We all know Michael Jackson changed the world of music. But did you know he changed the art world as well?
Our Memory Attic is filled with Michael’s creations, including this piece of artwork signed by Michael Jackson and Romero Britto. Or check out this signed Interview cover with the great artist Andy Warhol!
Meet Michael Jackson, the Artist!
Many people don’t know that Michael Jackson was a visual artist as well as a vocal and performing artist. Here’s what you should know about his forgotten career as a visual artist.
Since he was young, Michael Jackson always loved to sketch. People close to him observed that he was always doodling and harbored dreams of learning to draw professionally. As an adult, he finally came back around to his childhood dream and started taking lessons with famous illustrator David Nordahl. But it didn’t go very well at first.
Nordahl observed, “We practiced doing certain things with pencil and colored pencil, but Michael was a perfectionist and so he would get angry at himself if what he was trying to do didn’t work very well. He was so impatient with himself.” One of Jackson’s special interests was intricacy, so he often sketched architecture or painted very complex scenes.
There is a huge warehouse in California that stores the majority of Jackson’s paintings. Some of them are being shown or sold. Common themes in his works include his pet chimpanzee, chairs, gates, and keys. He also did occasional portraits of people, including self-portraits that are poignant reflections on his own life and the troubles he faced growing up as a child star.
Jackson’s full art collection is valued at over $900 million. There are some disputes over ownership and many works are embroiled in legal battles, but it’s clear how much the man loved to create. To see a reproduction of one of his works, go visit the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital in California.