Jack Armstrong is an American artist who is known as the founder of Cosmic Extensionalism or Cosmic X art. Armstrong has created only 100 Cosmic X paintings. His other works include the ''Cosmic Starship'' motorcycle and the ''Cosmic Star Cruiser'' bicycle. His ''Cosmic Firebird'' painting served as the centerpiece for a ballet in 2011.
Life
Jack Armstrong was born in
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
.
Armstrong arrived in New York in 1979 where he became friends with
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
. Armstrong has never been represented by a dealer and is known for his anti-establishment views of the industry.
In 2002, Armstrong jointly owned the
Black Star of Queensland
The Black Star of Queensland, named after its nature and place of origin, is a 733-carat (146.6 g) black sapphire, and was the world's largest gem quality star sapphire until The Star of Adam was discovered.
The Black Star sapphire is an oval ...
, a large sapphire.
He became known for his connection to the gem, which he reportedly slept with, under his pillow. There ensued a controversial legal battle named by the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' as the "Heavy Weight Gem Scuffle"
in which Armstrong fought for control of the stone.
Cosmic X
Between 1999 and 2000, Armstrong founded Cosmic Extensionalism or Cosmic X, a new style of art. He was inspired by an ethereal experience he had with the Black Star of Queensland. Cosmic X requires the artist to become the art they are creating, by feeling no separation between the art itself. This requires a unique state of mind to be reached, connecting to a universal presence, which Armstrong believes exists in each being and is the connection that creates the art, not the artist.
100 Paintings on Canvas
Armstrong decided to paint only 100 paintings
using his Cosmic X style after he had reportedly destroying all of his original works in 1994.
His work features in the private collections of Walmart heiress
Alice Walton
Alice Louise Walton (born October 7, 1949) is an American heiress to the fortune of Walmart. In September 2016, she owned over in Walmart shares. As of October 2022, Walton has a net worth of $59 billion, making her the 19th-richest person, and ...
, Michel Polnareff, and Narendra Patel. His paintings have been offered for sale at prices of up to $113 million.
''Warhol Naked''
The acrylic on canvas painting ''Warhol Naked'', one of the 100 Cosmic X paintings created between 1999 and 2019, has been offered for sale at $300 million. Armstrong has commented "''This painting captures the true 'spirit' of Andy, with its deep red color and bold signature in white. Warhol is an image Andy spent his life creating.''
''Cosmic Starship''
In October 2010, Armstrong unveiled his flagship piece of
kinetic art, the ''Cosmic Starship''. The motorcycle was conceived by Robert Star, CEO of Star Global International Inc., who wanted to launch Armstrong on the world stage in a similar way that ''
Campbell's Soup Cans
''Campbell's Soup Cans'' (sometimes referred to as ''32 Campbell's Soup Cans'') is a Visual arts, work of art produced between November 1961 and March or April 1962 by American artist Andy Warhol. It consists of thirty-two canvases, each mea ...
'' launched Andy Warhol on an unsuspecting art world that claimed, "If this is art it is the end of art." The work is a
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
V-ROD motorcycle that Armstrong painted using acrylic paint and 37 coats of
clear-coat
Automotive paint is paint used on automobiles for both protective and decorative purposes. Water-based acrylic polyurethane enamel paint is currently the most widely used paint for reasons including reducing paint's environmental impact.
Moder ...
. The V-Rod motorcycle had been developed in a joint project with
Porsche Engineering Porsche Engineering (Porsche Engineering Group GmbH) was established in 2001 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, with headquarters in Weissach, and traces its history back to 1931 when Porsche created its first engineering office subsidiary. ...
and
Erik Buell
Erik F. Buell (born April 2, 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is the founder, former Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of the Buell Motorcycle Company, which eventually merged with Harley-Davidson Corp. Buell is a pioneer of modern race moto ...
and was chosen for its futuristic style. The ''Cosmic Starship'' was sold in 2012 for $3 million to the Moran family of California.
''Cosmic Firebird''
In 2011, his ''Cosmic Firebird'' painting was the mascot and centre piece for a ballet produced and directed by Marie Hoffman in association with Jack Armstrong's "The Cosmic Firebird Dance Concert" held at The Rose Centre Theatre on April 2, 2011, which featured performances by the Encore Dance Company, the APA Repertory Ensemble, HBHS Dance Team, and more.
''Cosmic Star Cruiser''
In 2014, he painted the ''Cosmic Star Cruiser'' bicycle, an art bike designed and painted with fellow artist Kelsey Fisher with a $3 million price tag. The ''Cosmic Star Cruiser'' was created on a SOLE beach cruiser made in Los Angeles, over a period of six months and made its debut appearance at the Big Boys Toys event in Dubai in 2014.
''Cosmic Cowboy Boots''
In 2018, Armstrong painted a pair of 1968
Tony Lama boots that he owned, known as his ''Cosmic Cowboy Boots''.
Stolen works
In 2018, Armstrong's painting ''Steve McQueen Le Mans'' was reported stolen by ''The Hollywood Times'' from a private home in Dallas, Texas, where it was on loan. The painting was valued at $13 million. In 2021, it was reported that two Armstrong paintings, ''IMAGINE #3'' and ''PrimalSun #1'', were stolen from a car in
Westchester, Los Angeles
Westchester is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles and the Westside Region of Los Angeles County, California.
It is home to Los Angeles International Airport, Loyola Marymount University, Otis College of Art and Design, and Westchester ...
.
References
External links
* – Interview with Armstrong
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Jack
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American artists