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EXHIBITION INFORMATIONBarbara TakenagaMay 12 – August 19, 2007 The idea of a reconciliation of opposites is present in her paintings – of being in time but out of time, and that once there is reconciliation, there can then be synthesis. Sensitive to the paintings’ focal points being perceived as “the light at the end of the tunnel” and its overt reference to life and death, the artist also suggests a humorous, tongue-in-cheek notion. The influence of eastern religions is found in Takenaga’s compositions as well. Often said to resemble Tibetan Wheels of Life or Buddhist mandalas, the artist’s paintings repeat and recede much as the religious works do. While different in content, there is a rhythmic, hypnotic, and meditative effect – one that is overt, as in the Wheels of Life or mandalas, and one that is inherent, as in Takenaga’s. Barbara Takenaga offers three experiences with her work: one that is intimate and close and where you can be consumed with the shapes and colors and lines of the work; one that is from afar, that pulls you into a sort of helix that moves and grabs you, sometimes softly, sometimes explosively; and lastly, an experience that lies underneath all of the visual stimulation and is a restrained narrative/comment on our existence. But the three experiences would not be successful standing alone and cannot exist without the other. Together, they equally beckon us to simply become involved with her work. Barbara Takenaga was born and raised in North Platte, Nebraska. In 1972, she received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree followed by a Master of Fine Art in 1978, both from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She presently resides in New York City and Williamstown, Massachusetts where she is a Professor of Art at Williams College. She is represented by New York’s McKenzie Fine Art.
Image: Barbara Takenaga, C-Chan
Discover MONA: Benton, Morris, FalterMay 19– August 26, 2007 Thomas Hart Benton
Wright MorrisPhotographed in the 1940s, the black and white images of rural Nebraska impart Morris’ sense of dignity to his native land and capture its fleeting, quiet nature. Born in Central City, Nebraska in 1910, Morris went on to become one of the most important modern American authors of the 20th century. With books such as The Home Place, Morris introduced the photo-text – a novel with interspersed images of places or objects that held the essence of and reaffirmed what was being expressed with the author’s words. Coupling these disciplines created a new and challenging experience for both the literary and art world and thus, Morris’ work staked a place in the history of American literature and photography.John FalterSelf-titled a “documentary storyteller,” John Falter depicted a simpler time in American history through his illustrations, paintings, and prints. Born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska and raised in Falls City, Falter developed an appreciation for Midwestern life and legend which was to distinguish his artwork throughout his career.After graduating from high school in 1928, Falter went on to study at the Kansas City Art Institute, followed by the Art Students League in New York City. Falter secured illustration commissions from corporations and magazines, and is perhaps most famous for his Saturday Evening Post cover images which appeared 129 times from the mid 1940s to 1971. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Falter began to experiment with portrait painting and book illustrating. He loved recording American history in his paintings, working with historians and researchers, and reading countless books in search of information to incorporate into his work.
Nebraska Now: Deborah Murphy, PaintingsJuly 14 – October 7, 2007 Born, raised, and making a life in Nebraska, the quiet and unobtrusive plains have consistently called out to Murphy. As she says, “I cannot break away from the land’s hold on my soul, any more than I can avoid my roots and heritage. It seems the environment has held an endless fascination, even as a child, before I knew I was an artist.” This fascination has turned into a life’s work of investigation and a personal purist reinvention on paper or canvas of the beckoning land. Typical and atypical can both and best describe Murphy’s viewpoints and compositions. Always addressing the “reality of everyday surroundings” is what sets this artist’s work apart from picturesque landscapes. In this new body of paintings, Murphy’s scenes range from vantages off of her porch to the “rich and lush woodlands” outside her studio window in eastern Nebraska or the “bottom lands along the Missouri River.”
Image: Deborah Murphy In Iowa Side of the Missouri, Murphy focuses on a small stream of water engulfed by surrounding greenery. The composition shows the intricate detailing of blades of grass reaching upward and the abundant leaves of the trees hanging downward. This painting also provides a feeling of covering and of structure, but one that is organic yet equally enveloping. Within these familiar yet varied visions of her surroundings, Murphy offers the idea of the commonplace to find solitude, comfort, and peace within and from the land. Born in North Platte, Nebraska, Deborah Murphy attended Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska Kearney), where she received a Bachelor of Art degree in 1972. Since that time, she has continually worked and been included in over 100 group exhibitions and 10 solo ones. Her work is in 23 public and university collections and, in 2000, 2001, and 2003, she was awarded nine public art commissions in Nebraska. Related Event:
Artist Talk and Reception: Saturday, July 14 • 1:30 p.m. |
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In the paintings Green Expanse (About Perfection) and Iowa
Side of the Missouri, Murphy presents separate scenes that provide glimpses into
a moment of discernment and emanate a feeling of covering or protection.
In Green Expanse, we look outward from the artist’s white porch to the
rich green of a front or back lawn. The grass leads back toward trees
in the distance with little sky included. The porch scenes, as Murphy
has painted before, concentrate on “the concept of shelter, the security
of ‘home’ as opposed to the uncertainty of what lies beyond everyone’s front
porch.” But shelter and a feeling of looking outward is also found in her
nature scenes those void of architectural structure.