|
Exhibition Spotlight: Cedar City
Goya's Los Caprichos at SUU
by Brian Hoover
I always refer to myself as a painter who prints. I was introduced to Lithography back in 1985 while attending the Cleveland Institute of Art and I went on to receive an MFA in Printmaking from the State University of New York. Choosing printmaking was one of the few practical decisions I made in my youth. I loved the process, but I hoped that being both a painter and printmaker would make me more viable in landing a teaching job. It did. I’ve been teaching both at Southern Utah University for eleven years.
One of the most motivating aspects of attending the Cleveland Institute of Art was that right across the street from the school was an incredible art museum. One could literally take a short break from making art, and in 5 minutes you could be looking at a Rembrandt or Bouguereau -- very inspirational. It’s an underrated collection, perhaps because nobody wants to go to Cleveland…the smell of industry and the sound of distant gunfire are still strong memories.
Southern Utah is the polar opposite to Cleveland. It has incredible beauty, but no permanent, superlative art collections. My students and I have to travel long distances to charge our creative batteries. That’s why I've been delighted to have the Goya exhibition on campus at the Braithwaite Gallery –and only fifty yards from the printmaking studio. I’m teaching Intaglio this semester, and it’s such a thrill to be able to take a break from printing and within seconds be looking at an incredible suite of intaglios.
Los Caprichos is an exhibition of the set of eighty etchings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, published in 1799, which has become one of the most influential series of graphic images in Western art. This series of etchings was begun shortly after the artist contracted a disease that resulted in complete deafness for the rest of his life. They were not commissioned pieces so the artist worked on them in complete freedom.
I’ve been to the exhibition several times already. I have seen a good many of the images reproduced in books before, so I was prepared for the bizarre imagery and severe social criticism. The themes range from silly to ghastly, but what stuck me first was how wonderful they are on a formal level. Over eighty prints - mostly multi-figural- and they all are composed in a complexity and richness that equals their narrative. Lyrical and graceful line work is woven beautifully with subtle to velvety black aquatints. There does not seem to be a formula in his approach to design. Lights and darks are masterfully balanced on the picture plane. Some are heavy with line and others are made up of entirely soft planes of aquatint. I’m tickled the show will be up till November as I plan to put my brushes down and pick up an etching needle.
Exhibition Announcements
Up and Upcoming to the South
CEDAR CITY
Braithwaite Fine Art Gallery UPCOMING: Francisco Goya's Los Caprichos, open September 21 to November 11, features the full set of 80 black and white etchings from the Spanish master. (see article this page)
PRICE AREA
Museum of the San Rafael (64 N. 100 East, Castle Dale, 435-381-5252) — "Prehistoric Wildlife and Western Art of Utah," featuring paintings by Joseph S. Venus, Clifford Oviatt and sculptures by Gary Prazen and Eldon Holmes, through 2006.
ST. GEORGE AREA
Sears Art Gallery UP: The Masters' Brush, featuring art by Greg Olsen, Ben Sowards, Del Parson, Glen Edwards, Michael Malm, Barbara Edwards, Julie Rogers and more, through Nov. 17.
St. George Art Museum UP: Through October 14, 2006 Arts for the Parks exhibit in the Main and Mezzanine Galleries and Wallace Lee’s Park Legacy in the Legacy Gallery.
UPCOMING: The Glowing Landscape: Paintings by Colleen Howe.
Colleen Howe’s paintings have received a number of awards including Outstanding Landscape by the Pastel Society of the Northeast Juried Exhibition in July 2005 and many others. They have been shown in many areas of the West, featured in magazine articles, and are a part of several art collections. Howe has an ingrained love of artistic materials: rough paper, the dry feeling of charcoal and pastel, and the flow of paint over a prepared surface. The texture of nature is forever fascinating to Howe who reads about the lives and processes of other artists in order to understand herself. Many of her finished paintings will be accompanied by her sketches. The exhibit will feature both her pastels and oils. The exhibit opens on October 28 ( a free opening day to the public) and continues through December 27.
The Mezzanine and Legacy Galleries will feature Visionscapes: Vanishing Rock Art Sites of the West by Diane Orr during the same time period. On October 28 at 1pm, Diane Orr will give an Art Conversation at the St. George Art Museum that is open and free to the public.
|
|
UTAH COUNTY (Downtown Provo Gallery Stroll October 6, 6-9pm)
Brigham Young University Museum of Art
UP: Just Enough Is More: The Graphic Design of Milton Glaser, on view through October 7, 2006 (see July edition).ALSO SHOWING:T apestries: The Great 20th Century Modernists, features works by Picasso, Matisse, Calder, Kandinsky and many of their contemporaries who were inspired to transform their own compositions into monumental wall hangings. (see July edition).
ALSO: Candida Höfer: Architecture of Absence, on view from Sept. 15, 2006 through Jan. 6, 2007, is the first North American survey exhibition devoted to this celebrated artist. (see page 5)
LECTURE: Virginia Heckert, associate curator of photography at the J. Paul Getty Museum and one of the exhibition curators, will present a lecture titled “Contextualizing Candida Höfer’s Architecture of Absence” on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006 from 7 to 8 p.m. The lecture will be presented in the Museum Auditorium and end with a reception in the Milburn Gallery. Light refreshments will be served. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.
Harold B. Lee Library (AuditoriumGallery, Level 1, BYU, Provo) — "Recent Works: Clay & Rebecca Wagstaff" through Oct. 25.
