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| Theo Wujcik at "Tipping Point" Opening. |
During this time he was printing for "Earth Projects" suite by Robert Morris, as commissioned by the Detroit Institute of Arts, Jasper Johns, Karl Kasten, John Altoon, James Strombone, Billy Al Bengston, Michael Mazur, Eleanor Mikus, Ed Moses,
Karl Kasten, John Altoon, James Strombotne, Billy Al Bengston, Michael Mazur, Eleanor Mikus, Ed Moses,
Nicholas Krushenick, Edward Ruscha, James Rosenquist, and Richard Anuszkiewicz.
Nicholas Krushenick, Edward Ruscha, James Rosenquist, and Richard Anuszkiewicz.
He divorced his first wife and took up a studio in Ybor City, all before 1980, became a resident in 1987, and taught at USF from 1970-2003, but he was not an academician. Many of his students remarked that his critiques were ruthless, direct and helpful,with a heavy emphasis on technique. His own work consisted of prints, drawings and paintings that fused disparate elements such as recontextualizing/exploring/interpreting major artworks, cultural movements, and his personal life. From early on to the end he did portraits of artists he had printed for, befriended and/or respected. I remember seeing these in prints, silverpoint drawings, and paintings, all the way to the end. The last of these were exhibited at Selby Gallery in early 2014.
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| Theo Wucik, "World Harmony" |
I reported on this exhibit here: [Link]. What I did not know at the time was that he was in a wheelchair, painting these on his knees. Theo would launch into reading about his painting subjects in depth, and casually mention what he was thinking.
One of the great questions about him was posed on more than one occassion by James Rosenquist: Why had Theo chosen to stay and live in Tampa, which Rosenquist referred to as a "cultural wasteland"? The latter told me he had found fame and wealth elsewhere. Wujcik had chosen the desert instead of the Promised Land. Maybe it was having a wife and two daughters (in the beginning), but I like to think the "wasteland" had its charms for him.
He broke out of the academic mold, taking his energies to the streets, perhaps peaking out when he created a Dada-inspired movement called "Mododado", which nucleated around Punk Clubs and gathered at a place in downtown Tampa, rocketing him from art icon to underground celebrity and creating a desperately needed sense of identity for Tampa artists. He divorced and married Susan Johnston, had a third daughter, Frankie, now 20, and moved into a studio across the street from The Castle. He divorced again, and stayed on good terms with Johnston, who cared for Theo as the cancer progressed -- to the end.
It is impossible to even attempt to condense an artists' life and oeuvre into a blog post...specially one like Theo, whose work proved capable of eluding the cages of categorization, an independent thinker throughout his life. Maybe that is the lure of the Wasteland, I do not know.
I wrote about Theo here as well: [Link], [Link], [Link], [Link]
Theo was always kind, encouraging, and welcoming to me. I have many Theo stories: One night at the opening of his show at Mindy Solomon's in St. Pete, I went looking for him. He was outside, sitting on a bench, watching the gallery like a cat before an aquarium. He said hello and motioned me over. "You're covered in cat hairs". [My cat Bill knowing I had a black shirt on, had insisted on jumping on me.] Theo picked the orange and cream hairs off one by one as we talked about art and China under the stars.
Thank you, Theo Wujcik for so many things.
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| Theo and Rosenquist at HCC Ybor "Tipping Point" on the right. |
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