Famous in his day and a pal of Jack London, Tilden Daken (1876-1935) was one of the most adventurous and prolific painters in the American West; he painted in every California state park and national park in the West, from the redwoods to the High Sierra to beneath the sea in a custom-built diving bell. Bonnie Portnoy, who never knew her grandfather, spent 25 years researching him, unraveling his mysteries, and gathering his art, culminating in the fully illustrated biography, The Man Beneath the Paint: California Impressionist Tilden Daken.
The stories include: his beginnings and ending in the California Mother Lode; his ride on the rails with Jack London; his experience in the 1906 earthquake; getting caught in the cross fire of the Mexican Revolution; his exhibit at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition; his years in Hollywood when he painted to music; his journey to New Guinea to paint the headhunters; and the many notable people with whom he mingled—politicians, activists, Hollywood celebrities, naturalists, writers, journalists, and fellow California Impressionists.
Portnoy’s talk, which ends with a Q&A and book signing, includes a PowerPoint presentation of his art, stories of his adventurous life, and her serendipitous journey to learn about the man beneath the paint. Copies of The Man Beneath the Paint: California Impressionist Tilden Daken will be available for sale.
This presentation by Bonnie Portnoy is featured as part of the Monday Noontime History Series at Mechanics’ Institute and meets on in the 4th Floor Board Room.