HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
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HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
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Art Patron Strives For Immortality |
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Like a modern-day Medici, Louise Dern believes that through the enthusiastic support of the arts, she can leave a mark on future generations. True, her Blandford Avenue home may never compare to the great palaces that were filled with masterpieces commissioned by the famous 15th century aristocrats of Florence, but Mrs. Dern is progressing toward her goal. She has sponsored what she proudly terms "my museum pieces:" a pair of portraits of international concert pianist Alexis Weissenberg executed by prominent Perth Amboy portrait artist Kenneth Hari. Surrounded by portraits of several renowned personalities that adorn the walls of Hari's studio, listening to a recording of Weissenberg's bold, romantic rendering of Tchaikovsky's "First Piano Concerto" and facing one of the recently completed portraits, Mrs. Dern explained what motivates a working, married mother of two to go to the considerable expense of commissioning the painting of an artist she has not even met. "In a way, I would like to be immortal and this is the way," said the woman whose youth and vitality would not seemingly indicate an overwhelming concern for creating a legacy. "I was saving for a Mercedes-Benz, but my great-great-grandchildren won't be interested in what I drove or what I wore on my back. But I hope they will be interested in what I did." Instead of a Mercedes, she still drives a beat-up station wagon that needs an overhaul, but, as she describes herself, "I am a romantic idealist and a lover of beauty - strange words in this materialistic world." Intensely interested for a lifetime in both music and art- "they are like sister and brother" - Mrs. Dern said she is attempting to arrange for one of the Weissenberg portraits to be donated to Bulgaria, where the musician was born and holds the title "Artist of the State." Plans are incomplete, though Mrs.Dern says the Bulgarians are "very receptive" to the idea. The works - which are the result of four months effort by Hari, following a one day sitting by Weissenberg in his suite at New York's posh Carlyle Hotel - convey powerful, brooding and masculine feelings that characterize Weissenberg's musicianship. "The portrait tells you a lot about the man and his art," the patron said. "Put this painting in a room and it dominates. You feel his presence, just as in a concert hall he is so commanding and powerful that nobody dare cough". Mrs. Dern became aware of Weissenberg after her daughter saw him perform while she was attending college in Boston. She took here daughters advice. attended a concert and has since listened to him on numerous occasions. Through artist and admirer have never met, they have exchanged letters, which she says have heightened her already great appreciation for fine music. "We'll meet someday," she vows. Mrs. Dern also feels strongly about Hari's work, which includes studies of Pablo Casals, W.H. Auden, Kurt Vonnegut and other famed creative artists. Nineteen-year-old Chris Dern, a student at Rutgers, said that the project has been "a great learning experience for everyone involved." "We all benefitted from this one idea," she said. As for myself, I was never before involved with classical music and its meaning. But learning something new - isn't that what life is all about?" Mrs. Dern's hope is that by viewing the portrait, someone will catch a bit of her own enthusiasm and perhaps develop a previously dormant artistic ability. "To promote art and culture is what I want for myself," she said. So whose portrait might she sponsor next? "Neil Diamond, here I come," she said without a moment's hesitation. |
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