George F. Kocar

Artist Statement:
"My paintings are in the tradition of Red Grooms, Peter Saul, Robert Colescott, the late works of Phillip Guston and Pablo Picasso - the painted cartoon. I am a joker with a paintbrush, a born cartoonist turned painter. I question the absurdity of the world and my place in it, and put it down on canvas.

We live in a funny, crazy world, and I try to express my opinions politically and socially in my paintings. Some artists try to achieve perfection in their work. I believe that nothing is perfect, and instead I try to focus on the flaws. It is the flaws that make this a crazy, wacky, wonderfully, funny world. Flawed thinking results in most of the "what's wrong in the world" socially and politically. I raise questions in my mind, and it is these questions I put on canvas. I use the painted cartoon to bring across my points. I try to disarm my viewers with comedy, parody and satire. It is said, "Laughter is the best medicine." First I try to make you laugh, than I try to make you think. I hope that you enjoy my "comic cure" and will help alleviate whatever ails you."

Education
M.F.A. Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, Illustration, 1983
B.A. Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, Studio Art, 1977
A.A. Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio, 1975

Teaching Experience:
Elements of Design, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio 2003-present
Drawing I and II
Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio 2003-present

Cartooning: Baycrafters, Bay Village, Ohio
Watercolor: Fine Arts Association, Willoughby, Ohio 2005
Illustration: Akron University, Myers School of Art, Akron, Ohio 2002-2004
Drawing I & II: Polaris Vocational School, Middleburg Heights, Ohio 2003
Cartooning, drawing, painting: Beck Center, Lakewood, Ohio 2002-2004
Humorous illustration: Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio 1991
Humorous illustration: Akron University, Akron, Ohio 1991
Design I: Lakeland Community College, Kirkland, Ohio 1983
Drawing: Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, Ohio 1982-84
Cartooning & drawing workshops: Young Audiences, various schools 1990-2003

Professional Affiliations:
Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Member (1998-present)
Northern Ohio Illustrators Society, Board member, President (2003-present) Gallery Coordinator (1999-2002)
Spaces, Member (1975-present)
Ohio Watercolor Society, Signature member (1999-present)

Business Experience:
American Greetings, Incorporated, Brooklyn, Ohio 1984-2002 Artist/ Illustrator
Proficient in mediums of acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink, and airbrush for rendering art.
Macintosh Adobe PhotoShop and Freehand programs for rendering artwork.
Served on gallery committee (1987-2002), Spring Fine Art Show committee
(1997-2002).

Flying Banana Studio, Bay Village, Ohio 1982-present Artist/ Director
Produces illustrations for national and regional newspapers and magazines,
Including Esquire, Playboy, The New York Times, The Plain Dealer, GQ, Psychology Today and the Washington Post.
Produced illustrations for regional advertising agencies

Visacom, Incorporated, Willowick, Ohio 1980-1982 Production artist
Produced storyboards, design production work for multi-projector slide presentations.

Western Reserve Screen Print Company, Macedonia, Ohio 1978-1980 Artist
Designed artwork for a variety of screen-print products.

Western Reserve Screen Print Company, Macedonia, Ohio 1978-1980
Artist

Exhibition record
Selected one-person shows:
2006-Ashtabula Arts Center, Ashtabula, Ohio
2005-Fitton Art Center, Hamilton, Ohio
2004-Mount Vernon Nazerene University, Mount Vernon, Ohio
2004-The Ohio State University, Newark Campus, Newark, Ohio
2001- Ashtabula Arts Center, Ashtabula, Ohio
1999- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
1998- Lakeland Community College, Kirkland, Ohio
1995- Room 302, Cleveland, Ohio
1992- B.K. Smith Gallery, Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio
1990- Trumball Art Gallery, Warren, Ohio
1987- Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri
1986- Erie Art Museum, Erie, Pennsylvania
1985- Cincinnati Artists Group Experience, Cincinnati, Ohio
1984- Denison University, Granville, Ohio

Selected group invitational:
2004- Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, "Pigment: Contemporary Painting Invitational National."
2004-Sandusky Cultural Center, Sandusky, Ohio, "Go Figure."
2003-Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, "Visiting Artists Exhibition"
2002-Beck Center, Lakewood, Ohio, "Hired Hands: Then and now,
Cleveland's Illustrators (1920-2002)."
2000- Cleveland State University Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio "Alumni exhibition."
1998- Gallery Alexi, New York, New York, "September show."
1997- Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, "Four by Eight."
1995- Parkland College, Champaign, Illinois, "Wit and Wisdom: State of the Art,
A Biennial National Watercolor Exhibition."
1992- Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, Oberlin, Ohio, "Double Take."
1991- Pearl Conard Gallery, Ohio State University at Mansfield, Mansfield, Ohio,
"Cartoons! Cartoons! Cartoons!"
1991-Bruce Gallery, Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, "Satire and
Commentary."
1989-Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania,
"No Neo."
1986- Centre International d' Art Contemporain, Paris, France, "Contemporary Artists."
1983- Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio, "The Last Laugh."
1982- The Mansfield Arts Center, Mansfield, Ohio, "Behind the Smile."

Selected Juried Exhibitions:
2005-"Central Missouri State International XX," Warrensburg, Missouri
2006- Ohio State Fair, Columbus, Ohio (also 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1991, 1986)
2005-Ohio Watercolor Society, Mansfield, Ohio (also 2004-1999)
2004-"Great Plains National," Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas
2004-Hoyt Institute National Juried Art Show, New Castle, Pennsylvania (also 2002-1999)
2006- "All-Ohio", Ohio State University at Mansfield, Mansfield, Ohio (also 2003,2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1992)
2002-Society of American Graphic Artists, New York, New York
2002- "Mid-year Show" Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
(Also 1999-97, 1994, 1987, 1985-1981)
2001- Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (also 1998, 1996, 1995-1991, 1987,1986,1984)
1998- "Watercolor U.S.A.", Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri,
(Also 1996, 1993, 1990)

Presentations and publications and professional activities:
Speaker, Panelist, Ohio Educator Association Convention, "Illustrating the Arts," Cleveland Institute of Art 2005
Juror, Cleveland Institute of Art/Cleveland State University Exhibition, Edge Gallery, Cleveland 2005
Awards juror, Cain Park Arts Festival, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 2004
Awards juror, West Shore Arts Festival, Westlake, Ohio 2003
Painting workshop and demonstration, Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio 2004
Speaker and painting demonstration, Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio 2003
Speaker, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio 2003
New Art International 2001-2, Book Art Press, New York, New York, pp.108
Speaker, Kulas auditorium, McCallough Center, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, 2001
Speaker, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio, 2001
Speaker, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio, 2000
Speaker and painting demonstration, Lakewood Arts League, Lakewood, Ohio, 1999
Speaker and painting demonstration, Euclid Arts Association, Euclid, Ohio, 1999
Speaker, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, 1999
Three-day painting workshop, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, 1997
Painting workshop, Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio, 1992
Speaker, National Art Materials Trade Association, Detroit, Michigan, 1987
Speaker, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri, 1987
Juror "All paper 83", Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri
Author, "Fine Art and illustration-Bridging the Gap", Artist's Magazine, October 1986, PP 69-70
Author, "Painting the world at large", Artist's Magazine, August 1986, PP 36-41
Author, "The Art of Self-promotion", Artist's Magazine, May, 1987, PP 82-87

Selected reviews:
Haliburton, Jennifer, "One Hell of a Show," Cleveland Magazine, (September 2004) PP 41-42
Pagano, Marie R., "From Poetry to Geometry: Five Soho Solos," Gallery & Studio
(Spring/Summer 2000)
Green, Frank, "Pop life," Cleveland Free Times, (March 3-9, 1999)
Barber, Cindy, "Artist Hangs Tough," The Cleveland Plain Dealer, (December 12, 1998) PP 3-4 E
Litt, Steven, "Artistic sampler," The Cleveland Plain Dealer, (July 22, 1998) PP 1-6F
Green, Frank, "Unique Looks," Cleveland Free Times, (July 22-28, 1998) PP 40
Cullinan, Helen, "Banana Schonz a peel to a man who nose self,"
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, (April 14, 1995) Friday magazine, page 3
Firestein, Cecily Barth, "George F. Kocar- High Energy Paintings," Manhattan Arts International, (September-October 1993) page 37

Public Projects:
"Guitarmania II," United Way and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio, 2004
"Sparxs in the city," painted fireplug for public project, Cleveland, Ohio, 2003
"Guitarmania," painted 10' stratocaster guitar, United Way, Cleveland, Ohio, 2002
"Parade of chairs," painted Adirondack chair, Cleveland Botanical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, 2002
"Sitting pretty," painted bench, Rocky River Junior Woman's Club, Rocky River, Ohio, 2002
"Sitting pretty," painted bench, Westshore Junior Woman's Club, Westlake, Ohio, 2002
"Sitting pretty," painted bench project, Westshore Junior Women's Club, Westlake, Ohio, 2001
"Look Inside," Installation West side Market Storefront, Cleveland Public Art, 1998
"Signs of Life," Three-dimensional sculpture for Warehouse District, Cleveland Public Art, 1987