Fine Art: Tom Austin's "Short, Short Season"
by David Barth
March 2, 2008
I wrote this review of artist Tom Austin's "Short, Short Season," as though the work had already been shown and
sold by the gallery, just to extend the value of this web page content beyond the gallery showing.
My sister, Naoma Welk, is a published author with three books and innumerable
other writings to her credit.
She has many public relations clients, and one is a fine art gallery that showed some of Tom Austin's work in
March, 2008. In the 1950s, Tom was in a rock group, "The Royal Teens," which had a blockbuster hit, "Short Shorts."
The band did a lot of traveling in the 1950s with big name rock stars of that era. These days, Tom is an
accomplished painter.
In 2008, while working with Tom on the press release for the fine art
showing, Naoma asked him what he did with his
first "Short Shorts" royalty check. He said he promptly went into debt because he bought a new 1958 pink
Cadillac!
Tom's partner in the band was Bob Gaudio, who left "The Royal Teens" to join "The Four Seasons" when Tom went
into the military. The gallery had a showing of Tom's paintings, including "Short, Short Season," a tribute to
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The title of the work references "The Royal Teens" through its hit, "Short
Shorts," and "The Four Seasons."
The gallery had an opening reception, and Naoma had her fingers crossed that some big, old singers [her words,
not mine] would show up. However, other than Frankie Valli, she said she probably wouldn't recognize anyone.
The musical, "The Jersey Boys," featured in Austin's painting, opened on Broadway on November 6, 2005 at the August
Wilson Theatre starring John Lloyd Young as "Frankie Valli," Christian Hoff as "Tommy DeVito," Daniel Reichard
as "Bob Gaudio," and J. Robert Spencer as "Nick Massi." "Short, Short Season," commemorates "The Four Seasons" by
blending time over half a century.
Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actor (John Lloyd Young), Best Featured Actor (Christian
Hoff), and Best Lighting Design (Howell Binkley).
Of interest is Austin's attention to detail in the painting with representations of late 1950s automobiles of 1957
vintage, the same era when "The Four Seasons" were enjoying the height of their popularity. Included in the
scene are a two-tone red and pink Ford; a black Oldsmobile convertible with a white top and a continental kit,
parked near the theater; a green Pontiac parked in front of the theater; a Chrysler with the huge, vertical
fins housing the tail lights; a yellow Oldsmobile rolling past Victory, an establishment across from the theater;
and a blue, 1957 Plymouth. Paintings of automobile marques built in the current era would not be so easily
recognized.
Four of the cars have two-letter license plates that are the initials of "The Four Seasons" members including "FV"
for Frankie Valli, "BG" for Bob Gaudio, and "TD" for Tommy DiVito.
In Austin's painting, the fourth license plate shows either "CC" or "GC," initials that do not match those of Nick
Massi, the fourth member of "The Four Seasons" in the musical. The answer to that question lies with the
artist.
On the sidewalk in front of the theater are four men, the members of "The Four Seasons." This painting was for sale,
and the proud owner has acquired a treasured and meaningful artwork.