Fine Art Connoisseur Jul/Aug 2018

Amazing things happen when people get together. Seemingly impossible challenges become do-able. Difficult goals become less daunting. Unity, support, and accountability to one another keep us on the right path. Throughout history, gatherings of artists working toward a common goal have changed the world. These collectives, often starting as a couple of individuals collaborating on a project, have resulted in massive change. A fine example is the French Impressionists, who in 1874 mounted their first exhibition under the rather unpromising name “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc.” Its members dreamed that one day their work would be accepted despite the fact that it did not suit the old-school strictures of academic tradition. Their efforts created a movement that ultimately transcended unnecessarily politicized organizations like the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Paris…

Busy times ahead! I am truly fortunate to be anticipating some distinctive art adventures on the horizon. First up, this August, is the judging of artworks to be exhibited in the 37th annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale. On view at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, the climactic moment of this benefit project (buffalobillartshow.com) will occur the weekend of September 21–22, but first it’s necessary to determine which pieces will receive prizes. Several years ago, I was kindly invited to attend the event itself — decked out in the proper hat and boots — and was mightily impressed by the quality and range of artworks depicting the land, people, and wildlife of the American West. The scenery in and around Cody — on the…

Had the artist Paul Cadmus (1904–1999) been serving in the U.S. Navy when he completed this painting in 1934, under the aegis of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), he might likely have been sent to the brig. As it was, naval authorities promptly rejected it for public display, treating it as something more suitable as ballast than as art. “I am not an art historian, but because I am a curator, I’m fascinated by the stories behind paintings,” says Donald Albrecht, curator of architecture and design at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY). “To me, this painting is a good example of social realism, and it inspired a ballet and Broadway musical.” As Albrecht tells the story, after the Navy rejected Cadmus’s image as a blasphemous portrayal of sailors…

PURDY EATON (b. 1973) does not limit her artistic production to paintings. Her photographs, videos, and installations come part and parcel with the exhibition of her fine art, creating a 360-degree traditional and digital experience for viewers. Eaton and the team at Nancy Hoffman Gallery (located in the Chelsea gallery district of New York City) work together to stage these contemporary presentations in the multi-media style becoming increasingly prevalent in project spaces. Eaton’s work seems to show simple quotidian scenes, yet they are actually packed with probing questions, commentary on contemporary culture, and calls to action. Such exhibition and painting titles as Houseplants Make You Smarter, Already Against the Next War, and Stand Still Like the Hummingbird (inspired by the prose of Henry Miller) reveal Eaton’s topical and poetic impulses. The…

As fellow residents of Earth, animals have always fascinated humans, especially the artists among us. Thus many creatures appear in prehistoric cave paintings, and today the desire to depict them endures, actually stronger than ever. This season is an ideal time to learn why, thanks to an array of exhibitions on view across North America. Among the finest is the 58th annual exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA), on view at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida, from July 28 through October 23. After this show closes in Florida, it will travel as part of SAA’s Art and the Animal exhibition to the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum (Oradell, NJ, November 17, 2018–March 15, 2019), then to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History (Hays,…

When it comes to subject matter, Ned Mueller (b. 1940) is not particular. Or rather, he is, but not in the way most of us would expect. “You can find a pretty great painting in a pile of rocks,” he asserts. “For me, it’s about seeing an arrangement of shapes, values, and colors.” That may not seem an earth-shattering notion, but for Mueller, the realization that an impactful image can come from anywhere was something of an eye-opener. For years, the Montana-bred artist made his career as an illustrator, and answering to an art director did not always allow for the kind of visual freedom a fine artist enjoys. “The advertising and illustration business is deadlines and all-nighters,” says Mueller. “I enjoyed it because I saw it as a challenge and…