by the Italian artist
Maurizio Manzieri
mazier194@ns.sinet.it

Introduction to Michael Whelan

Michael Whelan has been interested in the imagery of science fiction and fantasy since his early childhood. In the last 21 years Michael has created hundreds of paintings for book covers, calendars, magazines, and record albums.
During that time, Whelan has garnered virtually all available illustration or art awards in the international fields of fantasy and science fiction. He is a thirteen-time HUGO (World Science Fiction) Award winner - eleven times for Best Professional Artist - and has won the HOWARD (World Fantasy) Award for Best Artist three times. In 1992, he won a HUGO in the new category of Best Original Artwork for his cover painting The summer queen and he was awarded the "SuperHugo" for Best Professional Artist of the last 50 years. The readers of LOCUS magazine, the #1 professional and fan resource publication for the Fantasy/Science Fiction genre, has awarded Whelan "Best Artist" seventeen years running. In 1994 he won the Grumbacher Gold Medal for his painting Climber. Most recently (early 1997) he was awarded a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the digital painting Crux Humanis and an Award for Excellence in the1997Communication Arts Annual.

In addition to his illustration work, Michael works on "self-commissioned" pieces which are not initially intended for publication. These non- illustrative works differ somewhat in theme and execution from his cover art (though he is quick to point out that all his artwork is, at its most fundamental level, about creating a "sense of wonder"). Most closely allied to the scope and feeling of what is referred to as contemporary "Visionary Art", his gallery painting is imbued with a strong sense of the mystical or dreamlike, and is largely allegorical in nature. There is a deliberate attempt to invest the image with a marked degree of symbolic meaning while having an immediate subjective or emotional appeal. Whelan's personal works are generally larger in size, tending to be at least 4 feet long on a side. He has this year begun an extended "leave of absence" from his illustration career to devote more time towards completion of a new body of works.
Michael's original paintings have been displayed and sold at galleries and museums throughout the United States and around the world. The most recent compilation of his work is THE ART OF MICHAEL WHELAN, a deluxe 208 page collection of Whelan art published by Bantam Books. In interviews and commentary accompanying the 120-plus reproductions Michael discusses his background, his personal themes and symbols, and his techniques and materials. Signed limited edition prints of Michael's non-commissioned work are available from the Mill Pond Press and sold by galleries nationwide. Posters, prints and other items featuring Whelan art are available through Glass Onion Graphics in Danbury, CT.


Michael Whelan: Some additional background info

Born June 29, 1950 in Culver City, CA. I lived in various places in the West throughout my childhood, moving with my family on an average of once every 18 months. Went to five elementary schools, three junior highs, and four high schools. Most of the places I lived in then were near to the coast of California, though we lived briefly near the White Sands Proving Ground (missile testing facility) in New Mexico, in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, and other places. Since my father was employed in the aerospace industry and worked on secret space technology projects we were often near missile test sites, Air Force bases, and other locations related to aerospace development. [One of my earliest memories is of being put in my bed for an afternoon nap when I was a toddler, dozing to the drone of over flying aircraft on a warm afternoon.] Rocket launchings - and the occasional spectacular failures - were a part of my life growing up, as were the SF movies, books, and magazines that suffused our culture. Is it any wonder then, that I became what I am? If I couldn't be an astronaut (my childhood dream) then at least I could picture what it might be like!

I graduated from Oak Grove High School in San Jose, CA. I Graduated from San Jose State University in 1973 as a "President's Scholar" with a BA in Art (Painting). I went to The Art Center College of Design in 1973-74. Got my first professional assignment as a book cover illustrator in 1974.

Aside from painting, my current interests include the martial arts, the digital arts, electronic music, and many other things.


Artistic Statement

I have been interested in the imagery of fantasy since early childhood and all my artwork is, at its most fundamental level, about creating a "sense of wonder". In my illustration, my primary concern is with creating a window into the themes and story elements of a particular book. My non-commissioned work, on the other hand, is concerned with more personal themes. Most closely allied to the scope and feeling of what is referred to as contemporary "Visionary Art", my non-illustrative art is intentionally imbued with a strong sense of the mystical or dreamlike, and is usually suffused with symbolic content. There is a deliberate attempt to invest the image with layers of meaning while having an immediate subjective or emotional impression. In general terms, my "Faded Star" series deal with the struggle against despair and hopelessness, humanity's instinctive striving against what Barbara Tuchman calls the "burdens of modern man": loss of faith in religion, progress and the perfectibility of the human species. My "Passage" series is concerned with a personal investigation into metaphysics, religion, and near death experiences. My "Lumen" paintings are about the quest for inner revelation and meaning, finding one's true self. Other series of works in progress ( such as the "Virtues" series and "Meditations") are about various other issues both subjective and objective.

Michael Whelan's website: http://www.glassonion.com
E-mail: webmaster@glassonion.com
Artist e-mail: michaelwhelan@glassonion.com

Maurizio Manzieri is a SF cover artist for Mondadori (Italy). Since 1995, he has published digital covers for the leading science fiction magazine in England, Interzone. Interzone was the recipient of the 1995 Hugo Award, the most prestigious award in the science fiction literature field. As well, he collaborates with Virtual Views, a company specializing in multimedia science fiction. In 1996, Virtual Views published an avant-garde CD-Rom, unique in its own genre: "Sinkha", a science fiction novel, packed with state-of-the-art pictures and animation sequences, and winner of a bronze award by Newmedia Invision Awards. In 1997 Manzieri was included ad honorem in the DigiPainters' Club, an international organization of renowned digital artists. He was also appointed member of the World SF Italia, the Italian unit of the international science fiction association of professionals. His official international Home Page is: http://www.sinet.it/personalpage/manzieri/indexe.htm, E-mail: mazier194@ns.sinet.it

The artwork is being shown here with the permission of Michael Whelan, under special arrangement with the artist. Any uploading to other websites or utilization for commercial purposes without the artist's consent will be considered a copyright violation. Every image is linked with the original page in the official website GlassOnion, where you can also buy posters and other merchandising.