Masterful Marker Artist
Friday, October 10th, 2008
Ever heard of Charlie Kratzer? Neither had I until someone send me this article. He’s not the newest undiscovered fashion talent. He’s not the next up-and-coming artist on the NY gallery circuit. In fact, he’s not a NY’er at all. Charlie is, however an artist. And his chosen medium? How about Sharpie on basement wall…
Kratzer, a lawyer who works for Lexmark, decided one day that a wall in his basement was just a little too boring painted a plain off-white color. So he did what any four year old would do and grabbed the nearest Sharpie marker. Of course, instead of scribbling randomly, Charlie ended up with a mural that spanned the entire room, recalling settings and characters from a variety of inspiring sources. Through his basement walls, he’s channeled the Marx Brothers, William Shakespeare, his father, Winston Churchill, and a slew of other characters. He’s got his own Monet on the wall (self-drawn, of course), as well as rooms from his days at Cornell Law School.
All that for a whopping $10 worth of magic marker! Not too shabby for a lawyer who makes no mention of attending art school. If Sharpie were smart, they’d bring Charlie out to decorate some rooms in their office or something.
