Joseph Behrens Nordmann (April 24,1922 – August 17, 2015)

Joseph Behrens Nordmann was a college chemistry professor, an author and an American plein air impressionist painter.

Contents

• Early life and chemistry professor
• Impressionist painter
• Memberships and shows
• Articles and books
• References

Early Life and Chemistry Professor

Joseph Nordmann was born in Decatur, Illinois on April 24, 1922. When Joseph was 9, his family moved to Bowling Green, Ohio, where his father continued his teaching career at the Bowling Green State University.  When Joseph was 12, he received a chemistry set and that gift was the catalyst for his life-long interest in chemistry.  In college, he majored in chemistry at Bowling Green State University and he did his graduate work in organic chemistry and chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and Purdue University.  After completing his formal education, Joseph taught chemistry at the Los Angeles Valley College.

In 1951, Joseph founded Pacific Chemical Consultants in Van Nuys, California.  Long-term contractors of service included the California State Department of Water Resources, Lockheed Missile Systems and Paramount Picture Studio.  He authored six chemistry textbooks and was honored with the National Medal for Excellence in College Chemistry Instruction in 1969.  In 1971, Joseph was elected to Sigma Xi (the national honorary society for scientific research), UCLA chapter. (1)

In the early 1950’s, he also worked as a coach’s assistant for Hamp Pool, coach of the Los Angeles Rams and architect of the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams offense.  Joseph co-authored Fly T Football, the textbook strategizing the most flexible offensive attacks in football history.  This book was published in 1957 and is in the library of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (2)

Impressionist Painter                                                                 

When Joseph took an interest in a subject, his innate curiosity took him deep into the learning process.  And that included his interest in painting. He began his formal art training in 1949 with impressionist landscape artist, Paul Conner.  A few years later, he became the “last student of Nicolai Fechin”, a 20^th Century Russian-American Master.  It was under Fechin’s tutelage that Joseph’s interest in art accelerated. But on October 5, 1955, Nicolai Fechin unexpectedly died in his sleep at age 74.  The 9-person art class was shocked and completely unprepared for it. (3)  Three of his students, Joseph Nordmann, Albert Londraville and Hal Reed, all of whom were strongly influenced by their teacher, remained long-term friends and each became a recognized professional artist.

In 1978, Joseph retired from teaching chemistry after a 28-year career and became a full-time professional artist.  Four years later, he moved from Southern California to Pacific Grove, California, a coastal town located between Monterey and Carmel-By-The-Sea.  This area was, and remains, a strong artist community and Joseph worked with other impressionist painters, leading and participating in many art workshops.  He painted in the plein air style of impressionist landscape painters.  He joined several art associations, displayed his work in local galleries and exhibited in several shows- winning many 1^st place awards. In 1991, Joseph taught oil painting at the Salinas Adult School.  That year, he also was accepted as an “Artist Member” of the Carmel Art Association, the oldest operating non-profit artist cooperative in the United States. He subsequently served on the Board of Directors for six years. Joseph specialized in painting local landscape scenes and exhibited his paintings in many theme-based shows.

On August 13, 1992, a review of the “Central Coast Competition at Seaside” appeared in The Weekly Sun.  The review titled “Brushstrokes”, by Anita DeCarlo stated that Joe Nordmann’s oil “Yellow Light” is life music in a major key, bright color, happy, and “up”.  She continued that his work has always exhibited a professional feel. (4)  In 1994, Joseph was one of the artists featured in a documentary on Monterey Peninsula painters titled “Longtimers II”. (5)  The next year, in May 1995, the Mayor of Carmel -By-The-Sea presented Joseph with a “Certification of Appreciation and Recognition” for capturing the beauty and spirit of the natural surroundings and for his exceptional lifetime contribution to the arts. (6)

In the years that followed, Joseph’s large-scale one-man shows at the Carmel Art Association became highly popular and he received positive local press coverage.  In 1996, his show titled “Fort Ord-Fading Memories” included many scenes of a local Army post that had closed two years prior.  In 2001, his second large-scale show was based on his place of residence.  It was titled, “Pacific Grove-The Last Hometown”.  In 2004, the third large-scale show included 80 paintings and was titled “Monterey” and included two components; “Monterey as Realism” and “Monterey as Design”.

In 2005, a 4-page article by William Christopher appeared in the Carmel Magazine titled “The Professor-Chemistry Instructor Joseph Nordmann has Derived Impressions Well Beyond Science”.  The Nordmann painting on the cover page included the caption “Nordmann’s style, seen here in his plein-air rendering of New Monterey, is heavily influenced by Edgar Payne”.  The article states “His spontaneous rendering of nature that captures the eminence of California is a signature of the early 20^th century plein-air artists.  The tradition that was formed by way of Payne, Armin Hansen and Grandville Redmond is continued today in Nordmann’s work.” (7)

Joseph continued painting throughout the remainder of his life, participating in many shows, winning awards, and giving painting workshops, demonstrations and lectures that were always sought after.

Joseph died in 2015 at age 93.  His career as an artist spanned 66 years and he had continued painting until the end.  Joseph was an extremely brilliant and talented person who lived a low-key, modest lifestyle.  He never had a TV, computer or cell phone to interfere with his concentration on painting and writing.  Joseph was also loyal to his chemistry profession.  He established and generously funded the Nordmann Chemistry Assistantship at the Los Angeles Valley College to provide financial support to chemistry students. (8)

Joseph left a legacy of his art life through the thousands of his impressionist-style paintings as well as his collection of 39 large photo albums and 18 sketchbooks that meticulously documented his experience as a painter, beginning in 1949 with his first art instructor.  In his will, Joseph bequeathed two of his favorite paintings to the Monterey Museum of Art. (9) These paintings were accepted by the Monterey Museum of Art and were independently appraised for their collection.  The Ramsey Collection, a private art museum in Hamilton, Texas acquired 160 of Joseph’s paintings over the years and are on display along with their large collection of European and American Masters. (10)  Gerry Byrne, owner of the Portnoy Gallery in Carmel, California purchased 150 of Joseph’s paintings over a 30-year period and established a “Masterworks” collection of his paintings, designating those he felt were the very best of his work. (11)

Joseph Nordmann paintings are in two museums (one public and one private), the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Bowling Green State University, several art galleries and many private collections.

“Readying the Boat”, 30” x 40” oil painting by Joseph Nordmann (DeBord collection).  This painting was the cover on the Spring/Summer 2016 Carmel Gallery Guide

Memberships and Shows

Memberships

• American Chemical Society
• American Association of Chemistry Teachers
• California Art Club
• Carmel Art Association
• Central Coast Art Association
• Pacific Grove Art Center Association
• Salinas Valley Art Association

Shows

• 1952 Landscapes in Oil, Pacific Coast Club Galleria, Long Beach, California
• 1986 Bi-Annual Competitive Exhibition, 1^st Prize, Central Coast Art Association, Carmel, California
• 1986 Joseph Nordmann-Western Landscapes, Forest Hill Manor Vest Pocket Gallery, Pacific Grove, California
• 1988 Oil Impressions of the West, Carmel Valley Manor Hallway Gallery, Carmel California
• 1988 Bi-Annual Competitive Exhibition, 1^st Prize, Central Coast Art Association, Carmel, California
• 1989 Oil Impressions, Plein Air Paintings by Joseph Nordmann, Forest Hill Manor Vest Pocket Gallery, Pacific Grove, California
• 1991 1^st Plein Air League (PAL) Exhibition, (PAL was a four-person artist group including Joseph Nordmann), Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove, California
• 1992 Bi-Annual Competitive Exhibition, 1^st Prize, Central Coast Art Association, Carmel, California
• 1992 Monterey County Fair Art Exhibition, People’s Choice Award, Monterey, California
• 1994 Plein Air League (PAL) Exhibition (PAL was a four-person artist group including Joseph Nordmann), Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove, California
• 1994 Western Scenes, Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove, California
• 1994 Impressions in Oil, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• 1995 Joseph Nordmann-One Man Show, Collector’s Gallery, Carmel, California
• 1996 Plein Air Paintings, Collector’s Gallery, Carmel, California
• 1996 Joseph Nordmann’s Fort Ord – Fading Memories, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• 2001 Joseph Nordmann’s Pacific Grove – The Last Hometown, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• 2004 Joseph Nordmann’s Monterey – Monterey as Realism and Monterey as Design, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• 2010 Joe Nordmann & Friends, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• 2013 Joseph Nordmann’s Views Outdoors, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California

Articles and Books

• “Experiments in Chemistry”, by Joseph Nordmann, Burgess Publishing Co., 1957
• “Qualitative Testing and Inorganic Chemistry”, by Joseph Nordmann, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1957
• “Fly T Football”, co-authored by Joseph Nordmann, 1957
• “Quantitative Aspects of General Chemistry”, by Joseph Nordmann, Burgess Publishing Co., 1959
•  “Quantitative Freshman Chemistry”, by Joseph Nordmann, Burgess Publishing Co., 1966
• “What is Chemistry?”, by Joseph Nordmann, Harper & Row Publishers, 1974
• “What Chemists Do”, by Joseph Nordmann, Harper & Row Publishers, 1974
•  “N. Fechin, A Personal Memory”, by Joseph Nordmann, Western Art Digest, 1985
• “Paul Conner”, by Joseph Nordmann, Art of California, 1990
• “Painting the Ordinary,” by Joseph Nordmann, American Artist, 1994
•  “Jenevin’s Search, A Detective Novel”, by Joseph Nordmann, 2009
• “Joseph Nordmann, The Art of a Full Life”, Frances Jenkins Ramsey, 2014
• “Sketchbook Ideas”, Joseph Nordmann with Frances Jenkins Ramsey, 2015

References

1. “Joseph Nordmann, the Art of a Full Life”, by Frances Jenkins Ramsey, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4931-2057-4
2. “Joseph Nordmann, the Art of a Full Life”, by Frances Jenkins Ramsey, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4931-2057-4
3. Western Art Digest, Summer 1985, “N. Fechin, a personal memory” by Joseph Nordmann
4. “Brushstrokes” by Anita DeCarlo, The Weekly Sun, August 13, 1992
5. “Longtimers II Premiers May 19”, article by Lisa Crawford Watson, Alta vista Magazine, April 30, 1994
6. “Certificate of Appreciation and Recognition-Joseph Nordmann” by Ken White, Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, May 20, 1995
7. “The Professor”, by William Christopher, Carmel Magazine, Summer/Fall 2005
8. “The Los Angeles Valley College Foundation 2016 Annual Report”, headline “Joseph B. Nordmann Estate donates $840,000”
9. “Monterey Museum of Art, Annual Report 2015-2016”, October 2016
10. “Ramsey Collection”, a forty-year collection of Old Masters, American Masters, European Painters and Modernists, a private art museum, 100 E. Main Street, Hamilton, Texas 76531, ramseycollection.com
11. “The Masterworks” a 30-year collection of Joseph Nordmann paintings at the Portnoy Gallery, Carmel, California

Information was also obtained from:

• Sally Aberg, General Manager, Carmel Art Association, Carmel, California
• Dean and Joanna Chapman, executors of the Joseph Nordmann estate and owners of the Chapman Gallery in Carmel, California
• Michael DeBord, California art collector who purchased many paintings and most of the artifacts from the Joseph Nordmann’s estate, and conducted extensive research of his life, Cameron Park, California
• Ellen McGrath, art collector and artist who painted with Joseph Nordmann for many years, Carmel, California
• Robert (Bob) Simon, artist and long-time friend who began painting with Joseph Nordmann in 1955, Sherman Oaks, California

This 2004 video was produced by John Harris for the Carmel Art Association.  Special thanks to John Harris for permission to use his video on this website www.ArtistAlmanac.com and on www.JosephNordmann.com.