Elwyn Moody "Wynn" Chamberlain, (19 May 1927 – 27 November 2014), was an American

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

, film maker and

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

. Described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as a "pioneer realist painter", Chamberlain has two works, ''Interior: Late August'' (1955) and ''The Barricade'' (1958), in the permanent collection of the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

Early life

Elwyn Chamberlain was born in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota, in 1927. After serving in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946, he studied art at the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1949. He then took a master's degree in philosophy at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, while continuing to paint and studying with the

Magic realist Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...

artist,

John Wilde John Wilde (December 12, 1919 – March 9, 2006) was an American painter, draughtsman, and printmaker from Wisconsin. He spent the majority of his life in the state and taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for over 35 years. Wilde ...

Art career

He had his first solo exhibition in Milwaukee in 1951, and three years later he had his first

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

solo exhibition at the Edwin Hewitt Gallery. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s his realist landscapes, interior scenes, and allegorical paintings were exhibited throughout the United States and in Europe. Although his work tended to become more abstract in the 1960s, he had a major exhibition of nude portraits at the Fischbach Gallery in 1965. The portraits were of New York literary and artistic figures of the time. One of the most famous of these is ''Poets Dressed and Undressed'', two panels portraying

Joe Brainard Joe Brainard (March 11, 1942 – May 25, 1994) was an American artist and writer associated with the New York School. His prodigious and innovative body of work included assemblages, collages, drawing, and painting, as well as designs for book ...

Frank O'Hara Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara (March 27, 1926 – July 25, 1966) was an American writer, poet, and art critic. A curator at the Museum of Modern Art, O'Hara became prominent in New York City's art world. O'Hara is regarded as a leading figure i ...

Joe LeSueur Joseph Madison LeSueur (September 15, 1924 – May 14, 2001) was an American poet and screenwriter. He is known as a lover of Frank O'Hara and the author of ''Digressions on Some Poems by Frank O’Hara: A Memoir.'' Life LeSueur grew up in Los A ...

and Frank Lima. The exhibition also included a nude portrait of

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...

who wrote the publicity flyer for the exhibition (''Chamberlain's "Nakeds"'') as well as notes for the catalogue, wherein he equated Chamberlain's nudes with the ecstatic poetry of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

. In the 1960s Chamberlain also became involved in

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

's circle. In the latter part of that decade he increasingly turned from painting to film and theatre. In 1967 he produced the premiere of

Charles Ludlam Charles Braun Ludlam (April 12, 1943May 28, 1987) was an American actor, director, and playwright. Biography Early life Ludlam was born in Floral Park, New York, the son of Marjorie (née Braun) and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in ...

's ''Conquest of the Universe'' at the

Bouwerie Lane Theatre The Bouwerie Lane Theatre is a former bank building which became an Off-Broadway theatre, located at 330 Bowery at Bond Street in Manhattan, New York City. It is located in the NoHo Historic District. The cast-iron building, which was constructe ...

, directed by

John Vaccaro Theatre of the Ridiculous is a theatrical genre that began in New York City in the 1960s.Bottoms, Stephen J. Chapter 11: "The Play-House of the Ridiculous: Beyond Absurdity". ''Playing Underground: A Critical History of the 1960s Off-Off-Broadway M ...

and starring several members of Andy Warhol's

Factory A factory, manufacturing plant or production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. Th ...

, including

Taylor Mead Taylor Mead (December 31, 1924 – May 8, 2013) was an American writer, actor and performer. Mead appeared in several of Andy Warhol's underground films filmed at Warhol's Factory, including ''Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of'' (1963) and '' T ...

and Ultra Violet. Chamberlain also wrote, produced and directed the film ''Brand X'' which premiered in 1970. The film, a satire on American television commercials, included

Candy Darling Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar. She was a pioneer for transgender visibility, inspiring songs by the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed. Her performances Andy Warhol's f ...

Abbie Hoffman Abbot Howard Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was an American political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies") and was a member of the Chicago Seven. He was also a leading proponent of the ...

Baby Jane Holzer Jane Holzer (née Brukenfeld; born October 23, 1940), is an American art collector and real estate investor. She is best known as a Warhol superstar, and she also worked as a model, actress, and film producer. Nicknamed Baby Jane Holzer, she appea ...

and

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...

in the cast. On 7 September 1965, in Staatsburg, New York, Chamberlain married Sally Stokes, the former wife of John Sergeant Cram III and a daughter of Frederick Hallock Stokes. The couple had two children in 1968, fraternal twins Sara Ninigret Stokes Chamberlain and Samuel Wyandance Stokes Chamberlain.

