"Time is Money", Oil in Masonite, 9 X12 Inches
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Gayle B. Tate
(American, Born 1944)
Inquire about Artworks by Email to gbt@gbtate.com
 

Gayle Blair Tate (born 1944) is a native of Midwest America, born in Texas and raised as a world traveler, being the son of a career army officer. He studied engineering at the University of Wyoming from 1962-64, then graduated from Florida State University in 1967. He then served in the United States Air Force for five years as a commissioned officer, being honorably discharged in 1972 with the rank of Captain. Desiring to go into studio production, he pursued extensive private studies at the Loch Haven Art Center in Orlando and with private ateliers in Orlando, Tampa, Asheville, North Carolina and Laramie, Wyoming. Even while serving in the Air Force, Mr. Tate began working in the art business, establishing his art business in Texas in 1967.

Mr. Tate has achieved international recognition and major auction sales through his work as a trompe l'oeil painter in oils. Of particular importance are the artist's works depicting images of paper currency, achieving recognition as "the foremost money painter in America" (source: SouthWest Art magazine). Added to his craftsmanship are his unique and often ironic observations and themes, resulting in works that viewers and critics alike remember for their wit and insightful commentary as much as for their technical achievement.

The Artist Writes: "Trompe l'oeil is a French phrase meaning 'trick the eye'. Sometimes art provides the trick... changing the perception of pigments applied to a surface to a different reality. All of art is about perception, and my paintings are all about deceiving the eye to perceive another reality. The Victorians had a hazy, romanticized view of life. The early moderns embodied a revolution against traditions. American artists, despite roots from diverse backgrounds, have drawn together a view of art that is characterized by the same pioneering spirit it took to tame a rugged and uncharted land, raw and direct. From early in its history, America had no time for frivolity. She demands truth and integrity; and in the face of constant challenge, anything less is a waste of time. Any vision that is not born out of passion and sweat cannot last in such a land... tradition deposed and displaced by character . American painters have always depicted real places and real things in real terms. They have always worked with a vigorous energy that matches the splendor of the land. We have been given a responsibility as creative artists to offer a fresh viewpoint to an often drab and uninspired world. I, as any artist with such roots, am dedicated to developing a reflection of this character, founded in my uniquely American roots."

"We need to keep our vision fresh. This is especially important for artists. It is not easy to keep creative juices flowing day after day, when we get bogged down in the "dailies" of life. The premises for the trompe l'oeil artist have stemmed from this need:  to challenge artists to look at the familiar with fresh eyes, and to be provoked to think with new perspectives. As we take up the challenge, we have grown as artists... thus being constructive in provoking artists to do better and always be proactive in exercising artistic vision."

Mr. Tate continues a regular study of his craft, particularly of the dynamics of color relationships, often working in diverse subject matter. By working in other venues, the artist is becoming better equipped to understand the dynamics of color in his trompe l'oeil paintings. The result is that he is able to present his enthusiastic world view with excellence and taste. His refined classical techniques and craftsmanship transcend both old and new eras of art history, and assure him a place in the defining of an American national style.

 

What art publications are saying about the artist and his work:

"The foremost money painter in America" (SouthWest Art magazine, December, 2004, Page 123)

(About the painting, "I Make My Own Luck", Oil on panel, 16 X 26")... "Tate is a show-off, in a good way. He brings off painting a torn scrap of paper attached to the cupboard with transparent tape, and his $20, $50 and $100 bills are a counterfeiter's delight." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sunday, September 28, 2003)

"Faded Glory" (Oil on Panel, 30 X 45") by Gayle B. Tate is a classic example of American trompe l'oeil painting, which reached its apotheosis with nineteenth century practitioners such as William Harnett, John Peto and John Haberle. Faded Glory recapitulates the essential iconography of this tradition..." (American Arts Quarterly, Vol 20 No.1, Winter 2003)

"...His technical mastery succeeds not just when he can recreate the tiny engraved lines of currency, but when the viewer believes that the surface is actually three dimensional, with its wrinkles, folds and shadows." (American Art Review magazine, Vol XV No.2, April 2003)

"Trompe l'oeil technique is exacting, requiring great skill and talent. G.B. Tate, a master of money painting..." (Numismatist magazine, Vol 116, No. 4, April 2003)

View a current article on the artist at Creighton-Davis Gallery, Washington, DC online... Go to: The West End Guide

 

