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Jay Koka Studio
TEN
a Retrospective of the Tenth
Anniversary Book |
ON
FERRARI
by John W Barnes, Jr
Once the decision was made to establish a first class automobile show
in Florida in 1992 it naturally occurred to us that we would need printed
matter in visual form to announce the show via an event poster, or to
memorialize the show with a commemorative print. Since the car show was to be
an outgrowth of our magazine that focuses on Ferraris, subject matter for the
art was not an issue. The question became "what to do regarding the 'type' of
art?".
We agreed to pass on the
event poster since the audience for the show was the readership of "Cavallino"
magazine. Several full-page ads and an insert would be more than enough to
attract both enthusiasts and unique Ferraris. Knowing the special needs and
interests of our clientele, the elegant and relaxing Breakers Hotel in Palm
Beach was chosen for the event. Away from the rigors of the northern winter,
The Breakers served as a choice location for this mid-February venue. Such a
combination of Ferraris, climate and location is the "stuff of dreams" for a
serious car enthusiast and it was decided to send these happy people home with
a special print as a remembrance of their visit to the "Cavallino Ferrari
Classic Concours d'Elegance".
Our
next decision was to select an automotive artist to produce the poster art. We
wanted a person who was knowledgeable about Ferraris, accomplished as an artist
and accepted as a quantity in the art field. The individual also had to be able
to translate the special glamour and mystique of a Ferrari into the luxuriant
and semitropical atmosphere of Palm Beach.
The list of candidates quickIy devolved to the painter Jay Koka.
Skilled not only in automotive art, Jay Koka is recognized for being
professional in terms of meeting deadlines, producing quality art, marketing
his product and fulfilling orders in a timely manner. While the art is normally
the focus with such a project, these other requisites are just as important to
the organizers of an event, since the complexity of such a large affair demands
a schedule that needs to be followed with the same detail and rigor of a
military campaign.
We knew that
Jay had the business side of his Studio organized and running efficiently. The
prints he produces are always excellent, well printed on good stock and
faithful to the original art. He has a system in place to market his prints;
take orders, package and ship them safely to the customer. Selecting him to
create the poster art and to handle all aspects of the print program was an
easy choice, one that relieved us of hours of possible concern and undue labor.
The other side of the decision focused on his art reputation. Not being
complete philistines in our efforts to find an artist who was knowledgeable
about business, we also wanted art that was first and foremost the best
possible. Koka always had and still maintains a deserved reputation in
producing art images of Ferraris, not simply because Ferraris appear in his
work, but because of the special qualities he brings in his style of depicting
the automobile. He uniquely portrays the nature of the car itself: the shapes
of fenders and bonnets, the hard mechanical details of engines and wire wheels,
counterbalanced by the softness of leather and cloth interiors, all detailed
and blended together to create an image with its own inherent
beauty.
Jay Koka's work epitomizes
the automotive artist's task of capturing the beauty of the automobile, not
only with its obvious symmetry and power but also its elusive radiance that is
discovered by viewing the subject from different angles. In this manner, Koka
states the obvious ... for which the viewer is grateful ... but he also
instructs the viewer in entertaining subtleties of shape and form one may have
missed or didn't see on one's own. Koka is a master at this form of artistic
education! Koka's images of the Ferrari are always accurate. He presents
correct details of the model and year and creates within the viewer of his
paintings an emotional pleasure of seeing the image of an old friend. His
creativity allows him to stage Ferraris in surprising ways, some of which
ambush our pleasant complacency and make us focus on those elements that give a
certain Ferrari its own distinctive character. In one painting it may be the
fluidity of surface shape; in another, the complexity of the mechanized
components; in a third, the aggressiveness of wheels and grill. It is the
'uniqueness' of each Ferrari that captivates us most often, and we appreciate
an artist who can capture particular and often hidden features - opening our
eyes to it through his art.
Another of Jay's talents is his ability to add atmosphere to his
paintings by placing the car in a suitable background. In our poster art, the
selected Ferrari was to have a Palm Beach background. In the first print for
the 'Classic', he posed our Best Of Show 275 GTB in front of the Breakers
Hotel, balancing the sleekness of that svelte Ferrari against the rococo
fullness of the Gatsby-era facade. His second print demonstrated his wittiness
by posing another Best Of Show winner, a Testa Rossa, in front of a prominent
Palm Beach landmark, "Testa's" restaurant. It was a play on words that turned
out to be an artistic success.
Jay
Koka has the vision, talent and skill to bring the automobile alive in his
work. His creativity as an artist and his organizational ability are unique in
the world of automotive art. Those of us who share our passions in Ferrari
await to see what will come in the future.
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k20.ca Introduction | Making the
Artist | 20 Year
Retrospective Gallery | Print
Library | Jay
Koka Studio TEN 