Gallery OneTen UPCOMING: Marlene McCune and Lori Lambson. October 6 - 27. Geneva Steel paintings and drawings by McCune and "The Fantastic Women" paintings by Lambson.
Storefront Galleries (26 West Center, 250 West Center, 273 West Center; 377-5700) Paintings by David Gianfredi, Stained glass by Andrew Kosorok, “Reclaiming Childhood” by Provo High School students, Xerox transfer drawings by Walden Academy, wildlife carvings and paintings by Ken Lance, paintings by Soozin, pastels by Alexander Green, collaged lithographs by Rachel Hoover.
Coleman Studios (117 N University Ave; 225-5766) Fine art prints of Brian Kershisnik and sculpture by Jack Morford.
Utah County Gallery (151 S University Ave; 785-2059) Celebrating 50 years of Provo Art Board/Utah County Art Board. Featuring over 30 artists who served during the 50 year history. Program: 7pm Honoring B.F. Larson, Lael Woodbury and more.
Woodbury Art Museum UPCOMING: Smith, Marshall, Doxey.The Woodbury Art Museum will open their fall season October 13 with an exhibit that will feature the work of Bruce Smith and Robert Marshall, two of Utah’s most prominent artists, as well as emerging artist Downy Doxey. “When one considers the development of the arts in Utah, and more particularly in Utah County, an account would be incomplete without acknowledging the imprint of Robert Marshall and Bruce Smith,” said Woodbury director Marcus Vincent. “[And] Downy Doxey is an emerging artist of growing reputation and, coincidentally, daughter-in-law to Marshall.”
Terra Nova Gallery UP: Birds of a Feather, a group exhibit featuring the works of some long-time favorites of Terra Nova as well as a few first-timers, including: Brett Larsen, Rebecca Lee, Dahrl Thomson, Kelly Thurgood and Rebecca Wagstaff. The exhibit, which includes both 2- and 3-D works, encompasses a variety of styles and medium, from the delicate, realistic creations of Kelly Thurgood to the bold, stylized works of Dahrl Thomson. Through October 27.
Springville Museum of Art UP: Through October 15, three new exhibits in the museum's galleries. Painters of the North - Stozharov, Popov, Semenyuk and Matsyutov. ALSO:
In Memoriam - H. Lee Deffebach, Wallace Lee, Ed Maryon, Francis Zimbeaux, an exhibit honoring the work of four recently deceased giants of Utah art: two watercolor masters, Wallace Lee, and Ed Maryon, the mystical visionary Francis Zimbeaux and nationally recognized abstract expressionist Lee Deffebach. ALSO: Town and Country - Painterly Visions of Karen Horne and Phyllis F. Horne.
This traveling exhibition will highlight the complementary subject matter of two of Utah’s noted artists - Phyllis F. Horne and her daughter, Karen Horne.
EPHRAIM
Central Utah Art Center UP: Corey Strange, installation art and in the upstairs gallery a photographic installation by Jackie Brethen. In conjunction with this exhibit thursday October 5th, the Center will hold a Curator's Lecture, "Corey Strange: Strange Art." October 19th, Snow College professor Geoff Wichert will discuss installation and conceptual art.
TORREY
Torrey Gallery UP: An exhibition of new work by Doug Braithwaite through October 21. A student of Tony Smith and Paul Davis who is now coming into his own as a mature painter of the western landscape, Briathwaite has garnered numerous awards plein-air competitions in Utah over the past few years. Equally adept at depicting the quiet pleasures of rural scenes and the geometric intricacies of urban scapes, Braithwaite constructs paintings based on solid forms and lively brushwork.
|
|
  
|
|
| |
9/1 Daisy
Johnson , a photographer, painter, conceptual designer, and owner of Blue
Chaos Salon, began showing her work at notable Utah galleries after only
one year of study.
9/3 The
Museum of Church History and Art has announced the Visitor Choice Awards
in its Seventh International Art Competition.
9/13 Pressed
into beauty: 'Botanical Art' exhibit features work of local artist Janet
Beck Clark.
9/14 Using
fences to understand human behavior: The Utah Humanities Council funded
an exhibit, created by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C
9/14 LDS
artists have major impact on animation
9/15 Utah
artist regains life with aid of strangers.
9/20 Springville
artist, Robert Marshall, commemorates pioneer's sacrifice.
9/20 Judge
dismisses artist's lawsuit. A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed
by a local artist against Park City, saying the city's policy prevented
him from selling his art on the street and thus violated his constitutional
rights..
9/23 In
memorium art exhibit: A new exhibit at the Springville Museum of Art, "In
Memoriam," features the artwork of four recently deceased artists who,
during their lives, significantly contributed to Utah art. They are H Lee
Deffebach, Wallace Lee, Ed Maryon and Francis Zimbeaux.
9/24 Art
from the Silk Road: More than 80 paintings from China are on display in
West Valley City
9/24 Two
art exhibits at BYU: Artwork showcases key elements of drawing, design.
9/27 Kick
up your creativity: Simple steps to inspiring the brillance within you
9/28 The
American Fork Visual Art Board is sponsoring a new series of the "Just
Add Water" watercolor workshops.
9/28 A haven
for artists
Artspace facility allows for working and living in inspirational environment
9/30
The Kimball Art Center and Friends of Animals are requesting donations
of artwork from Park City artists and galleries for a special fundraiser
benefiting both non-profits.
10/1 Mayhem is master in 'Tiamat'
|
|
|
