The Chronology
Paul born 1923 to Daisy Ostrow and Thomas Theseus Georges. He was raised Jewish in Portland in the 3rd house Poppy converted from a chicken coop
Paul (L) lived near an ocean his entire life. As a kid summered in a Victorian at quiet beach town, Seaside. Paul (L) Pops in golf gear, brother Ossie
Pops drove to Seaside Fridays w/fresh farm vegetables & clean laundry tied in blue ribbon.Trips back, were full to the running boards w/dirty laundry
Pops 20 acre farm produced milk, fruit & vegetables for his family & the workers at the farm & house in the Depression
Crowds of teens hung around the Georges house & pool, Daisy fed all the kids plenty: fresh bread+butter, sandwiches, milk+cookies, blackberry pies
The Bully chased Paul daily w/knives, ax, or a hammer around the yard but Paul outran him & lived. Girls made goo-goo eyes at good-lookin Paul
Paul's 1st painting made age 16, won 1st Prize at Multnomah County Fair. He bought a car. Friday nights polished his shoes intently before going out swing dancin' & jitterbuggin' at a Catholic girls school. Girls swarmed Paul due to his good looks & agility. The brothers fought: Tommy "the Bully" threw Paul into a glass display case, scars covered one side of his torso forever.
High School Grad.Laundry job.1st girlfriend Marguerite had cross eyes. Daisy called doctors about un-crossing the girls eyes. Gammy yelled goys go vey
Paul pursued his dream to become a Dry Cleaner & attended Oregon State College fall. Drafted Dec 1942. Fought 3 years 9 months 16 days in Asia
1942- 1945 WW II Lifeguard in Hawaii, 2 weeks army private. Next mission 10 month walk entire coast of New Guinea. Few survived heavy bombardment.
A guy lost his blood onto Paul all night in heavy shelling. Paul had an Epiphany age 20. If he lived, he'd do something worthwhile with his life.
1946- 1948 at U of Oregon/Eugene on the G.I. Bill, Prof Jack Wilkinson artist/philosopher became Paul's close, challenging, only loyal lifelong friend
Hofmann School Provincetown, summer 1947 Paul met lifelong friends Jane Freilicher, Wolf Kahn, Clem Greenberg & Larry Rivers who nicknamed him "PG"
Fall '47 returned to Eugene, received 2 yr Certificate in Dec. Drove a laundry route, painted weekends at Cannon Beach house Mom bought after the War
Fall '48 left Portland to see NY. Poppy hissed 'Art is Shit' & cut off his favorite son March '49 to Paris to live on the G.I.Bill until it ran out
Shared small room on West 62nd, Jack's student Vern Witham. NYC thrills: museums, delis, parties, met Brando, Hofmann friends, girls mobbing PG
1949-52 Paris G.I.'s went to Fernand Léger's, hung a painting in front of his nose. The great Léger said 'en lever' signed a 'G.I chit' got both paid
Dec 1949 met Lisette Blumenfeld at an Impasse Ronsin party. She worked at LIFE Magazine.He walked her home, they kissed madly, both felt wild LOVE
A tiny room in chic Rue de la Bûcherie was tres cher. Found a dacca as far south as le Metro ran. Space to paint. His Mom sent a pressure cooker
Dec 1949 He couldn't stop proposing. For 52 years they were madly in love, inseparable, always talking. Every moment they were together was electric.
Lisette & a pipe smoking American had A BIG, BIG LOVE! Why rush marriage? Not to live in a horrid dacca, she needed to think & left Paris for a week.
January 1950 Paul and Lisette Honeymooned in London before they married 7 weeks after meeting. He saw the National Gallery, V&A, Rubens, Fitzwilliam
January 1950 Paul Georges and Lisette Blumenfeld's Wedding picture in Cambridge, England, "note the flower" he wrote to his mom. All parents furious
Lisette rents an artists dream: Artist Albert Marquet's magical house & studio; well-priced if shared. Jack+family arrive instantly on sabbatical
PG painted. Jack philosophized late at night on whiskey foraged by his wife Una. Cathy 9, kept school hours. Baby Shawnie, Margie+D. shared next.
September 1950 they rushed to Portland, Daisy died at 57 of a heart attack. She lingered 10 days. He was too late, he cried hard. He had no mother.
