(Artist Series, Volume 9)
As I had mentioned in the previous Artist Series post, I have a thing for tracking down Miles Davis-inspired artwork on Flickr. And once again I recently stumbled upon a great-looking oil painting of the jazz icon this particular artwork courtesy of Jeff Bridges.
There's a superb collection in the Flickr gallery of drawings, paintings and sculptures Bridges has created over the last 30 years; definitely work a look. Of course, the Miles Davis painting is what sparked my attention and led me to ask the Los Angeles-based artist a few questions about his work.
Miles Davis Online: Okay.. so why Miles Davis? Any special reason about why you chose to paint the jazz legend?
Jeff Bridges: Ive always loved the music of Miles Davis and was listening to him as I was doing a painting of Louis Armstrong. I started thinking of doing a painting of Miles at that time and thought it would look kind of scary since Id usually seen photos of him with a very serious or even angry expression.
That didn't bother me since it was basically the exact opposite of most photos of Louis Armstrong and it would be a nice change. I opened the liner notes to one of my CDs, Kind Of Blue, maybe, and found the photo I used for the painting. It struck me because he looks so relaxed and casual, so I took some liberty and made up the colors.
Miles Davis Online: Would you ever revisit Miles Davis for your art?
JB: I certainly would. However, I'm very slow and don't sell anything, so sometimes things don't get finished for a few years. Id like to do a painting of him when he was old, sweaty, and balding and intense. I guess he was always intense, but when he was older it looked like he might explode.
Miles Davis Online: And because we always ask: favorite Miles Davis album?
JB: That's a hard one. Id probably say Sketches of Spain with Porgy & Bess a close second. However, favorite could change from day to day depending on my mood.
You can find more artwork from Jeff Bridges on Flickr.
Artwork is Jeff Bridges
