Jesse McManus says:

Karl was my professor at school and he was, and is, a constant inspiration, in a massive way. Every student of the SAIC reading this, with any spark of gumption, any inkling of excitement over the potentials for situations involving various aspects of free association, spatial constructions and color work, regarding any infinite number of subjects and approaches, should totally take his class, “drawing from the imagination.” Take it multiple times. Get an internship at the Roger Brown house. Blow your own mind with this dude’s output, decade after decade.

I want a drawing show for every damn decade of his life. Why hasn’t this happened? His drawings out-number his paintings tenfold, I’m sure!

He will blow your socks off your ass, into your mouth, back out your ass. All of this, with such true, midwestern classiness. And then you learn he teaches painting classes too. Sheesh. Eat this dude up, he will out-live us all.

Bow to this man.

Diana Rentchler says:

I’ll second that. This man changed my life. I’m not an artist but my husband met Karl while he was an artist in residence in the art department at Sacramento State in 1970 and then became an SAIC grad student with Karl’s recommendation. With that good fortune , our lives were enriched and forever changed. Not only an emence talent as Jesse so descriptively puts it but he and Lorri Gunn are two of the most decent, sweet people I’ve ever met. I’m not sure they know what a difference they made in our lives and to think of all the years of influence Karl has had on so many students. I’d love to hear from more of them like Jesse. What a gift!