Robert Williams
Beyond the plastic hula girl swizzle sticks bobbing around in Blue Hawaiians, beyond the palm tree silhouetted Hawaiian shirts on the backs of beachcombers, beyond the palm frond thatched bar cabanas peopled with Tiki worshiping lounge lizards, is a form of art and style that has the romance and dignity to add legitimacy to all the aforementioned. That is the wonderful South Seas velvet paintings of Edgar Leeteg."
Book Description
A lush tropical setting, exotic models, and legendary drinking bouts serve as the backdrop to the "larger than life" story of artist Edgar Leeteg. Often referred to as the "American Gaugin" for his idyllic rendering of the Tahitian people in the '30s, '40s, and '50s, Leeteg is best known for his discovery and mastery of the age old technique of painting on velvet. Long lost in the shadows of art history, the paintings of Edgar Leeteg are now recognized as the archetype for modern velvet paintings - one of the more popular and enduring art mediums in the world.
