It’s likely that no rock stars are as instantly recognizable as the members of KISS. Always considered among the most commercially minded musicians, the various band members have marketed everything from comic books to caskets, all with their famous painted faces prominently featured. Now frontman Paul Stanley has extended his reach into the world of fine art. As with everything Stanley touches, the results have yielded gold.
On Sept. 7 and 8, The Wentworth Gallery will host a reception for an exhibit of Stanley’s paintings, with the artist in attendance from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening. For Stanley, these new works are the culmination of a lifelong love of art that predates his time as a rock icon. He attended Art College as a youth in the ’60s, but it’s only been in the last decade that he has begun to create artwork.
“I reconnected with painting when I was in the midst of a divorce. I needed an outlet other than beating my fist against the wall,” he joked.
Stanley’s art, which is priced up to $60,000 for a canvas, is abstract with vibrant hues, “kind of like a stream of consciousness using color and texture instead or words,” he explained.
He cited Picasso and Mark Rothko as favorite artists, but is reluctant to compare his work with others’ or to even name an art movement his paintings might be likened to.
“I would be disillusional [delusional] to try to put myself in the ranks of anyone,” he remarked. “There is a lot great art around that inspires me, but where I belong in terms of categories or contemporaries is up to the collector.”
He feels that art is undervalued as a whole.
“You just have to look at Art News, and it’s humbling to see how much wonderful art is out there,” he said. “(Most work) will never be seen in museums.”
Surprisingly, Stanley does not paint while on tour.
“I tell people I never bring paint brushes on stage and I don’t bring guitars into the studio,” he quipped.
While he’s creating, he listens to music, most recently classic R&B from the Stax-Volt and Motown labels.
“It’s got to fill the air,” he said. “I like something that keeps moving; I mean, Zeppelin would do me fine as well.”
Though he’s happy to have regular KISS fans cross over to the art scene, Stanley himself keeps the two worlds separate. He has made one concession to the musical side of his career with a series of four paintings, each depicting a different member of the band.
“Those (paintings) were done as a nod and a thanks to KISS fans,” he stated. “But I’d put down my brushes if I had to spend all my time doing that.”
Don’t look for his artwork to show up on any of the band’s recordings, either.
“I think that my art is so removed from KISS that unless it was specifically done for (a project), it wouldn’t have any connection,” he said.
Reflecting on a long career in the media spotlight, Stanley points to hard work as the key to any success.
“I’ve always believed that you can judge how important something is to you by how much you’re willing to do to get it,” he said. “I have a great time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t work hard for everything I have. And yet, I know that my life is special and blessed. I owe it all to a lot of people I don’t forget.”
Upcoming projects include a series of glass sculptures that will complement his paintings, and there is already talk of a book collecting his work. Stanley is pleased with the impact his paintings have made on the art world. He concedes name recognition has helped open doors.
“I’m not blind to the fact that my ‘fame’ gets me access that others might not have,” he said good-naturedly. “But nobody buys (art) because they love your song.”
For his part, Stanley is happy that something he began as a personal outlet has been embraced by art lovers.
“It’s tremendously gratifying to do something that started out very intimate and personal, for myself, and which has now connected with so many other people,” he stated.
Wentworth Gallery, 1025 Prospect St., will host an exhibition of Paul Stanley’s artwork on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7 and 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. For information, call (858) 551-7071 or visit wentworth-art.com.