Minnesota Vikings Carl Eller

Vikings Carl Eller Autograph

The photograph is of me, sports artist John Robertson with Carl Eller, autographing a page from a book that has one of my paintings of the famous "Purple People Eaters" .  They were the great front four linemen for the Vikings. "The Purple People Eaters" included; Carl Eller, Allen Page, Gary Larson and Jim Marshall.  The painting commission hangs in the new Minnesota Vikings US Bank stadium in Minnesota 

It was really exciting for me to meet Carl Eller as I was, and still am a big fan of the Vikings.  My wife is from Minnesota and I have been going back with her at least once or twice a year since we have been together.  Eller is only a year older than me so we are contemporaries.  He is a big, big man standing six foot six and thick as a big tree.  What is interesting about him is that he makes ceramic art.  His bowls are beautiful and he created some pieces for the US Bank, Minnesota  Vikings art collection.  Here is a link to his facebook page that shows some of his work.  https://www.facebook.com/Carl-Eller-Studios-140010289424137/ 

 About Carl Eller

 Carl Eller was one of the defensive ends who played with the Minnesota Vikings from 1968 through 1979.  Starting in 1968, Eller's fifth campaign, Minnesota won 10 Central Division titles in the next 11 seasons. The Vikings won the 1969 NFL championship and NFC crowns in 1973, 1974, and 1976 and Eller was one of 11 Vikings to play in all four of their Super Bowls, all losses.

He was selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1968–1971, 1973, and 1974). After being traded with an eighth round pick to Seattle Seahawks for defensive tackle Steve Niehaus, Eller played his final season in 1979 with the Seattle Seahawks, where he ran his career total to 225 games. In his career, "Moose" only missed three games and started 209 out of the 225 he played.

About the painting

The painting you see in the photograph is eight feet by twelve feet, acrylic on canvas.  The "Purple People Eaters' painting is in the Gold Suites lobby to Norsemen's suites in the US Bank stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play. This is a private area for the suite owners but the doors are sometimes left opened so one can see them from the public area.  

Purple People Eaters Minnesota Vikings US Bank Stadium

Purple People Eaters Painting

 One of my pieces (artist John Robertson) In the new Minnesota Vikings stadium is The "Purple People Eaters" which shows the legendary linemen Carl Eller, Allen Page, Gary Larson and Jim Marshall.   The painting you see in the photograph is eight feet by twelve feet, acrylic on canvas.  The "Purple People Eaters' painting

is in the Gold Suites lobby to Norsemen's suites.  This is a private area for the suite owners but the doors are sometimes left opened so one can see them from the public area. 

What was fun about the opening is meeting Carl Eller and Jim Marshall who autographed the photograph art book featuring the stadium's artists.  We also had a chance to meet the great Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant. 

Minnesota Vikings Stadium

We went to the art collection opening at the new  U.S. Bank Stadium where the NFL Minnesota Vikings will be playing their football games starting this 2016 2017 football season.  The stadium has a museum-quality art collection.  Both my wife and I have pieces of art in this collection.

U.S. Bank Stadium has some unique features in comparison to other NFL stadiums, It has the largest transparent roof in the nation and five 95-feet high pivoting glass doors that will open to a nearly three-acre plaza and the Minneapolis downtown skyline. While the stadium’s roof will be fixed, the transparent 200,000 square feet of glass throughout the building will give fans an outdoor feel in a climate-controlled environment. The stadium seats are just 41 feet from the sideline. Seven levels in the stadium and it has two of the largest and highest-quality HD video boards in the NFL that are located in both the east and west end zones.

About the US Bank Minnesota Vikings Stadium Art Collection

To see a short video of some of the collection you can go to : http://www.usbankstadium.com/about-the-stadium/art-collection/  You will see two of my paintings in the video.  What is an interesting side comment is that my name is not listed on the collection artist's list although my paintings are in the stadium. 

One of my large scale football paintings on the jumbotron at the new Minnesota Vikings' US Bank Stadium where several pieces of my work are installed

stadium.  My understanding is that only a couple of artists that were not from Minnesota were included in the collection - me being one of them.  This was intentional as the other artists not from Minnesota were also left off the list.  My wife, Lynn Hanson was included (see photograph above with our paintings shown together in the Gold Lobby to the Norsemen suites) as she is from Minnesota and her sister lives about an hour from downtown Minneapolis.