About George Marlowe
The MasqueMan: Susie Isaacs
I don’t remember the first time I met George Marlowe but I do remember where, it was a poker emporium somewhere, and I also remember what got my attention, his friendliness, his smile and his mismatched shoes. He wore one purple Reebok and one red. The rest of his ensemble matched his shoes. Indeed, he made a totally individual fashion statement. I loved it! During our first real conversation I surmised that the creativity present in his attire was related to his artistic nature.
He called himself a ceramic artist. My grandmother did ceramic art, pots, vases, and ashtrays. I was invited to visit Marlowe’s studio in the early nineties. I was overwhelmed. Not one pot, vase or ashtray. There were contemporary masques of all sizes and personalities in different stages of completion. This was ceramic art like I had never ever dreamed of. I was so impressed with Marlowe's work that I bought my first piece, 'Poker Mini-Wizard' on the spot and a couple of years later I added the 'Harlequin Queen' to my collection of Marlowe Art.
“This is one of my two passions,” he stated, “art and poker.”
I had to know everything. He started with poker, “I must have had poker in my blood,” he began. “I got thrown out of three junior high schools and three high schools for playing poker. I did manage to complete my education but I didn’t stop playing poker. I started playing “real” poker in Gardena when I was 17. I played with relatives who played small stakes games. Those games were so tight and so tenacious I called them ‘The ‘Rock Garden.’ I learned a lot in those games that often were as tough as any final table I have ever played. Years later, I finished second in the largest poker tournament ever held on the planet earth – at that time.” [In 1992, the 862 players who participated in the first event in the "Winnin’ O’ the Green" was a staggering number for a poker competition!] George continued, “I was riding home in a limousine, counting my winnings and thinking, I just won more money in one night playing poker than any of the principals who threw me out of school made in a year … what great vindication!”
Marlowe was a successful professional poker player for a number of years. He then decided to re-join the “real” world of business. 'When I became a single parent, I knew my life had to change drastically. I started a business and became ‘Superdad.’ I knew there would be no more poker for me for a while but never doubted that one day I would get back to it.”
Marlowe was involved in arts and crafts from a young age as his mother was a music, dance and ceramic teacher. He developed art and craft products for Mattel, Ceramichrome, Inc. and the craft division of General Mills, Inc. He eventually owned and operated his own company, “VideoPitch”, a very successful and highly specialized new business consultancy for advertising agencies. His ceramic creativity was reborn during his stint with Ceramichrome where he had the opportunity of working with some of the most highly regarded and talented ceramists in the world. Another passion was unleashed within Marlowe in 1989 when he went to take his girlfriend a toolkit at the school where she was taking a ceramics class and met her teacher. The teacher invited Marlowe to stay and create some pieces and that's when it all came together for Marlowe and he realized that Masques out of clay were his destiny. That morning he created his first two masques...Picasso Clown and Foo Man Choo. Those first masques among others were featured at the D. Genero Galleries in Santa Monica and Venice, California. His early work included pieces such as 'Silly Dali', 'Harlequin' and a haunting series on aliens. Since then his work has been featured in the International Festival of Masques, The Guild Sourcebook of Contemporary Craft Artists, and also featured in one-man shows at Gallery Rodeo in Beverly Hills, the Kracke Gallery in Rancho Palos Verdes, and The Wright Image Gallery in Palm Springs, California.
He specializes in masques, he explains, because every face (human or ceramic) is individual and unique. As in his personality, his sense of humor is apparent in his masques. It has been called the trademark of his art.
George continued playing poker on a more social level but made impressive scores along the way including a seventh place finish in the 1993 World Series of Poker, Limit Hold ‘Em event and a fifth place finish in 2003 in Omaha Hi-Lo Split. He also had two additional money finishes at the World Series of Poker and cashed in at the World Poker Tours year end event at the Bellagio.
His love for poker prompted his first poker-related masques, which were two Jokers. The Commerce Casino purchased them on first viewing and put them on display in the ‘Top Section’ of the casino. Since then he has created an extensive array of Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers most of which are owned by many of the top players and casino executives in the poker world.
