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Stone’s acquaintance was dining with her family, when her father-in-law advised her not to eat pizza because she had recently given birth and should focus on losing weight. This encounter served as inspiration for Stone’s painting, titled “It’s My Garden, Asshole.” The piece is a stunning acrylic on canvas, featuring a shimmering impressionistic garden held together by a wavy ground of salmon and De Kooning-esque pinks.
Was the father-in-law the rude person, I inquire? Not entirely, clarifies the celebrity while speaking via video call from her residence in California. When Stone arrived to create the artwork, a drone was flying above her property. A dark mark can be seen in the top left corner of the canvas. “I thought, these individuals need to leave our yard immediately. They’re too preoccupied with spying on us to even know what’s truly going on.”
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At the beginning of Covid, Stone, aged 66, took up painting after receiving a paint-by-numbers book from a friend. Now, three years later, she spends up to 17 hours a day creating art. She is currently exhibiting her work in a solo show at a gallery in Berlin, and will have another show opening in San Francisco next month. If this makes you feel unproductive, take comfort in knowing that Stone’s previous fame likely helped her secure gallery space. “Probably,” admits Stone, “but I would have more value if I were deceased. Having a shorter lifespan is often seen as a positive trait for female artists.”
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Excuse me? The person remembers bringing their collection to a gathering with a gallery in New York. “After a couple of hours, I finally asked, ‘Are you going to review my work at all?’ And their response was, ‘Do you have a short lifespan?’ So I replied, ‘I’ve been sitting here for two hours listening to you and your colleagues for nothing?’ ‘Yes.'”
Stone recognizes that she has the potential to earn a large sum of money by fulfilling the desires of art galleries. She acknowledges the success of Johnny Depp, who is able to sell his artwork for large sums of money by simply adding paint and a signature to pre-existing photos of famous individuals. Stone herself has been approached by galleries to produce prints of her own face, but she feels it is her responsibility to resist this temptation and instead create opportunities for other women in the industry. This was her approach as an actor and she continues to do so as an artist.
She is requesting $40,000 for each of her paintings, which offer a generous amount of space for the price. Stone typically creates large pieces, such as her 2023 abstract diptych called Amelia. This piece is a dynamic neo-geometric design, influenced by the experience of Amelia Earhart as she flew alone for long periods of time.
As a teenager, Stone used to charge only 25 bucks for her paintings, but now she earns a cool $40,000 for her artwork. She was inspired by her Aunt Vonne in a small Pennsylvania town and used the money to support her education. In her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, Stone shares that her parents, Dorothy and Joseph, did not come from a loving home; instead, they were child slaves who had to work in a barn and as domestic servants from a very young age.
Stone’s early experiences greatly influenced his own upbringing and personality. He was taught to prioritize responsibilities and tasks before leisure and meals. Failing to do so resulted in disciplinary action.
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Aunt Vonne offered an escape from that harsh world and catalysed Stone’s lifelong love of art. “Painting was just another language I grew up knowing, like if you grow up in a musical family.” She studied at nearby Edinboro University, but gave up art for modelling. “I didn’t get the impression I was going to be able to survive as a painter. I was offered modelling jobs at $5,000 a day. So I was thinking: 25 bucks or 5,000?”
Modelling took her to New York and made her part of the Studio 54 crowd. Then one day in 1980 she stood in line to be an extra in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories, and got the non-speaking role of “pretty girl on train”. Her breakthrough came 10 years later, in Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi head-scratcher Total Recall. Two years after that, she worked with the Dutch director again on the endearingly silly erotic thriller Basic Instinct – even though he incessantly called her Karen.
According to Stone, Marilyn Monroe once said, “Women who try to be men’s equals have no ambition.” Although the quote may not be entirely accurate, Stone appreciates the sentiment. The most interesting roles on Stone’s resume are ambitious women who are determined to surpass men, rather than just be on the same level. Stone admits she has played strong, prominent characters, standing alongside men instead of being overshadowed by them.
The role of which she is most proud is Ginger McKenna in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 Casino, which she played opposite Robert De Niro. “Bob encouraged me in every possible way. It was so amazing to me that he told me his performance depended on my performance. I just did everything I could possibly do to serve him because it was my wish to get to work with him, and it came true.”
Her career in the entertainment industry has not regained the same level of success. She expressed surprise at not being able to continue performing at her best, as she gave her all in every role. She has faced well-documented challenges with misogyny in Hollywood, as she recently revealed that she was urged by producer Robert Evans to engage in sexual relations with co-star William Baldwin during the filming of Sliver in 1993. It is unclear whether Evans believed this would also improve Stone’s performance. One significant factor that has contributed to her decreased presence in Hollywood is the stroke she suffered in 2001, just two weeks after the 9/11 attacks. This stroke was caused by a brain hemorrhage and served as the inspiration for the title of her autobiography.
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She explains that whenever one door closes, she must open another one. Her book has been purchased in 22 different countries. Currently, she is working on a novel. She is a follower of Joseph Campbell, a comparative mythologist, and his belief in “follow your bliss”. This inspired her to transition from working on movie sets to creating art. She states that this has motivated her to invest in better brushes and reconnect with her forgotten artistic abilities.
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Did you not paint for almost 50 years? “No, I couldn’t. I had a busy schedule working 307 days a year. Even when I wasn’t on set, I was constantly traveling for press junkets. I barely had any time at home, only six days one year and nine days another. Therefore, I didn’t have the opportunity to paint.”
However, she now possesses this ability. In a short amount of time, she has created a collection of pieces that display traces of inspiration from artists such as Joan Miró and Monet (there is even one titled Giverny, influenced by a visit to Monet’s garden in France) as well as Kandinsky. Stone explains that, like Kandinsky, she experiences a spiritual energy when she paints – although of all Russian artists, she holds the highest admiration for Rodchenko.
The public statement for Stone’s most recent exhibition includes a statement from art historian Martin Oskar Kramer about her body of work. Kramer describes it as “a manifestation of femininity strongly connected to the powers of nature and inherently uncontrollable.” This may clarify why snakes are featured prominently in her more representational pieces. During our conversation, I observe a table lamp adorned with a snake behind Stone. She clarifies, “Snakes shed their skin and adapt, which is a representation of intelligence.”
The exhibition in Berlin is called Totem. According to Stone, totems are often a symbol of resilience and strength. He believes that his paintings have a similar totemic quality and his daily art-making is his way of coping with the challenges of our current alarming times.
One of the current paintings on display by the artist is titled Please Don’t Step on the Grass. This piece was influenced by her travels to Israel in 2006 and has gained a new significance following the 7 October attacks in Israel and the resulting destruction in Gaza. It addresses themes of borders, invasions, and the foolishness of conquest. The artist believes that before resorting to violence and harming innocent women and children, society needs to prioritize intelligence and emotional awareness, rather than relying on aggressive and harmful impulses. This painting reflects her perspective on these issues.
Does she prefer being a painter rather than an actor? “I’m not stating that. I had a great experience working as an actress. If I am offered a significant role, I would definitely accept it. However, that’s not currently the case.”
Why? In the business, when you become a successful seller, they often assign you to smaller projects in order to fund those who are trying to start their careers. This is great, but it’s not what I am looking for. I want to work with the accomplished individuals because I have rightfully earned my place among them.
She is adamant about staying creative during her hiatus from acting. “It’s crucial to keep my artistic side active, to allow the ideas to keep flowing, ensuring my art remains relevant and contemporary.” To demonstrate this, she mentions her plan to spend the rest of the day working on a painting for her upcoming San Francisco exhibition. She is not in a rush to return to acting under someone else’s guidelines.
Source: theguardian.com
