Jack Armstrong (artist)

Jack Armstrong is an American artist, ex-model and jeweler. Known for his flamboyance and eccentric behavior, described in court papers as "a man with no discernible source of income",[1] he became known for his connection to the "Black Star Of Queensland" of which he reportedly slept with, under his pillow and was a co-owner.[2][3] What ensued was a controversial legal battle named by the Los Angeles Times as “Heavy Weight Gem Scuffle”[4] in which Armstrong fought against his ex-lover Gabrielle Grohe for control of the stone. The matter settled out of court with Armstrong agreeing to buy out Grohe for $500,000 he had 3 months to pay, his cheque bounced and the stone was awarded to Grohe. Born January 6, 1957 in Omaha Nebraska. He arrived in Manhattan NYC in 1979 where he found work as a male model and later reportedly became friends with Andy Warhol.[5]

Jack Armstrong at the Bellair Launch Party
black star of queensland

Between 1999 – 2000, he founded “Cosmic Extensionalism” a method of art unique to himself, he vowed to create only 100 works of art using this style of extreme color, texture and light, with words appearing at different angles in the paint. Widely published, he was nicknamed "The Last Wizard" by Andy Warhol, which later became the name for the latest Damian Chapa[6] film biopic, announced in 2016 about Jack Armstrong.

His work features in the private collections of Alice Walton, Michel Polnareff, and Narendra Patel[7] is valued in price between 1 and US$6 million.

In October 2010 using acrylic paint and 37 coats of Clear-Coat he unveiled his flagship "cosmic starship" at Bartels’ in Marina Del Rey a Harley-Davidson with actress Gretchen Rossi.[8][9] The Cosmic Starship Harley launched at $1 million sold in 2012 for $3 million and is officially 10 Years old 21 Oct 2020, currently priced at $35 million.

His cosmic Firebird painting was the mascot and centre piece for a ballet "The Cosmic Firebird Dance Concert"[10] held at The Rose Centre Theatre on April 2, 2011.

In 2014, he painted the $3 million Cosmic Starcruiser bicycle.[11][12] Armstrong has never been represented by a dealer.

At his home in Eagle Rock in 2014, an arrest warrant was issued by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office for one count of rape he was taken into custody.[13]

References
  1. Kim, Victoria (2010-01-05). "For some, a sapphire has not been their best friend". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  2. "The Black Star of Queensland, a 733 karat sapphire up for private..." Getty Images. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  3. "A unique gem with a colorful history". The Bulletin. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  4. Kim, Victoria (2010-01-05). "For some, a sapphire has not been their best friend". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  5. Sterling, Ellen (2010-11-10). "Andy Warhol and Jack Armstrong: One Artist's Soup Can Is Another's Harley-Davidson". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  6. The Last Wizard (2016), retrieved 2017-08-01
  7. Sterling, Ellen (2014-10-02). "Big Boys Toys in Dubai Features The Most Luxurious Stuff Anywhere, Including the Cosmic Star Cruiser Art Bike by Jack Armstrong". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  8. "World's only million dollar Harley, Photo Gallery". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  9. TheCarNews (2010-10-27), Cosmic Starship Harley Davidson 1Million $, retrieved 2017-08-01
  10. "Cosmic Firebird Dance Concert - LIVE". Vimeo. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  11. Sterling, Ellen (2014-10-02). "Big Boys Toys in Dubai Features The Most Luxurious Stuff Anywhere, Including the Cosmic Star Cruiser Art Bike by Jack Armstrong". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  12. "World's most expensive art bicycle rolls into Dubai at Big Boys Toys". The National. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  13. Bloomekatz, Ari (2013-11-26). "Artist Jack Armstrong accused of Beverly Hills rape". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
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