User:Sterling evans

History
The Great Montyne Montyne (November 23, 1916 to March 17, 1989) is called The Sculptor/Painter, was an American artist and stage performer. He is best known for his sculptures that once embraced the front of Circus Circus Las Vegas and the View-Master scenes of Tarzan of the Apes. He is also known for his oil paintings and sculpture/paintings, where he adds a third dimension to a two dimensional medium. For over five decades, his career is considered by many to be the story of a True American Modern Renaissance Man. His ancestry is rooted deep in the Catholic Church. Simon of Sudbury was the Archbishop of Canterbury where Montyne’s birth name was first used.

Early Life
Montyne was born Sherman LaMont Sudbury, the son of mathematician and inventor, Sherman LaMont Sudbury and Lavon Browning, a piano teacher. Four Years later his sister was born, who in his life would own one of the largest modeling and fashion schools in Portland, Oregon. His talent was recognized early at the age of nine. He began studying art privately, and soon after, anatomy with medical students. At the age of twelve he developed his sickly body into a specimen of health and physical perfection by way of the Charles Atlas weight-lifting course. At the age of twenty he won all honors in his body class for weight-lifting. He attended the University of Utah where he began to fence. He became a champion in this sport and over the years a master swordsman. Its influence in his life is seen in many of his paintings and especially in his balancing act. Montyne attended the AB Wright Academy of fine Arts.

Performer
According to Montyne’s official website, he started performing professionally after he was denied entrance into the Second World War. This happened because he had a broken back. He toured the world with this act, meeting famous people and working with acts like Bob Hope, The DeCastro Sisters, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, while always working on his art. The one thing that made Montyne stand out from all the other entertainers was he performed his act while surrounded by a bed of sharp swords. He was acclaimed internationally for performing at places like the Plaza De Toros in Mexico City, the Latin Quarter in Tokyo, Japan, and The Sir Francis Drake in San Francisco, California. He performed on television shows like You Ask For It, NBC in Hollywood, California, and in Hotels like the Sahara, Flamingo, and Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Artist
One of Montyne’s earliest works is the Eyes of Christ, where the young artist painted Christ on the Cross. The eyes in the work appear to magically open and close. It is interesting to note that he created this painting on a piece of felt from which his mother was making a dress. The painting was signed in 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah, using his birth name Sudbury. The first record of Montyne using his professional name is on a painting called Twinkle Star. The artist applied colorful oils on a thin round sheet of glass, with the figure in the painting holding a star. When light is placed behind this work, the star shines; signed Monty ne – 1934. The space between the y and n indicates that the painting was originally signed, Monty During the 1930s, 40s, and into the 50s of the last century, Montyne created works of art as an illustrator, commissioned fine artist, and muralist. In 1955, he was performing his act in Medford, Oregon, where the artist met his wife China. The artist/performer added her to his act and formed The Great Montyne and China. The two traveled the world together captivating audiences wherever they worked, and in 1963 Montyne would use his act and his art to create, at the time, the world’s largest pageantry float. The work was a massive undertaking and Montyne completed it in three months. It was called the Roman Fiesta and entered into The Portland Rose Parade. The float dazzled over 330,000 spectators, as Montyne did sword-fighting as a gladiator and his wife China was Cleopatra. Over a hundred extras participated, including a live lion and caged bear. The event took all top honors and first place.

Tarzan of the Apes
Montyne’s work in photography and ability as a sculptor and painter would land him a one-of-a-kind commission. In 1966, executives from GAF Corporation saw Montyne’s work and wanted him to create the three dimensional scenes for their upcoming View-Master stereo pictures of Tarzan of the Apes. What Montyne developed for the world is still enjoyed today. The book is composed of 21 scenes recreating the famous story by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Scene 16 (Flying through the limbs)is a great example of this work. He created an illusion of depth in this picture with only the tools of the day, using special lighting and an extraordinary understanding of photography. The great Montyne, as he was called, made you think Tarzan was over three hundred feet in the air while flying through the trees. The scene actually only had a depth of three feet.

Circus Circus, Las Vegas
Montyne moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968 to sculpt the statues in front of Circus Circus. The first was a self-portrait, depicting him as the acrobat. This heroic size statue in 1978 was featured on the front cover of 35mm Photography. The work at one time was one of the most-photographed sculptures in the world. Over the next three years, his labor would create four more statues, The lion, The Clown, Gargantua- the gorilla, and his wife china who was featured balancing on a RoLo-Board

Beyond Circus
While working on the statues at Circus Circus, Montyne also was commissioned to create the wall murals in the convention hall at the then International Hotel. His most challenging contract was the MGM Grand Hotel. The casino was longer than a football field, and on the 15 ceiling arches were Montyne’s ceiling murals. He was quoted as saying, “I completed the first painting in 24 hours.” He recalled, “I selected the Greco-Roman legends as my theme.”  Montyne completed the last painting on opening night in December of 1973. Years later he was quoted saying, “I believe the purpose of art is to communicate experience. If the viewer has to say ‘What is it’ you don’t have communication. And you therefore don’t have art.” After the MGM commission Montyne worked on his sculpting skills creating small statues for many galleries in the hotels on the Las Vegas strip. He created Windsong (1976), Marathon-man (1979), and The Indian Warriors (1980). The Intrusion (started in 1975) - a 200 pound statue, made from a material he invented called Poly-Marble, of three ramped horses. In 1979, Montyne made a strong impact in a Documentary on his work. In 1981, Montyne completes work at the MGM Grand in Reno, Nevada. He then appears on the front cover of The Nevadan Magazine sword fighting with his.

Personal life
He has one son (LaMont Sudbury) with his wife China Montyne Dusheck, whom he met when both were performing in Oregon, as well as four step children (Cynthia, Tony, Marc, and Michael Evans) from his wife’s first marriage.

Death
On March 17th, 1989 Montyne died of pneumonia while suffering from Cerebral Granulomatosis Angitis at Vegas Valley Convalescent Center, a hospice in Las Vegas, Nevada. In late, 1986 Montyne mysteriously dropped into a coma while in Portland, Oregon. The speed in which his health failed was a shock to everyone, as he was a specimen of health his entire life. He is buried in Palm Mortuary, near the Las Vegas Strip that exhibits his art.