When I visited Fred Mogubgub Jr. in his high rise apartment by the airport during the summer of 2002 he had his father's paintings stashed everywhere.
They were behind the refrigerator, in every closet, under the drop ceiling.
Dispersed amongst these canvases were the fragmented pieces of "Virginia's Garden", a painting which was planned to hang in the World Trade Center. Upon completion it was over 750 square feet. A curatorial change at the World Trade Center scuttled the exhibition there.
The New York Times claimed it amongst the world's largest paintings. Mogubgub claimed it as the biggest.
Fred Jr. had it dissected and rolled up in scattered corners. More, he said, was in storage in New Jersey.
In addition to tomatoes and zucchinis, there are portraits of the artist's children, tarot inspired symbology and other cosmic iconography.
I only manage to snap a few images on my Pentax K-1000. They hint at what a complex layering the painting must have been.
These are great!
ReplyDeleteIn the fashion of Benjamin Gates, I've decided to spend my free-time hunting down any and all lost Mogubgub paintings.
It's wonderful to see even these small pieces of "Virgina's Garden". I knew and visited Fred in NYC in '68, '76 and '89. He was brilliant and very intuitive. I saw the original in one piece; it's too bad no one photographed it. Thanks for the history background re: WTC.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, I wish I had more photos but these were taken back in 2002 -before the time of digital cameras.
ReplyDeleteI was stuck with just 2 or 3 rolls of film and half of the shots didn't turn out at all.
I'd love to hear more of you thoughts and experiences with Fred, and to hear if you had any art of his you'd like to share.
I worked with Fred Mogubgub, B. Goode, Hart Perry & Kevin Cahill out of a loft on Canal Street & West B'way in NYC and watched him paint Virginia's Garden. I may even have some pics of him painting it. jonbarone@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI met Fred through Bob Good and artist who shared the West Bwy Street level Loft when Fred was painting Virginia's Garden. Fred used a 3 level scaffold to paint the sewn canvasses. I was amazed by the size and beauty of it. I took few pics of it. This was in 1977.
ReplyDeleteSpent time in his new jersey house when I was young, but still remember Virginia's garden in giant pieces in the house mostly in the dinning room. Virginia was my great aunt. I have a couple paintings somewhere in my house. Fred passed when I was young those memories I don't remember. But I remember all the paintings that where everywhere in that house. Rooms filled and the basement had thousands. Surprisingly I can't find hardly any of them.
ReplyDelete