Major Auction Houses:
Christie's, New York
Christie's East, New York
Sotheby's, New York
Sotheby's Arcade, New York
William Doyle, New York
Skinner, Inc., Boston
Aspire Auctions, Cleveland
Ivey-Selkirk, St. Louis
Treadway-Toomey Galleries, Chicago
Weschler's, Washington, DC

 

National and International Auction Record Publications:
Davenport's Art Reference and Price Guide
Hislop's Art Sales Index
Falk's Auction Price Guide
Meyer's Guide to Art Prices
Franklin & James' Decade in Review

 

Online Biographical and Sale Records:
AskArt - Premier Online Research Service - Biographical and Sales Information
Creighton-Davis Gallery (RareArt.com) - Online Auction and Gallery Representing Mr. Tate, Washington, DC
ArtNet - Art Research Database for Auctions and Galleries
ArtPrice - International Auction Database
I-Collector - Price Guide
Art Library - Art Research & Prices
TFAOI - Art Research & Prices

 

Art and Biographical Books and References:
Who's Who in American Art (1986, 1994, 1994, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Internationale Biographie, 1996, 1997, 1998
Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers, 1997
Men of Achievement, 1998
New York Art Review, 1999
American Artists, An Illustrated Survey, 1999

James Umphlett & Louis Zona, "Eleanor Ettinger Gallery (New York) Presents the Trompe l'Oeil Society of Artists", 2003
Spanierman Gallery, New York, "Art for the New Collector II", 2003
Amy Pyle (Spanierman Gallery, New York), "Art for the New Collector III", 2004
Ray Davenport, "Davenport's Art Reference: The Gold Edition", 2005
Lonnie Pierson Dunbier, "The Artists Bluebook", 2005
Omar Calabrese, "L'art du Trompe-L'Oeil" (Editions Citadelles & Mazenod, Paris) 400 pages, Narrated and Illustrated, 2010

Collections, Galleries and Museums Include:
Vose Gallery, Boston
Spanierman Gallery, New York
Richard York Gallery, New York
Hollis Taggert, New York
Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, New York
Creighton-Davis Galleries, Washington DC
Atlanta Art Gallery, Atlanta
David Cook Gallery, Denver
Roughton Galleries, Dallas
Hall Galleries, Dallas
Van de Griff-Marr Gallery, Santa Fe
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin
Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, Iowa
J. Wayne Stark Gallery, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
The Haggin Museum, Stockton, Californi
Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, Alabama
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Florida
Portsmouth Museums, Courthouse Gallery, Portsmouth, Virginia
Longmont Museum, Longmont, Colorado
Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, Missouri
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, Wisconsin
Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, Illinois
Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania


 

Affiliations:
Charter member of Trompe L'oeil Society of Artists, 2001 - 2003
American Numismatic Association
"The Seven", Alliance of Christian Artists, Asheville, NC
Southeast Professional Art Dealers' Association, Tampa

 


"TROMPE L'OEIL: The Art of Illusion "
12 Museum Tour Schedule for 2005 - 2007

Gayle B. Tate is included in this group show of the top trompe l'oeil artists of the United States, including Ken Davies and Gary Erbe. Here is the finalized schedule of the tour... See the first article on this show, written by Bonnie Gangelhoff, in the December, 2004 issue of SouthWest Art magazine.


February14 - March 24, 2005

Indian Hills Community College
525 Grandview Avenue
Ottumwa, Iowa

April 24 - June 19, 2005

J. Wayne Stark Gallery
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

July 10 - September 4, 2005

The Haggin Museum
1201 North Pershing Avenue
Stockton, Californi

September 25 - November 20, 2005

Huntsville Museum of Art
300 Church Street South
Huntsville, Alabama

December 2, 2005 - January 28, 2006

Pensacola Museum of Art
407 South Jefferson
Pensacola, Florida

February 26 - April 23, 2006

City of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Museums, Courthouse Gallery
420 High Street
Portsmouth, Virginia

May 14 - July 9, 2006

Longmont Museum
400 Quail Road
Longmont, Colorado

July 30 - September 24, 2006

Krasl Art Center
707 Lake Boulevard
St. Joseph, Missouri

October 7 - December 3, 2006

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery, Alabama

January 1 - February 25, 2007

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum
165 North Park Avenue
Neenah, Wisconsin

March 18 - May 13, 2007

Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences
1125 West Lake Avenue
Peoria, Illinois

June 3 - July 29, 2007

Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Inquire about G B Tate Artworks by EMAIL to gbt@gbtate.com