John Garfield, glimpsed twice by his daughter’s oil paints

Haunted by the father she lost at a young age (he died at 39 in 1952 when she was just six) artist Julie Garfield paints her way to the essence of a great American actor via frozen cinematic moments from two of his most iconic performances.

In a subtle sexual power play, Frank Chambers (John Garfield) leans against a luncheonette counter in his first encounter with Cora Smith (Lana Turner, dressed in confusing angelic white). He meets her from the gams up. She will be his undoing.

John Garfield plays Nick Robey, a profoundly doomed of film noir male character, in this saga of a petty thief’s desperation after a heist gone wrong. His performance lives at the jagged edge of growing paranoia as he makes horrible decisions for himself and those around him. He Ran All The Way was John Garfield’s final film.

Ms. Garfield has a work included in the 2020 National Juried Exhibition — this year on line — a 35 year tradition of the First Street Gallery in New York. The exhibition of selected artists runs from June 18 – July 21, 2020.