Today, the masques and faces created by George Marlowe are on display in private homes and casinos internationally, Including the 'Mariani-Buss Joker' that hangs in the beautifully paneled study of Dr. Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers; the 'Queen of Diamonds' hangs out at Kristy Gazes home in the San Fernando Valley; 'Poker Joker' and 'Poker Joker II' are in the offices of Mr. Bob Kirkeby, a very successful ring game and tournament poker player and furniture manufacturer; Harlequin II, Masquerade II, and Drawn & Quartered II form a dramatic display in the Palm Springs dining room of Kerry Hopps and Stephen Greenfield. (She is the former Head Golf Professional at Woodland Hills Country Club and he is a highly successful consultant in the financial community.) But the record holder for Marlowe Art is Tom McEvoy, the 1983 World Series of Poker Champion and author of 14 books on poker with 14 pieces of Marlowe Art. (4 kings, 4 queens, 4 jacks and two jokers.)
Marlowe's latest creative series are Floral Goddesses, EveryWoman and Court Jesters. Some of those collector's include Ms. Tiffany Harris, Executive Director of Shane's Inspiration in Sherman Oaks who has 'EveryWoman' hanging in her office as you enter; Dr. Stanley Brosman of Pacific Urology in Santa Monica who owns Floral Goddess III and Floral Goddess VI, and has them proudly displayed in his waiting room at St. Johns Health Center; his wife Superior Court Judge Victoria Cheney has the Superior Court Jester hanging in her chambers and Ms. Melinda Staveley, Executive Director of the Rehabilitation Institute in Santa Barbara, has Floral Goddess V hanging happily in her home.
Marlowe's latest creations are a fascinating evolution of how his art has expanded and grown. I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.
Susie
Artist Statement
I was raised in a very artistic family. My father and brother were musicians/bandleaders and my mother was an art, music and ceramics teacher. As a child, I loved the feel of the clay.
In the 1970’s I developed art and craft products for Mattel, Ceramichrome and the craft division of General Mills. During my employment at Ceramichrome I got a real education in ceramics, developing a line of once fired ceramic craft products for the mass market called ‘BisqueKits’. For a year I had the honor of working with some of the finest and most highly regarded ceramists in the world. It was quite an education.
In the late ‘80’s I became re-involved with ceramics. A friend was taking a ceramics class at a local recreation center and the teacher invited me to stay and create some pieces. That morning I created my first two masques and knew that “masques of clay” were my calling. I was hooked. I used the counter in my kitchen and worked at the recreation center on Wednesday mornings to create additional works.
A year later some office space became available with a natural studio in the back. I became totally immersed in masque making and that studio is where I created most of my body of work. In January, 2009, due to the recession, I moved to a much smaller space in Marina del Rey, but so far, I’m delighted with the pieces I’ve created there.
My work has been featured at the D. Gennero Galleries in Santa Monica and Venice, California; the International Festival of Masques, The Guild Sourcebook of Craft Artists; a one man show at Gallery Rodeo in Beverly Hills and exhibited at The Kracke Gallery in Rancho Palos Verdes, and The Wright Image Gallery in Palm Springs, California.
I currently have one piece, ‘Mother and Daughter Reunion’ featured in the ‘Through the Ages Art Show’ being held at the Beach Cities Health District in Redondo Beach and have been invited to do a one man show for the Newport Beach Art and Cultural Center in Irvine California during the months of November and December of this year.
My love of poker prompted the first poker themed masques entitled Poker Joker and Poker Joker #2. The Commerce Casino in Los Angeles purchased them at first viewing and had them on display in the ‘Top Section’ of the casino. Since then, an extensive array of Kings, Queens, Jacks and Jokers are owned by many of the top poker players and casino executives in the world.
My current series are: 'Floral Goddesses’, ‘EveryWoman’ and ‘Court Jesters’. Floral Goddesses are a marriage of the beauty of women and their relationship to flowers. 'The EveryWoman' series is an extension of the Goddesses, but with a more universal nature; several eye colors, hair colors, lip colors and skin tones depict the nature of 'EveryWoman'. The 'Court Jesters' are an extension of the Joker series, opening a whole new world of possibilities for me.