Phil Hartman delivered a lot of laughs but there was a lot more to the Brantford-born entertainer than great comedy, says Mike Tutt.
“The idea is to generate some interest for a series called the Art of Hartman focusing on his graphic arts career.”
Tutt’s pop-up exhibition at 84 Market St. opened Friday night (June 28) and continues June 29 and 30 from noon to 5 p.m.
One of the Hartman works featured in the exhibition is called ‘Screw Head” created on October 21, 1967.
“It’s an original pencil drawing and apparently Phil created this as protest against the Vietnam War,” Tutt said.
“They’re amazing and really show his talent and there is also a drawing of a model that he did in 1968,” Tutt said. “I also have some samples of his album cover work and other examples of his work.”
Born in Brantford on Sept. 24, 1948, Hartman co-developed the character of Pee-wee Herman, spent eight seasons on Saturday Night Live and was the voice of multiple characters on The Simpsons, including Troy Mc-Clure, Lionel Lutz and Lyle Lanley.
In 1997, Hartman was added to Brantford’s Walk of Fame, now Prominence Point, at a ceremony that he attended, marking his first return to the city since leaving as a 10-year-old.
Hartman died May 28, 1998 after being shot by his wife Brynn Omdahl while he slept. She died by suicide hours later.
Earlier this year, Brantford city council approved plans to honour Hartman with a large mural on the Sanderson’s Centre east wall in the city’s downtown .
Work is underway on a documentary that focuses on Hartman’s early work as a graphic artist. The documentary covers Hartman’s story, beginning in Brantford, the family’s move to California and Los Angeles. The documentary aims to highlight the relationship Hartman had with brothers John and Paul. John became one of Hollywood’s top music agents, manager and promoter working with the Grateful Dead, The Doors and Jefferson Airplane among others.
Plans also call for The Art of Hartman, The Gallery Exhibit Tour that is expected to include multimedia displays, clips from the documentary and never seen before home movies.
Tutt’s pop-up exhibition this weekend is also a 40th anniversary celebration of one of Tutt’s creations.
“I was living in Toronto at the time and I wanted to do something with my art to remember 1984,” Tutt said. “I took a gesture drawing that I can done a few years earlier because I thought it gave a feeling of what 1984 would be like from George Orwell’s book 1984.”
Tutt printed 500 copies of his gesture drawing and sold for $10 at several downtown Toronto locations. He then added other images to the print including hockey great Wayne Gretzky and former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Both prints are part of his exhibition as is one autographed by current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“What’s interesting about the one signed by our current prime minister is that the autograph closely resembles the style of my drawing,” Tutt said.
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