Fred Genis has
worked with some of the western world's most significant contemporary
artists during the 1960's and 1970's. He worked with many of these artists
at a time when New York had taken over from Paris as the world centre for
art.
These artists include Jasper Johns, Josef Albers, William Gropper, Larry
Rivers, Helen Frankenthaler, James Rosenquist, John Cage and William de
Kooning.
He arrived in Australia in the late 1970's and subsequently worked with
many of Australia's most renowned artist. These include John Olsen, Lloyd
Rees, Brett Whiteley, Brian Dunlop, James Gleeson, Donald Friend, Hal
Missingham, Robert Jacks, Kenneth Jack, Tim Storrier, Colin Lanceley, John
Firth-Smith, Jan Senbergs, John Coburn, Mario Dalpra, Guan Wei, Patsy
Payne, Marion Bergelt and Philip Wolfhagen.
Genis has worked with artists experienced, inexperienced, famous, unknown,
Bohemian, pedestrian, orderly and disorderly, and in each case there has
been a unique personal collaboration to which the artist brings his or her
personality, creative urge and own use of materials. Genis contributes his
personality, experience and knowledge of the lithographic medium and his
patience, as both partner and singular midwife to assist the birth of a
work of art.
Genis describes his part in this process as being 'like water' -
quiescent, fluid, unformed, but able at any instant to show, suggest,
assist or even withhold. It is interpretation that is both instinctive and
highly intelligent, leaving enough room for the artist and yet giving him
or her as much as is needed, even, occasionally, more than is needed, if
that is what is needed. The knife-edge of sensitivity and response drives
both the artist and lithographer in the early creative and testing stages,
and compensates the lithographic printer for the later more regulated work
of bringing out 'the edition', whether it be of 10 or 99.
There have been other rewards too. Just as it does for an artist, the
unique emotion engendered by seeing the work completed, framed and on the
wall of a gallery has meant a great deal to Genis.
Information taken from: Kolenber, J. 1995. 'From the Studio of Master Lithographer, Fred Genis' Victorian Arts Centre, Victoria.