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Robert
Heindel, apart from being one of the most courteous
and charming of men, manages to camouflage himself into
the studio setting, somehow hiding his 'spying' eye.
Many silent photos later, and after the magic process
has taken place in his studio, one is presented with
not only a true image of oneself but with a beautiful
study and record of the private moments that one thought
had been hidden.
Amongst
Heindel's audience at The Royal Festival Hall was Andrew
Lloyd Webber whose enthusiasm for the collection prompted
the request for Heindel to paint 'Cats' and also the
rehearsal period of 'Phantom of the Opera'. Paintings
and drawings from 'Cats' and 'Phantom of the Opera'
formed a 1987 exhibition in The New London Theatre,
the London home of 'Cats'. At
the end of '87 classical ballet returned as the focus,
the result of which was an exhibition at the Monte Carlo's
Hotel de Paris with Princess Caroline of Monaco as the
Guest of Honour.
Autumn 1988 heralded the artist's second major exhibition
at the Royal Festival Hall in London. This time he focused
on a suite of paintings and drawings from 'The Garden
of Eros' performed by London City Ballet. The patron
of the ballet, Diana, Princess of Wales, was Heindel's
distinguished guest.
"Experts hold your work in the highest regard,
I know, but for me it simply succeeds in capturing the
spirit of dance as art" - Diana, Princess of Wales
Since
1990 the concept of working upon one particular production
or company, followed by an exhibition, has changed somewhat.
There have been one or two exceptions, such as 'Still
Life' at the Penguin Cafe, but on the whole works produced
upon the dance/ballet theme have been less specific.
In 1992 a collection of his work was shown in Tokyo.
What Heindel saw upon that first visit left him anxious
for more and an invitation to observe preparations,
rehearsal and performance of the Noh Theatre was signal
to another new episode which resulted in another exhibition
in 1995. Guest of Honour, HIH Prince Takamado described
the artist as a 'Rare Painter'. The intrigue with traditional
Japanese Theatre continued in 1996, with another exhibition
in 1997.
Another
challenge he set himself provided a curious series of
beasterly headed humanised creaturs, in fact his response
to the ballet 'Still Life' at The Penguin. The exhibition
represented another significant departure from the familiarity
of previous dance imagery.
Creator of the ballet, David Bintley - Artistic Director
of the Birmingham Royal Ballet - requested many of the
paintings be used to promote a subsequent seasom of
his Company that encompassed 'Still Life'. This effectual
compliment concluded a fascinated chapter with 'The
ecological extravaganza'.
While
'Still Life' represented pure observation of an existing
ballet, 'The Dance House' provided the most intensive
artistic outpouring since paintings done after the death
of Heindel's son Toby. The ballet was created for the
San Francisco ballet and the commissioned choreographer,
David Bintley, approached Heindel to design a set and
costumes for a somewhat 'abstract' one act piece. Bintley
was aware of Heindel's interest in 'Still Life' but
his knowledge of Heindel's work was based upon a much
wider aware of previous paintings and drawings.
In
effect Heindel's contribution - with costume designs
embracing life and death - beckoning, lonely, misjudged,
sensual, sexual, vital - succeeded, vividly to realise
Bintley's wish to portray 'The Dance House' as a celebration
of life and death. Heindel's original set and costume
designs, alongside sketches and paintings of the ballet
irself, were exhibited in the harmonious surroundings
of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous building in Union Square.
In
apparent stark contrast to all that has gone before
are robert Heindel's cospicuous 'Painted Walls' an ongoing
project of no foreseeable conclusion. Larger pieces
of which Heindel says "the most important things
I've ever made for myself".
Inspired
initially by the sight and recollection of African primitive
art and contemporary decorative device there today,
he started with a personal response to that. From his
exploration he found pure pleasure in the involvement
with paint and rhythm. Symbols, shape and emotive form
evolved from the ongoing experiment - confidence flourished
and 'Painted Walls' became focal to a 1996 exhibition,
once again in London's Cork Street. The reception, response
and results were unprecedented - the brave departure
applauded.
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