speak so well for themselves, we try to understand why we find his work impacting. A professor once explained “epiphany” as this: “a feeling of a moment, complete, though passed. We need this to live; the ideal and the actual coincide.” Indeed, one cannot deny that we experience “a feeling of a moment” as we gaze upon San Diego artist Michael Flohr’s latest series, “The Golden Age”. Referring to the term used for this period in Holly-
wood, “The Golden Age” spans the late 1920s to the early 1950s in America. It was an era that chal- lenged and matured American identity. The arts flourished even in uncertain social, political, and economic times. The art deco movement and ar- tistic photography lent a new creative voice. Jazz, blues, and swing pervaded city nightlife. Radio and cinema delivered accessible entertainment to the masses as movie theaters such as the Fox Theatre in Atlanta grew in popularity. The theatre still stands today, and in Michael Flohr’s paint- ing, “Night at the Fox,” we come to realize that the past has a subtle message for the twenty-first century. “The Golden Age” endures as people today
recognize the way in which it has influenced the growth of modern life. Institutions and pastimes
10 “The Bank”
that we take for granted were considered radical and ris- qué. Gambling and drinking were driven underground to secretive speakeasies. Dancing flappers and Jazz Age music proclaimed their divergence from Victorian social practices. These amusements may seem common now, but the adamant public had to challenge the rules of their day in order to take delight in such entertainment. We look to artists, such as Michael Flohr, to interpret the facts and extract the important lessons of the past. It is difficult to explain just why we glorify the old gangsters and bootleggers, but they call to mind that “The Golden Age” required a fighting spirit. Ultimately, that spirit car- ried them through the Great Depression and drove the war effort in World War II and made the arts an enduring staple to modern life. When Michael Flohr became inspired to paint a col-
lection based upon “The Golden Age”, he looked to his grandfather, David Flohr. “You could say that he has been my inspiration for this project,” he affirms. David’s ad- venturous life as a Navy pilot, treasure hunter, and busi-
Fine Art Limited Edition
30" x 40" OFF THE EASEL MAGAZINE – SPRING 2011
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