Vladimir Tretchikoff

2007
THE RENAISSANCE
“Express your PASSION, DO WHAT YOU LOVE,
NO MATTER WHAT.”
VL ADIMIR TRETCHIKOFF
1913-2006
VLADIMIR
TRETCHIKOFF
THE INSPIRATION
Some have called him the ‘most evocative artist
of his generation.’ some have called him ‘the best
selling artist in the world.’ Some think ‘his colour
palette itself was a revolution.’
To know his work is to understand an artist who
became a phenomenon. A man who never
compromised because he was being lead by an
all-encompassing drive to do what he loved, to
paint. And even when he had painted the sublime
‘Chinese Girl,’a picture that would within his
lifetime become the World’s most collected
lithograph, he did not waver from his love of
painting. Tretchikoff himself liked to describe his
appeal as ‘Worldwide.’A clear indication of how
far a field his work had mesmerized and
captivated people. From Australia to Andorra:
Guinea to Greenland, there was a time that if you
saw a wall, you would see a Trechikoff lithograph
hanging on it.
Now, in the 21st century, we ask the question:
What would Tretchikoff do now? Would he ask
Tom Ford to design a collection of Tretchikoff
inspired dresses?
Might he sweet talk Jean-Paul Gautier into
designing a collaborative Chinese Girl Perfume?
His family believes that the passion with which he
lived his life and transferred into so many beautiful
paintings is a legacy that requires celebrating.
And like renewing your wedding vows with a loved
one, they would like you to be part of something
that if he was alive today, Tretchikoff would himself
THE CHINESE GIRL
Painted in Cape Town South Africa
This iconic painting, also known as the
Green Lady is possibly the best known
of all Tretchikoff's paintings. Lithographs
of this painting can be seen in all
corners of the world.
u n d o u b t e d l y e n c o u ra g e yo u t o j o i n .
His RENAISSANCE.
The inspiration behind the Tretchikoff Renaissance is
the man himself- his talent, his passion and his
determined spirit. When my grandfather passed away
last year, I paid tribute to him at his memorial service
and looking back on his life story, the inspiration that
he himself was and the legacy he leaves behind is
beautifully clear.
Tretchikoff’s main influence was simply the beauty he saw
in the life around him. He never compromised and
equipped with an indubitable self confidence, he painted
only what he wanted to. It just so happened - fortunately
for him - that the subject matter he chose and the way
he chose to depict it intrigued his audiences the world
over. He painted for the sheer passion of it and the rest,
being the fame and fortune, was a mere by-product of
following his life’s passion. Although the odds were seriously
against him, he just kept on doing what he loved, painting
and the rest happened effortlessly. Could this not be a
reminder to us? ‘Know thy self and to thy own self be true,’
find your passion, believe in yourself and take action no
matter what. In creating his Renaissance, we are
celebrating more than his work, we are celebrating the
man himself for the full self expression of his passion.
Our wish is to have his work as well as legacy live on by
reframing his art for the 21st Century and develop the
Tretchikoff brand to license; in so doing to broaden his
appeal to young, affluent, contemporary individuals.
We are leveraging off the current trend in making art
affordable and accessible. After all, it was my grandfather
himself a man way ahead of his time, who established
this trend by being the first artist ever to make reproductions
of his work. At the time, he was hugely criticized by the art
world who said he was, ‘commercializing and devaluing
art.’ However he replied, ‘Why should art only be enjoyed
by the wealthy, I want everyone to enjoy my art?’
NATASHA MERCORIO
Tretchikoff ’s grand daughter & Custodian of Artistic Property
V I N TAG E L E T T E R - P R E S S T R E T C H I KO F F P R I N T S
OUR ALL-TIME TRETCHI FAVOURITES
Tretchikoff first-hand vintage prints have been produced
One may expect us to say the Oriental Girls, which he
to the highest quality under the artists’ personal
is mostly known for, however while we love these exotic
supervision. They have been in the artists’ collection
portraits, we share the same two favorites! The first
since the 50’s and are now being released for the first
being,‘The Lost Orchid.’ This is a much discussed canvas,
time.
for in spite of its almost startling simplicity, there is a
There are limited amounts of our letter press prints
wealth of drama contained in this composition. This is
available and we have the largest selection. You also
certainly no Still life! The teardrop is consistent with my
have a choice to purchase them unframed or in stylish
grandfather’s belief that flowers are capable of feelings
contemporary or eclectic frames that compliment the
and even simple emotions.
work superbly.
The second is ‘The Birth of Venus.’ If you asked me to
Each print comes packaged with a certificate of
choose the next ‘Chinese Girl’ or his no. 1 for the 21st
authentication signed by the artists’ daughter and
Century, it would be this painting. It is one of the least
Natasha as the custodian of his artistic property.
known portraits and my Grandfathers depiction makes
Botticelli’s Venus look pallid in comparison. With all the
THE TOP 5 TRETCHI PRINTS AVAILABLE
trademarks typical of Tretchikoff i.e. pure iridescent
The Oriental Girls, Balinese Girls,
colour, super realistically depicted water droplets
The Lost Orchid, The Weeping Rose,
streaming down the contours of her torso and bright
The Birth of Venus, and the African Collection
red lushes lips, it evokes subtle emotions of erotica
represented by this archetypal goddess of sensuality,
Quantities vary per print, but on average we have a
love and beauty.
few hundred of each and in some instances like the
Lost Orchid we have less than 100!
All prints are available at www.vladimirtretchikoff.com
RENAISSANCE
W W W. V L A D I M I RT R E T C H I K O F F. C O M
The Tretchikoff Renaissance is managed by
a passionate team, Natasha Mercorio and
Andrew Franks. With backgrounds in
marketing and art they are a dynamic
combination of hard logic and passion.
After 3 years soaking up world creative and
design trends in London, they now apply
their creative expertise to the Tretchikoff
brand and contemporary art culture.
These two have recently launched a series
of exhibitions and the official Vladimir
Tretchikoff Website, which is an amazingly
animated biography of his very colourful life
as well as a showcase of his prolific artworks.
ORIENTAL GIRLS
ANDREW FRANKS
NATASHA MERCORIO
Creative Director
Custodian of Artistic P ropert y
In July, the team are off to London to sign
a book deal and meet with various retailers
who are interested in licensing the brand
and its imagery. Then in August, they are
going to New York to ‘suss’ out the scene
and are planning a series of exhibitions.
an
PRINT AVAILABILITY
www.vladimirtretchikoff.com
Prices:
Unframed: Range from R250 to R1500
F ra m e d : R a n g e f ro m R 1 , 5 0 0 . 0 0 t o
Vladimir Tretchikoff
R 5,000.00
THE RENAISSANCE
Natasha Mercorio
E XHIBITION AT BIBLIOTEQ 22 MAY-13 JUNE 2007
Andrew Franks
Details:
Email:[email protected]
Email:[email protected]