Steve Justice Studio

Art - Design

Fender Bender: portrait of Leo Fender

Steve Justice Painting Title: Fender Bender: portrait of Leo Fender 7 Material: oil on canvas Size: 60x48 Year: 2014 “Music is going to break the way because music is a spiritual thing of its own. You can’t just cut out the perfect wave and take it home with you.” -- Jimi Hendrix In “Fender Bender”, I make Jimi Hendrix a supporting character in his own painting by focusing on his instrument rather than his athleticism in using it. Hendrix’s guitar, which he used to create, but then would famously destroy, was designed and built by Leo Fender, a simple working man with an unlikely interest in loud electric musical instruments. With a nod toward both patriotic and counter cultures in the late 1960s, I paint a semblance of an American flag into the background, rendered here in political convention television colors. The guitar-burning is Monterey, the flag is Woodstock, and those two concerts roughly bracketed Hendrix’s very brief time in the limelight. The 50 stars are actual stars seen in the heavens.Title: Fender Bender: portrait of Leo Fender
Material: oil on canvas
Size: 60×48
Year: 2014

Music is going to break the way because music is a spiritual thing of its own.  You can’t just cut out the perfect wave and take it home with you.    

— Jimi Hendrix

In “Fender Bender”, Jimi Hendrix becomes a supporting character in his own painting by being upstaged by his instrument, which in turn is upstaged by its designer and builder, Leo Fender, a simple radio repairman who didn’t even like loud music.  He lost his hearing in one ear while trying to fix an amplifier for surf-guitar legend Dick Dale.

With a nod toward 60s counter-culture and the blue-collar patriotism of the times, I painted into the background a semblance of an American flag (w/50 stars – count ‘em and weep), shown here in the TV-friendly off-shades of red, white and blue that are used in televised political conventions.  The guitar-burning occurred at the Monterey Pop Festival, the flag is Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, and those two concerts roughly bracketed Hendrix’s few years of fame.

Where’s the next Hendrix?  Where’s the next Jesus?  They’re probably already here, so keep your eyes, ears and mind open.  But remember this, a fire cannot burn the same way twice, because fires don’t burn twice.