PORT TOWNSEND — Max Grover’s poster for this year’s Port Townsend Film Festival brings together his interests in art and collecting.
“If I wasn’t a painter, I’d be a junk dealer,” said Grover, 59.
“I’ve always collected all kinds of weird stuff, like curling pins and the tops of wedding cakes.”
The poster — which will promote the 2012 Port Townsend Film Festival, scheduled Sept. 21-23 — was unveiled at the Max Grover Gallery at 630 Water St. in Port Townsend on Thursday night.
It depicts a scene familiar to attendees of past festivals: people crowding Taylor Street to watch movies on a giant inflatable screen.
The acrylic painting is supplemented with dozens of objects that are related to the theme, from images of movie stars to boxes of popcorn, that are presented in a collage style.
Grover has created about 100 of the collage paintings, which he describes as a “left turn” from his normal illustrative style.
“These paintings are different from anything that I have ever done, but they still look like me,” he said.
The found objects presented in these paintings come from a vast collection of memorabilia Grover
has assembled over the years, such as matchbook covers, bottle caps
and old postcards.
“I’ve always been a collector of ephemera, and this was a way for me to show off some of the things that I’ve collected,” he said.
“The great thing about this style is that I will never run out of ideas.”
A limited number of signed and numbered art prints will be sold for $40.
Janette Force, Port Townsend Film Festival executive director, said print orders will be taken for a short time and will be available through the festival office.
The original, which has a textured surface because of the objects attached, will become the property of the film festival and initially hang in the lobby of the Rose Theatre, Force said.
As payment for the painting, Grover will receive a “mogul pass” for this year’s festival.
The mogul pass, which sells for $1,250, allows the holder to attend all film screenings — 70 films were screened in 2011 — as well as the filmmakers’ reception.
It comes with a $1,000 tax deduction for the donation to the film festival’s programs.
“I want to see the festival make as much money as they can from this,” Grover said.
“It’s for a good cause.
“I’d like to see them put the image on boxer shorts, but I don’t know if they would do that.”
Grover said he completes between 100 and 200 paintings a year and has done so ever since he began painting in his mid-30s.
“I consider myself a prolific painter,” he said.
“I’ve met artists who do one painting a month, but that would drive me crazy.
“My attention span isn’t that big, and I have all these ideas that I want to put on paper.”
The program for the upcoming film festival — the 13th annual — will be posted on the festival website at www.ptfilmfest.com in August.
For information about the festival or to order a print, visit the website or phone 360-379-1333.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
