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Today's Featured Biography
Reinhard Straub
Reinhard W. Straub
Wakefield, RI
[email protected]
Excerpts from Joseph Dalton’s Albany Time Union September 2003 article describe Straub’s work: “Reinhard Straub's bold collage paintings express the drama of a zigzagging life. Straub's newest works employ broad gestures and nontraditional tools. Copious amounts of paint are poured, splattered, smeared with his fingers or struck with wooden sticks. Many of Straub's works also incorporate decidedly nontraditional elements. Small pliers and wrenches, or even toy soldiers, might be glued on the canvases. They add a distinctly technological element to the washes of color and amorphous forms that Straub describes as “primordial.””
Reinhard Straub was born in Austria in 1950 and immigrated with his refugee family to Burlington, Vermont in 1952. An accomplished violinist at a young age, Reinhard pursued a professional musical career that spanned over two decades after attending Syracuse University during the heyday of the 60’s. Reinhard performed at thousands of concerts and club dates, and composed, arranged and recorded with many notable artists. Music led Straub to New York in the early 1980s. He hung out with some of the hippest characters of the day, including “Candy” author and “Easy Rider” screenwriter Terry Southern & his infamous running partner, Harry Nilsson. He worked with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Peter Tork of The Monkees, Paul Butterfield, Jack Douglas (producer of John Lennon, Aerosmith, and Cheap Trick), Doctor John, Bob Ezrin (producer of Pink Floyd, Kiss, etc.), John Lee (bassist, Dizzy Gillespie), Michael Bruce (guitarist and writer, Alice Cooper Band), Joe English (drummer, Wings), Ray Gomez (guitarist, Stanley Clark, Aretha Franklin, etc.), Johnny Thunder (New York Dolls), L. Shankar, etc.
While living in New York City in the mid 80’s, Straub began creating visual art. Over a three-year period, Straub produced approximately 300 drawings, primarily using calligraphy pens. His drawings caught the attention of his friend John Copeland, editor of The Art Forum who was ready to curate a show for musician artists including Ron Wood from the Rolling Stones. However, Reinhard landed in rehab near Albany and ended up staying.
In May 1991, Straub was in a small plane being piloted by his father when it crashed on takeoff near Lake Champlain. A hole in the fuselage allowed Straub and his future wife to escape, but his father remained trapped and unconscious as the plane was consumed by flames. In spite of or because of the horror, Reinhard’s interest in art was re-awakened and subsequently resulted in a prodigious output of work. He has completed two and fifty hundred pieces over the past 4-5 years and remains surprised that a good deal of it has been sold.
Reinhard attended Syracuse University earned his B.S. at Empire State College and then his Masters in Social Work at Adelphi University. He has worked in the field of substance abuse and mental health treatment since 1989. Reinhard lives in Wakefield, RI with his wife, Laurie, a physical therapist and doctoral candidate, and their 3 children; Alexander 13, Ian 7, and Katrina 5.
1992 – 1994 Adelphi University -
Masters Degree, Social Work
1990 – 1992 Empire State College, State University of New York - B.S., Human Services
1968 – 1970 Syracuse University - Major: English/Creative Writing
RI LICSW, RI LCDP & RI Licensed Chemical Dependency Clinical Supervisor (LCDCS)
CT LCSW & LADC
2006 to present Stonington Institute Waterford, CT Senior Clinician, Partial Hospitalization Program; Director, Intensive Outpatient Program
1995 to present Private Practice
Peace Dale, RI (formerly Albany, NY)
2005 to 2006 Family Services of Rhode Island, Providence
Director, Outpatient Program
1995 – 2005 Empire State College, State University of New York, Adjunct Faculty
1995 – 2003 The Medical Society of the State of New York, Cmte. For Physicians’ Health
Senior Clinical Coordinator, (1995-03); Admissions Director, (1997-00).
1990 – 1995 Clinical Services and Consultation, Inc. - Latham, NY
Clinical Administrator& Therapist,
1989 – 1990 Conifer Park - Scotia, NY
Alcoholism/Substance Abuse Counselor
1966 – present Professional Musician
1984 – Present Professional Artist
Upcoming Exhibitions: Budapest, Pecs and Kecskemet, Hungary Summer 2007
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