Tom Lea: An Oral History Hardcover - 1995

From the publisher

Tom Lea, internationally known artist and author, in early 1994 recorded a series of interviews with Adair Margo for the University of Texas at El Paso's Institute of Oral History. In the spring, a retrospective exhibition on his art work was held at the El Paso Museum of Art, UTEP's Centennial Museum, and the Adair Margo Gallery. This book, developed from the interviews and illustrated by exhibition pieces and photos from Lea's personal collection, serves as Lea's autobiography. Born in El Paso in 1907, Lea was the son and namesake of the city's mayor. In the early days of World War II, he became a war correspondent for Life magazine, executing paintings of action in the North Atlantic, the South Pacific, China, North Africa, and Europe. Lea's career thereafter involved both painting and writing, on a variety of subjects but generally reflective of his roots in the Southwest. He has won recognition in both fields and his art work is in permanent collections nationwide. Lea's brief autobiography, A Picture Gallery (Little, Brown, 1968), has been out of print for many years. This new book is the first extensive autobiography with the retrospective exhibition pieces spanning his career.