FOOD AS ART

BY PATTIE BAKER

NORM CITRON
Citron paints with an intensity that suggests a youth he has long since left-or perhaps it reflects a race against time. The quantity and energy of his paintings and sculptures would seem enough ro exhaust even an artist in his 20s-yet Citron has celebrated
One hand tucked behind his back like
a

speed skater, Norm

his 8Oth birthday. \7ho is this man who exploded upon the Atlanta art scene last fall with three simultaneous showings ? "I can't believe the response I'm gettingi' he says, in reference ro his work atJava U, a loftlike bistro/coffeehouse in Dunwoody; at the Spruill Center for the Arts; and his joint show with C. Edgar Gilliam, cleverly titled Grurnplt Old Men, at the Roswell

Visual Arts Center,

"Itt an amazing realization to see that my

career has taken offso suddenly."

A visit to his home in suburban Atlanta reveals that such exuberant abundance ofart is not out ofcharacter at all. The door opens and a man with a waty white ponytail and gold earring invites me in. I stand there, perplexed. There, painted on the marble floor in front of me, is a huge replica of Henri Matisset lcarus, the black shape of his mythological figure floating against a royal blue night sky. 'Just walk on itl' Citron says, stepping boldly across it' "No one ever wants to walk on it, but itt meant to be experienced

Hto Melon
Acrylic on
cAn'uas,

I6" x 20"

that way." Once I enter,

I rcalize his entire home is meant to be experienced. There are paintings by Klee and Miro, sketches by Picasso
and sculptures by Reuben Nakian, the innovative 20th century sculptor with whom Citron studied. I find dozens of works by his classmates, whose work he finds great joy in sharing. But the paintings that catch my eye and cause me to linger, think, observe, view from multiple angles and ultimacely adore' are the ones by Norm Citron. They are everpvhere-cascading across walls, piled against counters and couches, on easels as works in progress and stacked on beds in unused rooms. Explosions of flowers in vases with harsh angles. A spill of pears or apples. Succulent slices of watermelon. Portraits of people caught

still lifes in the most appetizing way, capturing the relationship between color and shape in a way that stirs desire." ln many ofhis paintings you find his namesake the citron-the lemon-for which he has always had a special affinity. Citront vibrant color palette, expressive brushstrokes and unbridled nergy stun me. As I look at the brilliant colors and dramatic presentations of food in his paintings, I want to know more. Citron has danced around being a painter his whole life. As a young boy, he eagerly awaited his parents' Saturday night poker games so he could sketch the faces of the players. He then studied arr at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, served in the Army, married and built a career in the fast-paced world of advertising. He and his wife raised two daughters, traveled extensively and collected a wide range of art' After retirement and the passing ofhis wife, Lynn, who was an excellent French and Italian
cook, Norm found himself drawn, once again, to the canvas and the classroom. His major influences? French and Italian artists including Cezanne, Matisse and Modigliani, all ofwhom found inspiration in the visual aspects of the edible. "I have a wide palettei' Citron says, delighted with the double entendre. He is as comfortable at the local vegetarian cafd as he is at the finest rstaurants in Atlanta and around the world. He remembers sharing a meal with Chef Anne Qatrano and says proudly that his painting of a pastel nude, a gift he gave her,

mid-thought, stunningly provocative in their ordinariness. Itt as if I walked into the Harryt Farmers'Market of art, which Citron

fitting analogy. I moved to Atlanta permanently, I was commuting back and forth from NewJersey," he explains. 'And the first time I went to Harryt Market, I was so inspired by the beauty of the food presentation that I packed an entire suitcase with fruits and vegetables and f ew home with it. Like farmers arrange their products in an eye-appealing way at the farmers' market, I arrange my
6nds
a

"Before

SPR]NG

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EDIBLE ATLANTA

hangs

in the ladies'room ar Bacchanalia. "Or so I hear," he says

with a chuckle.
The next time I see him, Citron shufies into his Monday art class, the first ofup to seyen classes he takes each week. "I'm always a student," he explains. "I discovered that the more I learn, the more myvision changes, and the more I grow as an arrist. And I want people to know that age is not a limit. Ifyou have
a

burning desire to express yourself,, you must. You simply musr." A gregarious people-person, he feeds off the energy of

love his work," she exclaims. "Itt going in my living room." Citron's warm and weathered face lights up, the tufts of white above his eyes risingwith his smile. "This is what means the most to mei'he says. "To be invited into people's homes rhrough my art. To see they like my paintings enough to make them part of their lives. Itt like sharing a meal with them, and that's the ultimate compliment." Class now over for today, Citron tucks his extensive supplies back into his rolling suircase and trudges for che door. "Whatt today, Monday?" he says, checking his book to see if it's his personal trainer or Pilates or massage therapy day. Or maybe itt just time to go back home and step boldly across lcarus on his way back to his studio and to vet another fresh canvas.Ft

the others in his classes. A fellow student approaches and asks for the painting he promised her, which she has never seen and for which she immediarely hands him a check. "I

:ffiJ:

Nonu CrrnoN
To see samples of the artistt work:

www.normcitron.com (770) 452-0450

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