 |
www.packers.com | |||
 |
||||
|
return to site | |||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
posted 07/24/2007
Renowned artist Charles Fazzino has produced commemorative artwork throughout the sports world, for stadiums, Super Bowls, and very recently, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Francisco.
But one thing that struck Fazzino, through his research in preparing for his commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Lambeau Field, was the history attached to both the Packers' beloved stadium and the franchise in general.
"I think that's what really separates it from all the teams I've done - it has so much history, and the fact that the team is owned by the people, by their fans," said Fazzino, who was on hand in the Lambeau Field Atrium on Tuesday for the unveiling.
"Also the metamorphosis of the stadium and what it's gone through. It hasn't been taken down. They've had two or three iterations through the years of changing the field and changing the stadium, so I thought that was very interesting too."
Fazzino focused on capturing all the history and tradition as well as the state-of-the-art feel of the redeveloped stadium. The piece includes images of everything from tailgating to Lambeau Leaps, from Curly Lambeau himself to fans wearing cheeseheads.
"With Lambeau Field, because of the history, I set it up and drew it differently," Fazzino explained. "I came up with a formula for this piece where I'd have blow-ups all the way around the edge (of the stadium), sort of like postage stamps for different parts of history for Lambeau Field.
"I think that's what made it so different. My approach was different. But I think that really captured the essence of it and the excitement of it."
The piece is available in a limited edition 3-D format, with certain aspects cut out so that they "pop out" from the surface to varying degrees. Fazzino said he completes the meticulous 3-D process with the help of dozens of artists on his staff in his New York studios, and each 3-D piece is handmade.
There is also a smaller, collectible-size, 3-D version, as well as a traditional (non-3-D) poster of the commemorative artwork.
Fazzino said he had been in discussions with the Packers about the commissioning for the past couple of years. The artistic process took around three months to produce the final work.
Fazzino will be in Green Bay this week for three days, beginning with the unveiling and continuing with signings for fans through Thursday. He will return to Green Bay from Sept. 7-9 for another signing leading up to the Packers' regular-season opener at Lambeau Field against Philadelphia.
He said he has learned a lot about Packers fans in his research for the piece and is looking forward to meeting many in person. He's more accustomed to being at art shows in major metropolitan areas, so he expects a visit to Green Bay to have a different feel, much like the football franchise itself.
"Most of my artwork is sold in the big cities -- it's pop-art, it's very modern," he said. "So it's going to be interesting to see if the people who live in the Green Bay area are going to be accepting of the artwork, because it is avant-garde in a way."