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<TITLE>Pruett Carter Biography</TITLE>
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<font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">The
paintings of <B>PRUETT CARTER (1891-1955)</B> rarely concentrated on the
mechanics of a particular moment of action. Rather, his compositions were
concerned with intellect and emotion which in turn were the focus for
the clients for whom Carter did his best work. His illustrations for <I>Ladies'
Home Journal, Woman's Home Companion, McCall's</I> and <I>American Magazine</I>
were less concerned with plot than with character. <BR>
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From Carter's start as an illustrator in 1918 until his death, he was
one of the few established illustrators who was capable of smooth transitions
in the tumultuous women's magazine market. Carter possessed an advantage
over his competitors because of his intimate knowledge of the magazine
business. In his years as art director with <I>Good Housekeeping</I> and
the <I>Atlanta Journal</I>, he absorbed the requirements of illustrating
from the publisher's vantage point, and he had taught illustration at
Grand Central School of Art in New York as well as the Chouinard Art Institute
in Los Angeles. Continually exposing himself to upcoming talent and explaining
the finer points of his own technique, he remained quick on his feet,
able to change his style and to recognize, even foresee, changes in his
markets. <BR>
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His early illustration work was similar in style to Walter Biggs' impressionistic
palette. By the 1950s, however, most clients wanted a less painterly style,
and were concerned more with page design and decoration than fine easel
painting. Sensitive to this shift. Carter's style and thinking constantly
evolved. In 1948, Carter wrote: "The illustrator's first function is a
problem of composition, of pattern, of design - including the rich contrast
of the illustration itself with the type matter and headlines of the story."
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"Actually," he continued, "the illustrator may be likened to the director
of a motion picture...He must live the part of each actor. He must do
the scenery, design the costumes, and handle the lighting effects." These
words not only reflect his studio's Los Angeles location; they indicate
an artist with a real grasp of the contemporary. By the Fifties, Carter,
an old hand in the business, convincingly remained a very modern illustrator.
- Frederic B. Taraba <BR>
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<font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><B>[story
illustration for American Magazine, 1939, oil on canvas 28 x 50";<BR>
This painting was auctioned May 4, 1996; it sold for $10,000.]</B></font><BR>
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