PG drove a laundry route for 2 months. Then drove a laundry truck on the narrow brick X-Country HWY all the way to NY. Saw Italy with that extra money
After his mother died, he went home 5 times for teaching jobs/shows '56/65/72/90 saving up driving a laundry route '61/56. Cypress trees & beauty gone
Paris w/laundry money they got a poodle named him Yuki drove their Deux Chevaux to Florence, Arrezzo, Ravenna, Padua, Verona, Venice. Madly in love
Dinner parties turned into wild parties.Just for them, Lisette boiled pork chops an hour, browned on an iron.She made leather, the dog couldn't chew
Beautiful wall outside Albert Marquet's studio "Fete a La Frette" 1950-52 Painting Not in Existence PG is 5'10 1/2"-? guess: 72"h x108"w 183cm x 274c
1952 NYC 41 East 8th Street upstairs from Rosenberg Art Supplies
Loft slated for demolition. Pollock busted in to see Peter Busa, Pollock forgot Busa went West, PG awestruck, not Lisette whose ass he slapped
Paris paintings filled loft. Larry Rivers worked at Rosenberg downstairs. He stole anything he could, brought the loot up at lunch. 50/50 split 6pm
The Club,Cedar Bar, de Koonings, Kline, Barnet Newman, Joan Mitchell+Barney Rosset, Arguing/Friends. Powerful painter w/ convictions earned respect
1955 John Myers boyfriend, Broadway Director Herbert Machiz hires PG to Design Sets for Tennessee Williams Play Premiere. Failed union Set Design Exam
1956 Built a bookcase for Auden, got carpentry jobs poets circle. Drove 6 week route at the Oregon laundry made enough to scrape by w/baby this year.
1960 645 Broadway an illegal skylit loft, stolen utilities. 1 bar electric+stove heat, coats for blankets, tepid bath once a month. Lentil soup.
PG's career is smokin' hot during the 60's deKooning,Krasner,Hess,Fairfield Porter,Harold Rosenberg: people respond to his skillful, vigorous approach
Country Life Allan Kaprow Nude Beach Happenings Artists Dinner Parties freedom Love before sloganism Hazel & Trap Talmage Neighbors Granny's Dahlias,
Artist's Beach, East Hampton, New York. Everybody went 12 - 5 all summer & stayed late for picnics. PG brought his chess set & played except for swims
Everyone leaping into bed with everyone. East Hampton cops measured Lisette's shorts. Shorts over 4" above knee ticketed in East Hampton for Lewdness
1965 Smoking Linked to Cancer on radio; PG quit cold turkey. Poppy & Stella visited NY, in The Metropolitan Museum he said he thinks some art is okay.
1967 Artists drink Turkish coffee & tea from bowls, live illegally, kids skip public schools. ConEd looks at you: RUN. Vat of lentils atop stove
1972 Old Style 250 Artist Party celebrating the New Loft & a Sweet Sixteen. Dick Bellamy threw fireworks off the catwalk over the dancing crowd
Mugging Musings
"...in retrospect Therefore the painting was about the future ." Paul Georges
1975 In the Studio at 85 Walker. TV Antennas blew off the roof in Ocean winds. So antennas became PG's favored brush handle extenders, 6 hander
Hollister Ranch, CA decides to buy 2 acres build studio. Texas hombre owner, Slo-Mo Dick LaRue, Whaddya lookin for? PG, Something........perfect. Deal
Traveled the US teaching & exhibiting kept an eye out for a place, none as beautiful as Sagg Beach, the views, wild undiscovered quality, history
Sagg Love for every inch of the house, land, view & magical beaches. The Times. Fight another day: past, present, future. No time to look or act old
Dreaming to escape, be free before seeing Sagg ruined. Bayeux 1066, D-Day Beaches, Normandy. Heartbreaking sale of Sagaponack house
Disturbing move. Spartan solitude. Live to paint/paint to live. Friends? The Masters.15,000 sq feet of studios/barns for big paintings & series
Greek warriors on a Mythic mission "never blink" he painted every day. Jogged on the beach for exercise Views,Food,Swimming/Beaches,Locals spectacular
NY every winter. Sunny walks in the city. Visit galleries. Have a show. The Met,bagels,salmon,TV sports w/ Jules. Weekly Drawing Sessions. Survival
1992 communing with Menirs, often stay a night w/ Una (she moved to Segrè from EH house/barn Jack built)p/u her homemade charcoal on the way to Carnac
Normandy 2002
PG on the way to his studio stopping to feed the chickens.
Cardiac arrest after a full morning painting.
PG 1983, Sagaponack
April-May 2023 Simon Lee Gallery London presents 1st major show since his death 21 years ago and 1st International Exhibition in London, U.K.
"The Chronology"©2022 Yvette Georges