SCHOENHERR, John

(1935-)

   US illustrator, regarded by some critics as the finest sf artist of his generation. A New Yorker who studied at the Pratt Institute, he made his sf- ILLUSTRATION debut in AMZ 1956. His work has appeared primarily in ASF (including 75 covers), but he has drawn black-and-white illustrations for other sf magazines, including Fantastic and Infinity, and has also worked for paperback publishers, most notably ACE BOOKS and Pyramid. The cover and interior illustrations he did for Frank HERBERT'sDune stories in ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION (1963-5) are classics; some of the best are reproduced in The Illustrated Dune (1978) and Dune Calendar (1978). JS's style in his colour work is Impressionistic, and he isregarded by his peers as the most "painterly" in their field. Some of his earlier work shows the influence of Richard M. POWERS, one of the few sf artists he admires. He carries his painting techniques over into his black-and-white work by using a dry-brush method on rough paper or scratchboard, with fine details added by pen. His ALIENS are particularly convincing, thanks perhaps to his love for animal illustration (for which he has won numerous awards), and even his inanimate objects-like rock-forms - tend to look organic. JS received a HUGO in 1965. Dissatisfied by poor standards in sf art - "with few exceptions it'sreally fourth rate" - and low budgets, he left the field in 1968, returning briefly in the 1970s.

JG/PN

   About the artist: "Sketches: John Schoenherr Interview" in ALGOL, Summer-Fall 1978.