21 November 2018

News of the World


I am honored to have 37 new drawings and paintings on view in News of the World at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls, Montana. The exhibition runs from September 20th, 2018 through February 4th, 2019. What follows is a selection of the work on view, and the artist's statement for the exhibition.

News of the World, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 18x36"

“Literature is news that stays news.”
- Ezra Pound, The ABC of Reading, 1934

I believe what the poet Pound said is true of all the Arts. In stories and paintings, songs and plays we encounter themes that are relevant for every generation, even as circumstances change. This is one reason I am drawn to history, mythology and folklore as I investigate my current interests. Imagery and allegories of other times and places continue to illuminate our lives today.

Edge of the Woods, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 20x30"
In Norse mythology the god Odin appears with animal companions, including two wolves and two ravens, Hugin and Munin. The name Hugin means Thought, while Munin has been variously interpreted as Memory, Emotion or Desire. Each day, these birds would fly out to gather news of the world and report back to Odin. 

Higher Ground, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 16x20"
Sparks Fly, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 16x20"
I love the notion that ravens might be engaged in such reconnaissance. What’s more, this legend aligns with what we know scientifically about the capacity of ravens to learn, reason, communicate and remember. I consider these borrowed characters as witnesses who bring historical consciousness and reason to what they observe.

Blue Gloaming, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 24x36"
House Call, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 24x36"
Flare Up, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 24x36"
Gleaners, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 24x36"
I have also drawn upon biblical symbols in my recent work. In the Book of Revelation, Four Horsemen appear as harbingers of doom. To me, they represent the challenges we must face in order to survive, individually and collectively. The Red Horse of war, the White Horse of plague, the Black Horse of famine and the Pale Horse of death each stand along fields in changing seasons. And in those landscapes, we find humans striving for reconciliation, healing, sustenance and consolation.

Dust Storm, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 30x20"
As a narrative painter, I work in a composite process. This entails investigating characters and other elements before they take shape in a greater context. Such study delights me, and I’ve chosen to incorporate many initial explorations - including numerous images of ravens - in the show. I want to carry the freshness of my studies into more complex compositions.

Strutting in Dust, 2017. Graphite & oil on art board, 8x10"
Dust Storm Study, 2018. Graphite & chalk on paper, 7x5"
Alighting in Wind, 2018. Graphite & oil on wood panel, 7x5"
The past two years have been a time of great experimentation in my work. In many ways, I am attempting to bring the immediacy of drawing into more fully realized paintings. This has involved changing media and developing new approaches with the materials and themes that have engaged me for decades. One of the things I most prize about artistic endeavor is the continual learning and discovery it provides.

Three Ravens in Flight, 2018. Mixed media on paper 8x10"

p.s. A group of ravens is called a Conspiracy.

I am a recipient of an Artist's Innovation Award made possible by the Montana Arts Council, an agency of State Government, through funding from the National Endowment of the Arts.

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