SKETCHY JUSTICE; COURTROOM ARTISTS TRY TO TURN COLLECTORS' HEADS.Byline: Phil Davis
They had front row seats to history. Bill Robles' quick pens gave America its only glimpse of killer Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) is a career criminal who led the so-called Manson Family, a commune or cult that began to form around him in the U.S. city of San Francisco in 1967. lunging at a judge in 1970. And David Rose served as the world's eyes to the solemn courtroom ritual of World War II concentration camp survivors identifying Nazi Klaus Barbie Klaus Barbie (October 25, 1913 – September 25, 1991) was a German soldier and Gestapo member. He was known as the Butcher of Lyon. Early life Klaus Barbie was born in Bad Godesberg, Bonn, to a Catholic family. His parents were both teachers. , the ``Butcher of Lyon,'' as their tormentor in 1987. In legal sanctuaries that continue to resist the intrusion of the electronic age, courtroom sketch The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. A courtroom sketch is an artistic depiction of the proceedings in a court of law. artists provided the only images of Timothy McVeigh's Oklahoma City bombing See Terrorism "The Oklahoma City Bombing" (Sidebar); Venue "Venue and the Oklahoma City Bombing Case" (Sidebar). trial, the robbery trial of heiress-turned-revolutionary Patty Hearst, the Unabomber case and countless other famous trials. ``We do contemporary life,'' said Rose, a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. artist who began his drawing career as a U.S. Army soldier during World War II. Historic images? No doubt. Collectible art? Depends on who's talking. ``It's very much the stuff,'' said New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of gallery owner Margo Feiden, who compared the drawings to those of celebrated 19th-century French caricaturist Honore Daumier. ``After all, what artists - especially realists - do is capture the drama and emotions of everyday life. Even if it's sleeping. The courtroom is just another forum to capture those emotions.'' But curators from the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution, research and education center, at Washington, D.C.; founded 1846 under terms of the will of James Smithson of London, who in 1829 bequeathed his fortune to the United States to create an establishment for the "increase and diffusion of in Washington, D.C., to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles decline to dignify dig·ni·fy tr.v. dig·ni·fied, dig·ni·fy·ing, dig·ni·fies 1. To confer dignity or honor on; give distinction to: dignified him with a title. 2. the medium with a comment - a polite way of dismissing something they don't consider art. Only Smithsonian art historian Judith Bell dared to take off the kid gloves kid gloves Noun, pl handle someone with kid gloves to treat someone with great tact in order not to upset them kid gloves npl to treat sb with kid gloves → . ``People are collecting this?'' Bell said. ``I'm sorry. I don't think it's art, and I don't think the art world would consider it art. It's reportage.'' True. Rose, now semi-retired and working on colorful paintings of the Hollywood sign, considers himself an ``artist reporter.'' When half a dozen TV crews are waiting outside a courtroom with live cameras rolling, there's no time to fine tune a sketch or start over. It's instant art. ``An artist in the courtroom has to be a newsman,'' Rose said. ``You're tied to the clock - always. You learn to live with it.'' But that immediacy also gives the work its edgy look. ``It's just tremendous stuff,'' said a celebrity security agent who collects sketches of his famous clients who end up in court. He asked that his name be withheld to protect their - and his - privacy. ``These are no caricatures. I've been there. It's real art.'' Despite banishment from the world of art, courtroom sketches fetch prices up to $2,000 for an original drawing of a historic or notorious celebrity event. Sports collectors snapped up artist Tina Hansford's sketches of boxer Mike Tyson's Indiana rape trial for up to $2,000 for an autographed original. The artist sold them to a dealer for $400 each. That's cheap for original art. In 1996, Smart Money magazine called courtroom sketches - especially drawings featuring celebrities - ``a good buy'' that will pay off as Americans' immense voyeuristic appetites increase. But, three years later, the collector and art worlds still aren't quite ready to embrace courtroom art. Courtroom Concepts, the first New York gallery to specialize in courtroom sketches, folded after a few months, despite a mention in Esquire magazine that featured Robles' lunging Manson sketch for $5,500. ``Courtroom Concepts didn't really take off, but the potential is there,'' said Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
For now, the primary appeal of the works remains a drawing's link to history or a celebrity. Rose's sketch of Rodney King will always be worth more than his sketches of the historic, but more obscure court martial COURT MARTIAL. A court authorized by the articles of war, for the trial of all offenders in the army or navy, for military offences. Article 64, directs that general courts martial may consist of any number of commissioned officers, from five to thirteen, inclusively; but they shall not of three lesbians in the U.S. Navy. Los Angeles County assistant district attorney Stephen Kay, who collects images of cases he has prosecuted, considers his half a dozen sketches too valuable to hang in his office. He said the sketches of Charles Manson and accomplice Leslie Van Houten Leslie Louise Van Houten (born August 23 1949 in Altadena, California) is a former member of Charles Manson's "Family" who was convicted of the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Early Life Van Houten was described by the prosecution as having had a happy childhood. , among others, might be too tempting to thieves. ``I would not leave something so valuable at work,'' Kay said. ``I treasure all of them. They're pieces of history, and they're irreplaceble. The artists didn't make duplicates.'' The art form is making some headway. Last year, Rose arranged a show featuring the work of several courtroom artists at the Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood. Rose and a few other artists sell their work through Internet dealer Gremlin gremlin, in American folklore, malicious, airborne supernatural being. Gremlins were first heard of during World War II as creatures responsible for unexplainable mechanical failures and disruptions in aircraft. Animation, but most sketches can still be purchased directly from the artist. Feiden, the Madison Avenue gallery owner who represents famous caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, said history and celebrity will draw collectors to the courtroom art, but ultimately she predicts artists will become collectible. Said Feiden: ``People won't say I have a drawing of the O.J. Simpson trial, they'll say, I have a Bill Robles.'' CAPTION(S): 5 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) On the cover: A David Rose courtroom sketch and the tools of his trade. Evan Yee/Daily News (2--Color) Courtroom sketch artist Bill Robles is among those in his profession who are trying to sell their images as fine art. Tina Gerson/Daily News (3--Color) ``An artist in the courtroom has to be a newsman,'' says David Rose. ``You're tied to the clock - always. You learn to live with it.'' John McCoy/Daily News (4--Color) Cameras are barred in most federal courtrooms, and it was up to Robles to provide this image of motorist Rodney King during the trial over his civil rights. (5--Color) This Rodney King image was drawn by David Rose, who began his sketching career as a soldier during World War II. |
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