Paul Stanley Of KISS On Optimism, ‘Black Series’ Paintings, Wentworth Gallery Appearances

Since 1973, KISS singer and guitarist Paul Stanley has carved out a niche as one of rock’s most engaging frontmen.

With a hand in his band’s album art, costumes, songwriting, staging and more, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s creativity has helped to define one of the strongest, most successful brands in rock and roll history.

Outside music, Stanley applies his passion and creativity to both cooking and art. While relatively new to the art world, picking up painting two decades ago, he was nevertheless dubbed an “art phenom,” by Wentworth Gallery Principal Christian O’Mahony for his ability to sell out full gallery displays of his work.

With nine retail galleries, Wentworth is one the nation’s top sellers of fine art, boasting a number of exclusive partnerships with artists and musicians.

Following a pair of events in Florida earlier this month, Stanley will be in attendance this weekend at Wentworth exhibitions in Bethesda, Maryland (Friday, February 24 at Montgomery Mall) and McLean, Virginia (Saturday, February 25 at Tysons Galleria), displaying his work in the “Black Series,” uniquely vibrant paintings put forth on black canvas instead of the more traditional white.

“Most of the time, we tend to paint on white canvas – because of the idea that light comes from behind the color. But I found some black canvas and I was intrigued with the idea of what I could do with that,” explained Stanley of the origins of his “Black Series.” “I found that colors were very powerful. They seemed to come out of nowhere – because they had no light behind them. So they tend to stand up actually more in the foreground because they recede into the background. So it was a fun discovery for me,” he said.

“Really, that’s what art has been about for me since the beginning is just discovery. I would say I don’t really have a style other than what connects all of my pieces – which is vibrant color. Because, to me, color is the representation, at least in my case, of life,” Stanley said. “I’ve seen certain artists who, as they psychologically or mentally deteriorated, their art went from vibrant to, basically, almost black and white – much more somber. I view my life, on its worst day, as a miracle. I think life is amazing. And I represent it with color.”

I spoke with Stanley about optimism, the “Black Series,” this weekend’s Wentworth Gallery appearances, an exhibition of his work set to take place this summer at the prestigious Butler Institute of American Art and the idea of developing an authentic brand. A transcript of our video call, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.

When did you come to painting as another creative outlet? Was it at a younger age or as an adult?

PAUL STANLEY: About 20 years ago. So it was younger than today! But it wasn’t young. (Laughs)

It came during a tough time. A friend of mine, my best friend, said, “You should paint.” That caught me off guard. But it also resonated. And I went out and bought paints – bought easels and canvases and brushes. More or less stream of consciousness with color. And also just really purging – emotionally purging – without much thought for structure or what I was doing. It was just cathartic – and more productive than screaming in the shower. So it was really very gratifying. And it started me on this journey.

And to see now… Granted, of course, there are people who love KISS and are familiar with KISS that may acquire some of the art. But there’s lots of people who could care less about KISS who acquire the art. And it’s nice to transcend the expected.

Bold colors seem to define your work in a way. And you strike me as a pretty positive person. Is optimism something you hope your artwork captures?

Stanley: I do. You know, I really feel that when we view life and we view ourselves and we view the world positively, we make the world a better place. Because when we’re more accepting of other people and other situations, the world becomes a nicer place as we view it and we become nicer people.

This last piece I did, which is called “Quality Time Remaining,” is really about death. It came from me just viewing constantly, at least recently, so many icons in the public eye dying. It only reinforced for me the idea of quality time remaining. We have a finite time here. Make sure that you’re living it to the fullest. It also says on the painting, “live without excuses, die without regrets.” We’re all gonna die – it’s what we do while we’re here.

So, not to go philosophical or go Yoda on you… But it’s possible to have a positive message in anything we choose to say. And what I choose to say in my art is that it’s all positive.

While there are self-portraits, there’s also more abstract paintings in your work. What’s your approach to the more abstract pieces?

Stanley: It’s kind of like going into a dark room and lighting a candle. It really is about discovering what’s in the room – what you can see, what you can bring. So a lot of pieces that I do, I go into blindly. I don’t want to be limited by style. I don’t want to have a style. What I want to do is work towards perfecting expressing myself and not sticking to one look.

I’m far from Picasso. But Picasso said, “If I had to describe myself as a painter, I would say I’m a painter without a style.” I think that’s great! I’m not interested either in knowing complimentary colors or what colors work with other colors. Innate, I want to pick my colors.

I’m looking at your “Guitar Dreams” painting. Certainly, I’m familiar with your relationship with Ibanez. But what is it you’re trying to capture when you’re painting that instrument? What does the guitar mean to you after all these years?

Stanley: At this point, it’s so iconic and it’s so connected to me.

I think, like a lot of other things, time tells everything – in relationships, in art, in music – and that guitar certainly started out as a blank page.

In other words, [Gibson] Les Pauls, for example, have a very fertile history – beyond Les Paul. When you think of icons like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton and Peter Green, you think of a Les Paul [guitar]. When I designed and started using the PS10, the Ibanez guitar, it had no history. That was something that happened in the last 45 years or so.

So, it’s iconic. And I wanted to celebrate it.

The “Detroit Rock City” painting is obviously a self-portrait. How do you approach a piece like that?

Stanley: I’m not big on what I call KISS-centric pieces. I don’t want to be the guy that paints my band. It’s too narrow a scope. That said… I’ve done some pieces that I liked. And what I wanted to capture is the spirit. I wanted to capture how I feel. That’s most important. If I can capture my feeling, it will capture someone else’s. I think that if you’re true to yourself, you’ll find people who relate to what you’re doing. Because we’re not very different. I think that my pieces in general connect with people.

But with some of them, I have to really reassure [people] that you don’t need an education in art or music or any other field to have a valid opinion. Your opinion is valid because it’s yours. Art is truly subjective. What affects you emotionally may have no effect on someone else. So, I just try to paint what I feel.

And there are certainly people who haven’t been exposed to art, or theater for that matter. And I want those people to feel comfortable enjoying something and feel reassured in their enjoyment. So, for me, part of it is about knocking down those boundaries.

I felt the same when I did Phantom of the Opera. Some people were intimidated by the idea of theater – but theater started in the streets. So, to turn it into a white glove affair, people miss out on one of the greatest experiences. Live theater is far more impactful than movies.

So, that’s always been part of my crusade so to speak – just to knock down those barriers.

KISS has developed an almost incomparably strong brand. But, for you, whether you’re working on the album art, costuming, the face paint, the “Black Series” or anything else that’s going to have your name on it, what’s the key to developing a brand that resonates while remaining authentic?

Stanley: I think the primary thought has to be, “What would I like? What would excite me? What would I love to see on stage?” That’s really what KISS was born out of: the idea to be the band that we never saw. It wasn’t the idea, “Let’s try to figure out what the audience wants.” It was, “Let’s be who we hope to see.” So, that hasn’t changed.

Anything that I’m involved in really becomes, “What need does it serve in me?” I tend to, no matter what I’m doing, try to do something that excites me – whether it’s a stage or an album cover or the clothes we wear.

I know your work is also going to be showcased at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio this summer as well. What can people expect during that exhibition?

Stanley: For me, it takes my breath away. This is a terrific museum. And the first that really championed American artists. So it will be a group of some of my favorite and best pieces. And it will run the gamut across different mediums: paint on canvas, paint on plexiglass – different things that I’ve done and will continue to do. I wake up sometimes during the middle of the night and think about how I’m going to create something tomorrow.