Fanfare for the Common Man: Tim Huhn’s Art and Aaron Copland’s Music

Note: Took a week off from tennis posts to feature this artwork by Tim Huhn. Will return to tennis posts next week with upcoming posts on Agassi, Ons Jabeur, and Helen Wills Moody.

Fanfare for the Common Man

One man moving industry’s gears. The rising of cities. The coming of war. One man multiplied by many. One fortissimo note struck on timpani, bass drum, tam-tam. Two loud replies on timpani, bass drum, tam-tam. Silence, breath, recovery: the American prairie, the cloudless sky, Copland’s imaginative world of sound. The audience leans in as it becomes one with the solo trumpet, nay three solo trumpets in unison, a soaring musical line of open fourths and fifths. The trumpet not in service to a king or president. The trumpet, like Whitman, sings the common man. The common woman, too, Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter whose foot rests firmly on a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. The kings have all disappeared; dictators remain to be beaten. Horns will join in. Later trombones, tuba. In the program for Copland’s premiere performance in 1943, nine musicians had asterisks by their names. They were already off to war.

Artist Bio (From Website): TIM HUHN, RAISED IN THE SEATTLE AREA, GRADUATED FROM THE PRESTIGIOUS CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF ARTS AND CRAFTS IN 1977.  HUHN HAS A LONG HISTORY AS A COMMERCIAL ARTIST WORKING WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS DISNEY, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND SONY PICTURES.  AFTER RETIRING TO THE CENTRAL COAST, HE BEGAN TO DEVELOP A BODY OF FINE ART DEPICTING THE GOLDEN AGE OF ART DECO AS HIS PAINTINGS EMBODY THE STRENGTH AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE 1930S ERA.  HUHN’S EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY AND METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL HAVE MOVED HIM TO THE FOREFRONT AS A PREMIER 21ST CENTURY ART DECO PAINTER.

Tim Huhn’s artworks are on display and available for sale at Just Looking Gallery in San Luis Obispo.

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