Last Friday, we stepped into the Salomon Arts gallery for a first look at artist Donald Hershmann’s new collection, inspired by and in tandem with photography by the late Victor Arimondi. As the Tribeca studio’s cool, laid-back atmosphere slowly filled up with people, we had the chance to explore some of Victor and Donald’s work and chat with those close to the artist for an inside look behind this collection.
The art on display features still life and the male figure, throughout both Hershmann and Arimondi’s bodies of work. As a tribute to his late partner, Hershmann recreated four of Arimondi’s photographs during quarantine through his own medium. With 20 paintings from 2019-2021, 38 curated photos from 1972-2001, ‘Donald and Victor: Under The Influence’ is a beautiful and powerful retrospective tribute to Victor Arimondi.
Arimondi, an Italian-born model turned artist fueled by the “singularity of his vision and need to create art”, used his photography as a lens to creatively explore the male form and later, the streets of the Tenderloin. From his time in Stockholm during the 1970s to his San Francisco period in the 1980s, Arimondi contributed to well-known magazines, but also used his art as a social commentary on SF’s Tenderloin District, highlighting the homeless and others struggling during the AIDS epidemic.
Hershmann, a dually-gifted individual with success as a painter and as a well-known podiatric surgeon, grew up in New York City before moving to San Francisco in the 1980s to set up his medical practice. Today, his artwork spans portraits of close friends, still life illustrations with flowers, animal portraits, and even abstract work. This collection features his still life and portrait illustrations.
The story behind this beautiful art, however, allows us to see the pieces through new eyes. Hershmann and Arimondi met in the 80s in San Francisco, when Hershmann was a medical practitioner doing biological sketches of bones and anatomy. Upon taking a look at his sketches, Arimondi knew he was destined for art and convinced him to become an artist. The pair stayed close throughout the remainder of Arimondi’s life, often working alongside one another on their crafts and through showcases. When Victor succumbed to AIDS 20 years ago, Donald inherited the rights to all of his photography. This showcase is the first posthumous showing of his work, and Donald’s recreation of Victor’s photos pays a heartwarming tribute to their friendship and shines a light on how each artist’s work influenced the other’s.
All this was relayed to us by Donald Hershmann’s husband, Jorge Alzate, who described what it was like to live with the artist while he created the paintings on display – since this exhibit was created during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, their home turned into a working studio – one they had to live and quarantine inside.
‘Donald and Victor: Under The Influence’ runs until June 3rd at the Salomon Arts Gallery in Tribeca. The gallery has been supporting the creative arts industry and those involved with it in Tribeca for 40 years, and this collection is a stunning example of the artwork they showcase. Catch a glimpse into the lives, work, and relationship of these two artists on Wednesdays through Saturdays 2 pm – 6 pm or by appointment until June 3rd.
