Fenske Art releases new book about artist Gary Fenske and the history of ‘painting with light’

April 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Portland, OR --  Fenske’s new book is a hidden gem. In it, he reveals a little known side of art that few have been privy to. Unveiling how fluorescence influenced the world of fine art, he includes the luminous contributions from famous masters such as Fontana, Wimmer and Ludlum.

While some might associate ‘painting with light’ to the more familiar term ‘painter of light’, like Thomas Kinkade, it is, in fact, very different. To paint with light, pigments must glow. Fenske’s book takes the reader back to the beginning and enlightens him with his fascinating journey through the world of fluorescing art.

“When many hear the word fluorescent, they have flashbacks to the hippie days with psychedelic black light posters of Elvis and ZZ Top. That is not what my book is about. Luminous fine art has one hundred years of magnificent history that is virtually unknown. Someone needed to tell the story before it was completely forgotten. That is why I wrote the book,” says Fenske.  

This is the definitive book on this great American artist and an intriguing look at Fenske’s achievements. He painstakingly selected over 140 images from what he considers to be his finest works, both the visible and invisible paintings. Also in the book, Fenske divulges his personal struggles as he tries to save the art form from extinction.

Amazingly ‘painting with light’ means just what it says. As the artist’s palette illuminates under a black light, his pigments obeys the rules of light. For example, everyone knows yellow and blue make green. But, the rules of light say that yellow and blue will make white. Watching Fenske paint, that is exactly what happens. “Forty years ago, everything I thought I knew about painting went out the window when I became a luminous artist. It is a marriage of science and art,” Fenske discloses.

He calls his art ‘invisible’ because that is what it is. When Fenske paints a luminous painting over a normal painting, you can not see the fluorescing paints until they are illuminated with a black light. There are two paintings on one canvas. This fascinating art form totally engulfs the senses. Thanks, in no small part, to Fenske’s years of determination and talent, we still have the art form alive today.

To place orders for books, arrange book signings or interviews, contact your local book store, art gallery or order it directly from Gary Fenske at his website: http://www.fenskeart.com/