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1960
Damian Elwes was born in London, England, the second son of portrait painter Dominic Elwes and interior designer Tessa Kennedy. |
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1969
Spent summers in Spain and is almost killed by a bull during a fiesta. Recovering in a hospital near Malaga he is visited by local bullfighters who present him with bloodied bandoleers. |
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1972
Studies at Harrow School and enjoys mathematics, art and boxing. |
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1975
Grandfather Simon Elwes R.A., a renowned portrait painter, passes away. Several months later Dominic also dies. Damian inherits easels, palettes and brushes but turns away from painting.
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1976
Bicycles from Bordeaux to Aiz-en-Provence and into Italy with two friends. Loves to explore forests and abandoned buildings.
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1978
Travels with a backpack through Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and colombia. Is most impressed by the Amazon rain forest.
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| 1979
Attends Harvard University. Meets andy Warhol and begins studying photography, poetry and modern theatre. |
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1980
First travel to Italy and is mesmerized by the beauty of it.
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1981
Begins to make annual trips to Morocco to paint and draw.
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1982
Learns the etching process from Dimitri Hadzi and Ben Cabrera.
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1983
As a graduation present Professor Bill Alfred gives him a palette knife that had once belonged to Henri Matisse.
Takes over an abandoned building on West 55th Street in New York Cit and covers the interior and roof in graffiti. |
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1984
Exhibits first painting wit Well-Known London art dealer Robert Fraser in a show with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.
Fraser takes Elwes to the ICA to introduce him to Basqait.
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1985
Moves to Paris. Vists the studios of Picasso and Matisse but they are inaccessible or gone. Walks all over Paris and makes paints of artists' studios as a way of learning. |
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1986
Exhibits tow paintings of artists' studios at the 'Salon des Independents' at the Grand Palais. Learns stone lithography from print makers Michael Woolworth |
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1988
Moves to Cartagena and begins to build a house in the mountains of southern Colombia. Overlooking the rain forest. |
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1989
Exhibition of paintings of Cartagena at the Caz gallery in Los Angeles is completely sold out on the opening night. Meets Lewanne, a 22 year old girl who is working at a conceptual gallery called Asher Faure. |
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1990
Visits Italy during the summer to study cubism with Italian painter Nicolas Carone. Creates paintings for the movie 'The Favor'. This also involves teaching Brad Pitt how to paint. |
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1991
Travels all over Morocco, painting in the places where Delacroix and Matisse had once painted. Visits Paul Wowles and draws his portrait. |
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1992
Lives in Rome and makes paintings about the romantic poets, Byron, Keats and Shelley.
Exhibits Italian paintings in Los Angeles. Meets Lewane again and they fall in love. Begins painting bulls Lewane creates a Documentary about this work. |
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1993
Lewanne and Damian move to a remote area of southern colombia and live there for seven years.
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1994
Exhibits bullfight paintings at Galleria El Museso in Cali, Colombia.
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1996
Marries Lewanne in a spiritual ceremony at the Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome. They touch a fertility statue and Lewane is immediately pregnant. They honeymoon in Venice. |
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1997
Cosima Cary Elwes is born in Los Angeles just before Damian's exhibition, 'The Edge of the Forest,' opens. David Hockney visits the show. |
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1998
Exhibits "Forest of Statues" and "Fallen Tree" at the Richard Salmon gallery in London.
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1999
Exhibits "Volcanic Plateau" at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica.
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2000
Due to the troubles in Colombia they return to live in Los Angeles. Birth of son, Aubrey Bede Elwes.
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2001
With the help of the internet and libraries he begins to recreate all of the studios of Matisse and Picasso that were inaccessible to him fifteen years earlier. |
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2002
After traveling to the South Seas he makes a series of paintings of Gauguin's Various Studios in Tahiti and the Marqueasas Island. |
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2003
Is visited by Mracel Duchamp expert Francis Naumann who invites him to exhibit in New York in the following year.
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2004
"The Studios of Matisse, Picasso, Wharhol and Duchamp" opens in New York. Collector Steve Wynn acquires "Picasso's Studio at the Bateau Lavoir." |
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2005
Begins work with Los Angeles curator Fred Hoffman to create a seven painting installation which describes the ground floor of Picasso's villa in Cannes in 1956. A documentary, "Inside Picasso Studio is made by Marina Zenovic about the creation of this art work.
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2006
Exhibits the Picasso installation at M+B Fine Arts in Los Angeles. Two months later exhibits more artist' studio paintings at Scream Gallery in London. The show is sold out during the reception. |
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2007
Once again returns for an exhibition with Scream gallery in London. And again sells out all works in night. |
