Brushed Off
By M. Lee Musgrave
Originally from
Perth, Australia I studied in Los Angeles primarily with artists Hans Burkhardt and Fritz Faiss. Hans was
studio partner of Arshile Gorky. Fritz studied at the Bauhaus with Paul
Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. Fritz, Hans and I were close friends until their
passing. I hold a Master of Art degree from California State University, Los
Angeles and a B.A. (art) from CSUN. I was given a full time art teaching
position before I completed my BA and a solo exhibition before I completed my
MA. I’m also the recipient of an American National Endowment for Arts
Fellowship for painting and my artwork has been exhibited in numerous solo and group
exhibitions world-wide. I specialize in abstract painting and photography for
which I have received several awards. As a former Professor of Art and curator
for 30 years, I organized hundreds of exhibitions at museums, galleries, and
municipal centers involving artists, collectors, critics, gallerists, art
professionals and a vast array of related enthusiasts. My writings about the
art, artists and collectors associated with those exhibitions contributed to
their success and to my ability to relate that world to others. I lived in Los
Angeles for 40 years including in Malibu Canyon and Santa Monica.
I do not state all of this to boast or
brag, but rather to inform readers of where my inspiration for creative writing
initiates from.
In other words, those many experiences I
had and my ongoing personal art activities inform my writing about LA’s
exciting art community. My novel, Brushed
Off, grew from me expanding and enriching encounters, incidents and
happenings I observed and or participated in during more than 50 years as an
artist.
As a teenager, I first became
interested in noir mysteries by watching late night TV. Several local channels showed
movies from the 1930s, 40s and 50s photographed mostly in Los Angeles. The host
of those programs would often talk about the locations individual scenes were
shot at and about the books the scripts were based on. I immediately bought
every book they mentioned. As to which mystery writers I admire, there are many.
That said, I especially enjoy Raymond Chandler’s approach to story, character
and location. Chandler started writing late in life—while I’ve written many
things about art and artists for specific exhibitions, I too begun writing
novels late in life. Which has given me a broad array of experiences to draw
from. Chandler was born in Chicago but was raised in England. I was born in
Australia but raised in Los Angeles. Chandler traveled extensively as have I. Brushed
Off and my short story prequels can be read as morality tales, but
beneath the crime and social tension I strive to critique societal greed and
big money while exposing levels of individual goodness and zeal to do the
honorable thing when the chips are down. My protagonists are principled and
resilient. They follow a code of honor that stands out as endearingly old-fashioned
in this fast paced world. Further I enjoy making sure that my plots are
engaging and worked out in a fulfilling way that includes astute give and take
dialog and perceptive insights to solve part of the mystery.
Artist James Terra and his married lover Nicole find themselves in a tangled web while searching for the killer of LAs hottest artists. Homicide detective Cisco Rivas ask James for help with LAs zany art community. The case quickly turns into a quagmire of intrigue and vicious jealousy amongst the dazzling talent and wealth of schizophrenic Los Angeles. James wants Nicole to leave her husband. When another artist is murdered, she joins the hunt for the killer. A leading art collector is attacked. Cisco is pressured by influential city movers and shakers. Young emerging socialite Camille is up to her neck in strife so James and Nicole make a deal to protect her. Cisco discovers a smuggled exotic drug used by all the suspects including a stealthy porn star. James keeps everyone from knowing his health is precarious. The killer and a secret accomplice targets James, Nicole and Camille.
Author/Artist, M. Lee Musgrave holds a Master of Art degree from CSU, Los Angeles. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for Arts Fellowship. His artwork has been in solo and group exhibitions world-wide. As a Professor of Art and curator he organized hundreds of exhibitions involving artists, collectors and a variety of related enthusiast. Those many experiences and his ongoing personal art activities inform his writing about LA’s exciting art community.
No comments:
Post a Comment