Boris Gorelick (June 24, 1911-July 27, 1984) was an American printmaker and background artist.

Biography

Gorelick was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States when he was baby. When he was 10 years old, Gorelick attended drawing classes in Brooklyn taught by

Peter Krasnow Peter Krasnow (20 August 1886 – 30 October 1979), born Feivish Reisberg, was a modernist and colorist artist known for his abstract wood sculptures and architectonic hard-edge paintings and drawings which were often based on Hebrew calligraphy ...

and was recognized for his ability to draw portraits. He studied art at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

, where he was a classmate of

Lee Krasner Lenore "Lee" Krasner (born Lena Krassner; October 27, 1908 – June 19, 1984) was an American painter and visual artist active primarily in New York whose work has been associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement. She received her ear ...

, Bryon Browne, and Igor Pantuhoff. Gorelick was a member of the Communist Party and helped to found the

Artists Union The Artists Union or Artists' Union was a short-lived union of artists in New York in the years of the Great Depression. It was influential in the establishment of both the Public Works of Art Project in December 1933 and the Federal Art Proje ...

with other Party members. He also served on the executive committee of the Artists' Congress Against War and Fascism in 1935. Gorelick was known primarily for his political prints, which incorporated

Surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

techniques. Many of his works reflected his left-wing politics, depicting workers and industrial scenes. Gorelick later worked as a

background artist A background artist or sometimes called a background stylist or background painter is one who is involved in the process of animation who establishes the color, style, and mood of a scene drawn by an animation layout artist. The methods used can e ...

for

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...

. In 1973, he worked on the animation for '' Star Trek: The Animated Series''. In addition, he taught art classes for high school students at the

Otis Art Institute Otis College of Art and Design is a Private university, private Art school, art and design school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is l ...

References

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External links

Oral history interview with Boris Gorelick
American animators Members of the Communist Party USA 1911 births 1984 deaths National Academy of Design alumni