St. Louis artist Ernest Trovadied this week at the age of 82. During his lifetime Trova was lauded as an artistic innovator and assailed by some as a commercial producer of kitsch.
His popular Falling Man series made him something of a household name in art circles in the 1960s, with institutions such as New York's Museum of Modern Art and London's Tate Modern displaying Trova works. By the 1990s, though, some of his sculptures and prints could appear a bit -- well -- dated.
In 2001 then-RFT art critic Eddie Silva's dismissal of Trova drew the scorn of local art connoisseur (and now White Flag Projects director) Matt Strauss, who wrote to the paper to set the record straight.
"Perhaps because of the accessibility of his art at Laumeier Sculpture
Park and in other public collections around town, St. Louis has long
taken Trova for granted, failing to recognize the impact his work had
internationally in the 1960s and since," wrote Strauss. "Silva would do well to conduct
a bit of research before taking it upon himself to revise the history
of modern art..."
Perhaps Strauss is right. But you know what they say about the eye of the beholder. In this post you'll find six pieces of Trova's work. Scope them out to your heart's content, then vote in the poll (after the jump) and tell us: Was Ernest Trova a hack or a genius? (Feel free to leave comments bolstering your argument.)
I had the priviledge of meeting Mr. Trova in his latter years. Although he was visibly aged he still had a vibrant attitude about his art. He delighted in the way people reacted to his work, especially children. He was a pioneer in his field and his work will eventually be rediscoverd for its genius. Those who truely knew him admired him for the honesty in his work and for the fact that he remained true to his beliefs and craft. He will be sorely missed,
Chad Garrison - A critic, or a hack?
What a moron you make yourself out to be Mr. Garrison. If Ray was still the owner I would like to think you would be fired for phoning-in such a piece of drivel. If you had even the slightest clue as to the overall scope of Trova's work and how it interacted with other artwork of its time in the Post WWII art scene (now Art History) it would not be too much to assume one of the above choices would naturally be 'Roman Boy' (1947) maybe 'Bird' (1950) or even 'Carman', and it would NOT be in the pathetic context (or lack there of) 'Do these 6 random works make you an artist or a hack'! Do your homework next time, show some respect, or go back to your job at Kentucky Fried Chicken.
(My apologies to all the KFC workers of the world for lumping you in with this "writer")
Like many artist Trova was the man as I started and directed my life's work. He was inspirational along with people like Adam Aronson working together to make St. Louis a good place to live and work. I fell in love with the falling many series in the seventh grade as I saw my first Trova in person as our art club went to Chicago on a field trip. I was hooked and have admired him for years. I met people along the way that knew and saw him work and admired how he continued to reach forward and develop as subject. Too many artists are all over the place. He landed in a comfort zone and an amazing one. Look around people this man made a difference in his life. He created not only art work, but jobs for people along the way. My friend Roy Probst, (gone too soon) was a pattern maker and worked with Trova. He admired him so much. Wish all artists had the opportunities and skills that Trova had and shared. Thanks for inspiring me. Rich Brooks
Good job Mr. Strauss. Trova was a genius and St.Louis should be proud to call him our own. I don't think one has to know an artist to not understand his work. His concept of the falling man is an exciting concept and brilliantly done. This work is not outdated. This would probrably offend Mr. Trova the most.
I think Trova represents the true artist.Have you seen his other work. the collages and paintings. His work is very exciting and will remain so always.
His family and friends are reading this poll and it's horrible. Ernest Trova was inspired by some many idiosyncrasies in life - that is an artist in itself.
What an appauling article! Where are the editors? I caught a few errors in some other A&E articles. They were merely about getting names right. What epic FAIL this one is though. I doubt London's The Sun would dance on a grave that...
Chad, you shouldn't have turned court jester with a man's life's work while his body's still warm. Strauss is 100% correct about that, regardless of how people feel about his talents. That's true whether he's local or not, famous or not, etc., etc. This would be in horrible taste if it were Updike, a baseball player, or Joe Shmo. "How do you insult a dead man?" Don't be a moron. You insult his grieving family and loved ones by proxy, as you just did with your "zany antics." That's why Kim Humphries asked that this thread be shut down, above. It turns a tribute into an insult that should end asap so as to end the cruelty to the survivors.
You're a good match for the RFT, kid. Who do you pick in the dead pool? Who's going next? Let's take bets? It'll be goofy fun.