Later life

In 1970, Chamberlain left the

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * Buenos Aires Underground, a rapid transit system * London Underground, a rapid transit system * ...

scene and the art world behind. He burned his paintings and left for India with his wife and children. The family were to live there for five years – in the

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

with a Tantric

yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297–299, 331 ...

, in the village of Kollur in Karnataka, and in

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, in an old colonial mansion once owned by Arthur Wellesley. On their return to the United States in 1975, they bought land in California's

Mendocino County Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza") is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United S ...

, lived in a tent for three years, built their house and grew most of their own food. It was during this time that Chamberlain became a novelist. His first novel, ''Gates of Fire'', was published by Grove Press in 1978. ''Gates of Fire'', like his third novel, ''Then Spoke the Thunder'', is set in India. Chamberlain was living in

Marrakech, Morocco Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The city was ...

. Chamberlain died in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, India, of heart failure on 27 November 2014, at the age of 87.Weber, Bruce (6 December 2014)
"Wynn Chamberlain, an Artist in Paint, on Screen and in Novels, Dies at 87"
''

''. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

Novels

*''Gates of Fire'' (1978) Grove Press, (also published in Spanish as ''El guru'' (1979) Martínez Roca, and in Dutch as ''Door een poort Van Vuur'' (1980) Omega, ) *''Hound Dog'' (1984) North Atlantic Press *''Then Spoke the Thunder'' (1987) Grove Press (also published in French as ''La nuit tomba sur Kotagarth'' (1990) Laffont, ) *''Paradise'' (2006) Kadmos Publishing

References

Sources

*ANP QUARTERLY, Volume 2, Number 4 '222 Bowery: The Bunker' by Ethan Swan, 2010 *American Federation of Arts, ''Who's Who in American Art'', R. R. Bowker, 1959, p. 98. *Banes, Sally
''Greenwich Village 1963: Avant-garde Performance and the Effervescent Body''
Duke University Press, 1993, *Chamberlain, Elwyn
"Boom Bangalore"
''Geographical'', July 2000. Accessed via subscription 19 June 2009. *Chamberlain, Sally
"From Woodstock to Altamont: Sally Chamberlain says goodbye to 60s New York"
''

Five Dials ''Five Dials'' was a digital literary magazine published from London by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Books, between 2008 and 2023. Edited by Craig Taylor, ''Five Dials'' featured short fiction, essays, letters, poetry, reporting from aro ...

'', No. 7, September 2009. *Chamberlain, Sall
"Make Little Mistakes"
''Five Dials'' No. 13 July 2010 *Cozzolino, Robert
In Memoriam: John Wilde (1919-2006)
, ''Wisconsin Visual Artists'', 2006. Accessed 20 June 2009. *Cummings, Paul, ''A Dictionary of Contemporary American Artists'', St. Martin's Press, 1971, p. 94. *Greenspun, Roger
Review: ''Brand X''
''New York Times'', 19 May 1970. Accessed 19 June 2009. *Kadmos Publishing

Accessed 19 June 2009. *McCarthy, David
"Social Nudism, Masculinity, and the Male Nude in the Work of William Theo Brown and Wynn Chamberlain in the 1960s"
Archives of ''American Art Journal'', Vol. 38, No. 1/2 (1998), pp. 28–38. Accessed via subscription 19 June 2009. *Renfrue, Neff and Giorno, John
Love & Sleeze: Renfrue Neff Interviews John Giorno & Vice Versa
''Smoke Signals'', January–February 2009. Accessed 23 June 2009. *Smithsonian American Art Museum
Wynn Chamberlain
(excerpt from Virginia M. Mecklenburg, ''Modern American Realism: The Sara Roby Foundation Collection'', Smithsonian Institution Press for the National Museum of American Art, 1987). Accessed 19 June 2009. *''Spokane Daily Chronicle''
"Minnesota Artist Shows Work at UI"
24 February 1949. Accessed 19 June 2009. *Smith, Michael
"Theatre Journal: Conquest of the Universe
''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'', 30 November 1967, p. 33 *Stix, Harriet
"From Artist's Life to Austerity"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', 22 September 1978, Orange County Edition, p. C1. Accessed via subscription 19 June 2009. *Thorton, Gene, "Male Nudes: Photographs, Paintings and Statues", ''The New York Times'', 11 November 1973, Section: AL, p. 179.

External links

Video interview with Wynn Chamberlain
by Steven Watson, September 2001, on the official web site for Watson's book, ''Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties''.

complete novel in electronic form with permission granted by the author for free download, on the official web site of Kadmos Publishing.
Background information on Chamberlain's 1970 film, ''Brand X''
including a lengthy video interview with Chamberlain, on the web site of the UK film company, Surreal Films. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, Wynn American artists Filmmakers from Minnesota American male writers 1927 births 2014 deaths University of Idaho alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni