Catch a Sketch

Aaron Krolikowski draws on a long-gone art form to capture modern moments.

by A.D. Amorosi

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Published: Nov 11, 2009

[ visual art ]

Mark Stehle QUICK-FIRE CHALLENGE: Lansdale native Aaron Krolikowski captures the action of his surroundings — from the courtroom to the Fringe Festival.

As a kid, I always thought the best part of nightly newscasts was watching the still frames of a court sketch artist's notebook unfurl. In a pre-Court TV world, it was the only way to get in on the action. That's what draws such a crowd to the self-proclaimed "sketch book reporter," 32-year-old Lansdale native Aaron Krolikowski: Whether he's capturing trial drama (he sat in on Vince Fumo's) or local art events, Krolikowski keeps us in the moment. But his work, gathered for a second-Thursday exhibit at the Random Tea Room in Northern Liberties, never forgets its roots.

City Paper: Who says, as part of their artistic training, that "yes, this rapier-fast, harried art form is for me"?

Aaron Krolikowski: Drawing fast has always been fun for me. I realized how boring it was to draw in a studio, trapped at a drafting board. I was much more interested in the world around me, documenting the action as it happened.

CP: What do you remember about the first time you saw this stuff? I think mine was during the Vietnam War and the trial of Lt. William Calley.

AK: I was inspired by Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly newspaper, where artists were sent on the road to draw the Civil War, the construction of the railroads, the laying of the transatlantic cable. ... I like actual drawings from the field. Unlike today, where we send photographers out to cover everything, that technology could not go on the road easily. But an artist with a pad could trounce around everywhere.

CP: Has any of your work appeared as part of court record?

AK: I have sketched only one courtroom. And that was the sentencing of Vince Fumo. ... I sketched him crying before the judge. I'm interested in doing more of those, but it really isn't as exciting as my other work. ... The courtroom is just a bunch of suits and bad dresses looking somber. I like to be where the action is. It's easy to sketch someone sitting on a chair looking sad — but trying to sketch five girls in a modern dance performance, that's a lot more interesting.

CP: How do you approach working so quickly while trying to capture an expression, a movement in time?

AK: Speed and accuracy are what it's about. You have to know how to draw and to do it very quickly. You have to edit as you go. I'm not concerned with getting someone's likeness perfect, I'm concerned with capturing that moment. It's the same as someone with a camera. They choose where to stand and how close to zoom in. The camera can capture hundreds of images; I can only capture a few. I have nothing against photography — I think there's room for both of us.

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

CP: You seem drawn — pardon the pun — to artists, specifically those of the Fringe. Why?

AK: My favorite event to sketch all year is the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival. There is so much going on and it's so much fun to sketch the different events. ... I would love to cover more aspects of Philly life. Our city is very segregated in its nightlife. I'd like to sketch where the African-Americans, Latinos, Chinese and other groups hang out. Maybe cover some secret societies. I would love to get into the secret meetings at the Philosophical Society.

CP: What's been the most fun so far?

AK: I love my sketch of Ben Franklin standing next to Mayor Nutter with Thomas Jefferson in the background. That was when the Ben Franklin impersonator was getting married to the Betsy Ross impersonator in front of City Hall. It's such a Philly moment.

CP: Where's your work — and sketch artistry as a whole — going in the future?

AK: I hope to branch out and find other artists to sketch with me, too, to cover events like I do. Create a place for the illustrated news. I would like some copy to go with the sketches — send a reporter to write about the event. But not the way a newspaper would do it — something like a cross between a report and a creative story ... some sort of gonzo journalism.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

Opening reception Thu., Nov. 12, 6-9 p.m., free, through Nov. 27, Random Tea Room, 713 N. Fourth St., 215-925-2715, interview-press.com.

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