I agree with Matt that the timing of this article when mixed with its abruptness of language and content is not only disrepectful of the recently deceased, but ignorant. No Matt Strauss is not the only one qualified to talk about Ernest Trova. I am not steeped in Trova history or knowledge, nor am I greatly inspired by his overall body of work. However, from my time spent at Laumeier I grew to understand Trova's concepts and vehicles for creation. I dare you to name me one artist who is known on the national or international art scene, who's entire body of work you adore, and who hasn't in some way created repetitive works, series, etc.
Ernest Trova and his work were/are an ambassador for the arts in St. Louis. yes his work is from a specific and at times dated period of art making, but then again so is much of the collection at Laumeier, the St. Louis Art Museum, and to be honest most of the exhibitions of 'contemporary' art in St. Louis. With a catalogue of works as large as Trova's there's bound to be some work that isn't great. Not all art is a Godly precious one of a kind supernatural object.
In my opinion, enough has been said about this poll. Interest in further posting seems to ba at a near standstill. I respectfully suggest that the thread be locked and left at that. I might adviocate removing it but what has been done is done.
How do you insult a dead man? Or is Ernest reading this poll in heaven?
I had the good fortune to work on a project with Mr. Trova in 1978-79. He had a comission to create several sculptures in front of a new office building at 1615 Poydras in New Orleans. I was one of several architectural model builders who built a huge scale model of the plaza in front of the Poydras building and installed it in his studio.
Even in our limited time with Mr. Trova it was obvious that he was an incredibly creative man. He delighted in showing us many of the whimsical scale models he used to design his monumental sculptures. He had a very playful attitude along with a strong work ethic that virtually forced him to constantly create art.
It is not up to us to determine Trova's place in art history, but the Falling Man series has become an icon of the modern era. He was in no way a "hack"!
I never suggested that I�m the only one qualified to discuss Trova�s art or that it�s not OK for Dean or Chad or anyone else to dislike it. I only explained why I like it, and that it might be fair to let the man rest in peace for more than a couple of days before going out of one�s way to publicly insult him with a poll like this.
Thank you Matthew
Apparently Matthew Strauss is the only person in St. Louis who is qualified to discuss Trova's work. Either that, or if you have a negative opinion of Trova you must be ignorant of his "real" purpose. Give me a break. The dude was alright, but his inability to expand past Falling Man was the exact reason why he became irrelevant in the last 25-35 years. It's not because everyone else just didn't get it, it's because society moved on and he didn't. Are those works still prominently displayed in those institutions you listed? I'd venture to guess they aren't.
At least we can both agree that Garrison's poll sucks.
Genius or Hack? I know you�re trying to be irreverent, but writing this kind of thing about somebody a few days after they�ve died is not cool. It�s ok to invite a dialogue about the merits of Trova�s art, but to drag out a word like �hack� is absurd, and the timing of your posting here is really, really tactless. Additionally, the lazily Googled images here are largely unrepresentative of his life�s work and a testament to how little you apparently know about his art.
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Ernest Trova was always an artist that some people loved to hate: his classicism misunderstood as regressive, his fundamental seriality mistaken as some lack of development, his playful ephemera confused with crass commerciality, and his chosen materials viewed as slick rather than the dead-on expression of contemporary man�s inseparability from his own time and technology. Trova�s critics have long complained of fatigue with his seemingly endless variations on his Falling Man theme, consistently failing to accept that endlessness was in fact central to Trova�s point and process. The idea of serialized detachment as an effective artistic strategy somehow gains more credence when it is applied to Andy Warhol than to Ernest Trova, while in fact it is equally fundamental to both of their practices. Why it was seen at the time as a benefit to Warhol�s work and a detriment to Trova�s might be a better point of departure for discussion than �Genius or Hack?�
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The Falling Man was to Ernest Trova what Mickey Mouse was to Walt Disney; a character capable of infinite physical and narrative flexibility, undergoing constant displacement and redefinition without losing its essence.
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Trova was a self-taught artist who never moved from his hometown and made work that once stood outside of the Guggenheim�s 5th Avenue entrance, meeting every visitor through the museum�s door. For years major examples of the Falling Man series were prominently displayed in The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Walker Art Center among innumerable other important arts institutions.
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It�s fair to say that whether you like Trova�s art or not is a matter of taste� it�s also fair to say the timing of Garrison�s poll is completely tasteless.
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-Matthew Strauss
He was a great artist for being a St. Louisan, but he kind of exemplifies the type of artistry I dislike, which is taking a good idea and just beating the hell out of it until the significance is lost. Falling Man was a great series, but when an artist starts putting it on wristwatches you start to wonder how much is innovation vs cashing out/laziness. But hey, like Warhol said: Art is what you can get away with. Trova got away with it, so more power to him.
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