James Hartel

In the late 80’s I was fortunate to meet and become friends with an engineer visiting and working in the States for a wine distribution company, I was an assistant to a Chef in a French restaurant.

Many conversations about Art, and of course, I was fascinated by the Likes of Hauser, Klimt, Kokoschka, etc. He invited me to Austria if the occasion presented itself as it did in the early 90s when I was living and working in London, I decided to reach out, and he said I could stay at his parent's home in Krems, and we could travel to the city, he had friends at The Academy of Fine  Arts, and could give me audience with Assistant professor to the esteemed surrealist painter, poet, musician, writer Arik Brauer.

I looked forward to this visit and to my aspirations of greater opportunities to possibly forward my art career. What happened next was beyond my comprehension, Arik had returned from a show in Paris and was willing to meet with me and his senior graduating class, there were numerous questions about the art scene in America, and my question to Arik about my Art and style, he said, Relax and loosen up, let it come out of you! I went to every Museum in Vienna including Kunsthistorisches Museum, of Fine Arts, Vienna...

This is where I discovered, Richard Gerstl, Egon Schiele, and their Self-portraits which have inspired me to this day. These I believe are authentic connections in Art and life.