Turning point for once-homeless artist

Lolita Harper

The antique building that once stood at the edge of the Venetian

canal was ripped from its waterfront location. The architectural

slopes that cut the horizon into a jagged edge were removed from

their foundation.

One by one, the 18 pieces of artist E. Dewey Turner’s masterpiece,

“City of Venice,” were removed from the mural’s giant grid work and

sold as individual pieces.

One by one, local art aficionados walk out the door with a week’s

worth of Turner’s youth, in the form of brush strokes.

One by one, the pieces of Turner’s life are falling back in place

at the expense of the “City of Venice.”

Turner, an acclaimed artist with a scrapbook full of tributes,

finally agreed to sell his 18-piece rectangular composite mural, on

display at River’s Edge at 1661 Superior Ave. in Costa Mesa. The

Venice mural and other Turner pieces have been sold out of the rustic

furniture store as part of an attempt to garner an income for the

starving artist.

Sale of eight of the 18 pieces has brought Turner about $14,000 so

far.

River’s Edge co-owner Ken Edwards has agreed to let Turner

showcase his pieces at the rustic furniture shop and displayed the

lighted “City of Venice” masterpiece across the back wall of the

shop.

“We just had an amazing turn around, it just blew us away,”

Edwards said. “And there are still several left.”

Edwards met Turner about a year ago when the elderly man wandered

into the shop while waiting for his car’s air conditioning to be

fixed. He walked into the quaint shop and immediately started

critiquing all the art work. Turner told Edwards he would be back,

and sure enough, his frequent visits sparked an unconventional

friendship.

At the time, the car was Turner’s home.

For months the two men -- the polished, realist Edwards and

scruffy, idealist Turner -- went back and forth about whether “City

of Venice” should be sold in it’s entirety, or broken up.

To Turner, the painting represented four months of toil and

passion, as well as a memorable trip to Italy.

“I painted that from January of 1961 to April,” Turner says of his

masterpiece.

He invites passersby to run their hands along the craftsmanship,

scrutinize the details of the artistry and admire the way the light

bounces off the gold streaks in the paint.

The massive oil painting shows many separate views of Venice in

small rectangular paintings, which come together like a tour of the

historic city that was once a center of world trade and commerce.

Turner wanted millions for the piece. He has settled for thousands

and the comfort of a steady income and roof over his head. A defeated

sigh from the quiet 80-year-old man, and a long drag from a filtered

cigar, sends mixed messages about this “blessing.”

Edwards hopes sale of the final pieces will convince the willful

old man that it was all worth it.

Time is no longer running out on Turner but the painting will lose

its gallery come Sunday. River’s Edge will move from its industrial

home on Superior Avenue to an unknown location.

“This Sunday is the last hurrah,” Edwards said. “We have to be out

of here by Wednesday.”

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at lolita.harper@ latimes.com.