MENTOR'S BIBLIOGRAPHY

Some of Mentor Huebner's Favorite Books

Mentor Huebner was a huge talent. An Icon in two fields of artistic endeavor FINE ARTS & FILM. He was an art professional and worked diligently 'full time' at each of his chosen professions.

He considered himself an 'artist' by inclination, but first and foremost in his heart he was a painter. His abundant talent flowed over and spilled out and he became a 'Studio Artist' despite himself. But first as a Post Impressionist Painter, he painted landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and portraits ~ had 50 One Man Art Exhibits ~ and his paintings were collected around the world. It was the Motion Picture Artist in him that caused him to work on n 250 Feature Films.

He was the 'Complete Film Artist.' His visual expertise was total and overwhelming and his credits swept through the entire range of categories for film visuals; Designer, Conceptual Artist, Primary Production illustrator, Choreographer of Complicated Sequences, Art Director, Production Designer, Conceptual Designer, Architectural Conceptual Artist, Matte Artist, Conceptual Story board Artist, and Painter.

Sometimes it was necessary for him to work on two separate films simultaneously. The work he did was not accomplished by sitting in his office making phone calls ~ talking his way through ~ and having 'others' turn out the product. His work required the rendering of many complicated drawings and plans. It was three dimensional and either it was there or it wasn't.

He turned out vast quantities of product. Each production received their monies worth of his designs. He always did more not less. He had great vision. As they say, he "saw the whole picture".

He saw 'everything' from start to finish. In one big explosion of visualization.

Mentor drew at top speed. He never seemed to have to think. When he placed the charcoal pencil on the pad on his drawing board ~ drawings flowed swiftly from his hand much the same as in the case of ghostly automatic writing. Clearly he was possessed.

He had no 'hippy' style or bohemian casual approach to his professions. He was extremely disciplined. He demanded perfection from himself.

But he was sympathetic of the failings of others. He found the most minute detail to offer compliments to other less gifted artists. He was able to reach a high level of standards quickly.

His work was without question - superior. He felt sorry for those less fortunate. Upon viewing someone else's work that maybe didn't hit the mark, he would often say in response to my negativity about it, "Oh I don't know, at least he's trying....."

I'm afraid I was the one who always responded, "Who the hell cares. It's no good."

Being fast and good was a gift that offered him some extra time for other things. In his spare time he designed Theme Parks and Resorts and Restaurants.

And then in the limited time available ~ he read books.

Many books.

He was a perpetual student of the arts. He was an Academician. He would try to persuade fellow studio artists to join him at a museum exhibit of art work by some one or the other Master. He would be disappointed if his fellow studio artists didn't seem to show the least bit of interest.

If fact he would be flabbergasted at their lack of enthusiasm, saying, "I don't get it.........they're artists".

I'd ask him a rhetorical question, "Mentor what makes you think some of those guys are creating art?"

He overflowed with art information. He knew everything about art. He could draw in any style. He could paint in any style. He had his own strong view. But he could mimic anyone. And he could accomplish this within split seconds. ( He was good with accents too. )

He taught art at prestigious art institutes for over 25 years. The motion picture industry paid him at a rate twelve times that of an art teacher. Still, nothing stopped his enthusiasm for what he loved to do.

He loved to study. He loved to teach. He loved to draw. He loved to paint. He visited art museums around the world. If an exhibit was of a Master's work he might go to the show a half dozen times. He scrutinized every detail every brushstroke. He absorbed all the efforts made by his 'heroes'. He never tired of studying. He was never bored. He was never saturated.

And so it seems fitting that some of the museums he visited and some of the books from his library be listed to assist others in the pursuit of their artistic knowledge.

Maybe it will give a glimpse of what influenced him. See what it was he 'looked' at.

Though we may never ever come to know what it was he actually 'saw'.

Mentor studied his art books, every day over morning coffee - and every other chance he had - around the clock.

Just before he died - a couple of months short of being 84, he told me, "Honey, I think I'm catching on. I think I see what they've been doing. I see now how they (the Masters) handled 'light'....

"Oh God, really Mentor - really? "

It was always a bit unnerving to be stared at intently over breakfast.
"What's wrong?" I would ask. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"It's the light, Honey, I'm looking at the light on your face...."

BOOK LIST

coming soon

MUSEUMS

Some of Mentor Huebner's Favorite Museums

MUSEUM LIST

Mentor thought about Art around the clock. it was always on his mind. He saw Art everywhere. Wherever he went, if it was just to get a haircut, or to pick up a loaf of bread, he would observe his surroundings, looking for scenes he wanted to paint. But besides being an artist, Mentor was an avid Art Lover. He was wildly enthusiastic about Art. He visited Museums, Galleries, Churches, private collections, neighborhood art exhibits, professional art exhibits, and if stopped at a red light, he wouldn't turn away from 'seeing' the offered purple hued "Art for Sale - $39.95" (created by World Famed Artists). Anywhere there was a painting, Mentor stopped to look. He acknowledged every effort.

Sometimes he would shake his head from side to side and say, "Jesus" and sometimes not. But he always 'looked'.

Mentor visited every Art Museum and Collection of Art, within his reach. If his schedule permitted he would attend Art Exhibits of other Artists. He loved Art. He lived it. He respected all of it in every form and every media. Though he was a Post Impressionist Painter and worked in Oil on linen, he appreciated it all.

Of course when it was a Master...he gave up lunch and drove to the Exhibit, standing on line for hours. He saw the Van Gogh Show in Los Angeles over and over and over again.

He loved going on location for any Film Production, because that meant he could see Art in some foreign City. The very first chance he could grab, he would race off to the Location City's Art Galleries and Museums.

For every one of his overseas Film Production jobs, part of the contractual agreement was that Mentor would never work on Saturdays as did traditionally - all the rest of the film crew - because he had to visit the Art Museums.

He studied Art every chance he got.

Untiringly, he contemplated every line and brush stroke created by any respectable artist ~ some from the past and long since gone....others contemporaries; alive and maybe not yet famous. He would enthusiastically add to his vast and complicated storehouse of Art information. Mentor was never too smug to learn more.

He was shocked when fellow Studio Artists did not join him in viewing another's Art each and every time it was possible. And when they didn't utilize the opportunity to view the available Art in a City whenever a Film Studio sent them on a Production Location... it blew his mind.

He would say, "I don't get it. Art is their field and they have no interest in it."

Since I wasn't a member of the IATSE, I would say, "Yes, and I think it shows."

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is close to where we live and close enough for fellow Studio Artists to accompany Mentor for a 'quick peek' .

Mentor would think up a lunch viewing for one Art Exhibit or another. The other 'Studio Artists' loved to get together for lunch and a drink...but the Art viewing was out of the question. It would be rejected. (Who knows why?) Since they had 'no time' at lunch, he's suggest they group to visit a show, either at the Simon, or somewhere else, on a day off. Nope. Mentor would visit the Museums multiple times making up for all the other illustrators, production designers and art directors who couldn't find time.

Mentor considered all the movie location jobs a special blessing as they gave him an opportunity to see Art around the world ~ on the Studio's dime.

The following list of Museums may offer one that is close to where you live. There may be others that require some travel to reach, but they are well worth it. If you have a chance to visit any of them, one or more; Do It!

Seeing Art is inspiring and enhances spirituality. No matter if you are an Artist or an Art Lover ~ you'll benefit. It's inevitable.

*

ART MUSEUMS MENTOR VISITED

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

Australia: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Sydney Gallery of Art, Sydney.
France: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris - National Museum of Modern Art.
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
Germany: Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin.
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn.
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
Italy: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Netherlands: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Spain: Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona
UK: The National Gallery, London.
Tate Gallery, London / Liverpool
National Portrait Gallery, London.
Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Hayward Gallery, South Bank, London
The Saatchi Gallery, County Hall, London.

USA: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, Ca.
Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles, Ca.
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
California Center for the Arts Museum, Escondido, Ca.
Chicago Museum of Art, Chicago, Il
Cloisters, The, New York, NY
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, Ca.
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, Ca.
Fleischer Museum, Scottsdale, AZ
Frick Museum of Art, New York, NY
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden - Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA
J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center, Los Angeles, Ca.
Kreeger Museum, Washington, DC
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, Ca.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, The, New York, NY
Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, Monterey, Ca.
Montgomery Gallery - Pomona College, Claremont, Ca.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
National Museum of American Art - Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, Ca.
Peggy Phelps Gallery and the East Gallery, Claremont, Ca.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Phillips Collection, Washington, DC
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, NY
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Seattle Museum of Art, Seattle, Washington.
San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, Ca.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, Ca.
Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, Ca.
Skirball Cultural Center, the - Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, Ca.
Smithsonian Art Museum, Washington DC
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NY
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY