Professor Rebecca Schnorr
ART 211-01
18 July 2016
Kalamazoo Institute of Art Trip
My trip to the Kalamazoo Institute of Art was extremely interesting; as I had not been there before and did not know what to expect. The artwork I viewed changed my mind about what to expect, as I happily surprised by the variety and quality that was there.
The first painting that caught my interest at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art was Lady in a Black Dress by Nina Belle Ward ca. 1912. Ward was born in 1885 and she studied at the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she earned awards and had the privilege of some of her paintings displayed. Today one of Ward’s portraits remains on display at the museum and art school in Philadelphia. In 1960 Ward’s family brought Lady in a Black Dress back to Kalamazoo. After attending school, Kalamazoo was home to Ward, she advocated for art and instructed there. After Ward’s passing in 1944 a family member, A. Pitzer Ward, donated this oil on canvas piece to The Kalamazoo Institute of Art. “Ward’s artistic style would be shaped by her rigorous training in traditional figure and landscape painting.” (Niehus). Ward studied under exceptional artists of her time. She learned skills in her portrait work like showing body shape under clothing and creating eye contact with her subjects to the viewers. Ward painted her portraits in Realism style as to show to us what it was she saw in actuality. After moving to Michigan Ward taught at Kalamazoo Central High School and at The Kalamazoo Institute of Art, which she helped found in 1924.
In Portrait of a Lady in Black Ward used contrast between the young woman’s dark, black dress and light shirt and pearls to create a simple but interesting scene. A diagonal line created by the subjects hands, pearls, shirt and face create interest and emphasis in the work. With so few colors around the subject the viewer is able to spend more time contemplating on the emotion of the subjects face and the intrigue Ward has created within this young lady’s expression. She looks sideways back at the viewer Ward giving her great eye contact with the viewer but creating a slightly shy or modest look on her face as you can see in the photo.
My own interpretation of viewing this painting, is that initially I saw a somewhat ‘sad’ figure of a woman being portrayed. Once I studied more about it, I would say that would be incorrect. What we are viewing is a self-portrait of a strong, confident young woman making a stand for herself and her art at the turn of a new century.
If I was going to compare this work to something from class, I would select The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503. They are obviously similar because they are both portraits of two women; but I would argue that they share the same enigmatic idea. The Mona Lisa has long been a mystery as to what and who it is about, with her strange smile; I would also say, that Ward has painted her self-portrait here with a similar sense of mystery. She chooses to not reveal her whole self to the viewer- as I first observed it.
“Kalamazoo Gibson Smokestack”
The next painting that I have chosen to write about is titled Kalamazoo Gibson Smokestack painted with acrylic on canvas by current and local artist Mark Brotebeck. This piece is part of the temporary collection of local artists at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. Brotebeck spent most of his painting career making portraits of singers of the mid 1900s but, his painting of the old Gibson guitar factory smokestack was done to remember and embrace a longtime piece of Kalamazoo’s industrial history and landscape. The Gibson smokestack was recently in line to be demolished but, with the help of caring residents like Brotebeck the smokestack has been temporarily saved from demolition. “Brotebeck and a friend started printing the painting on tee shirts to bring awareness to the landmark.” (Thiele). “It would be terrible if it had to come down.” (Brotebeck).
Emphasis on the smokestack is created by the sharpness of the bricks and lettering of the subject. The subordinating blur that the artist has created everywhere else in the painting forces our eyes to study the focal point and really look at this part of Kalamazoo and Gibson Guitar’s history that is in danger of being lost to a modernizing world around it. It is as if he has painted what would have been developed from the view through a camera lens set to a short enough depth of field to only have the smokestack in focus.
Brotebeck’s painting has many forms of line. Horizontal lines border the building and bay doors. There are very straight, vertical lines of buildings, the power pole, dock doors, and bumper poles all supporting the height and stance of the central line and subject: the Gibson smoke stack. There are curved, diagonal lines of the electrical wires capturing the attention of our eyes and sliding them back to the focal point of the painting. Linear perspective is created in the diagonals of the sides of the building again pushing our gaze back to the stack.
A variety of primary and secondary colors fill the canvas but are used in dulled ways as to show the ware and age of the factory. Analogous colors used in the taller section of building to the right enable the line of the building the emphasis not the color. The complementary colors of the sky and bricks also help to contrast and focalize the subject.
My initial reaction to the work, was that it was an unusual subject matter for a painting; why make a painting about a run-down looking building. But upon further understanding of the piece, I recognize the significance and history of the subject matter—great piece of local history!
If I was going to select an artwork to compare this to I would pick the Greek Parthenon! This may be an odd comparison, but if you look closely at the work by Brotebeck, you can see column like structures within the work, along the outer support walls, and even the smokestack itself. While the Parthenon today lay mostly in ruins, so does this iconic piece of local history in need of saving. Both have importance to the communities in which they are located.
I visited The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts with Mrs. Schnorr and a few other students from the class. It was my first time there and I was very impressed with the price and the amount of interesting art that was on display. The collection that I was most amused by was “Reaching into Infinity” by Chul Hyun Ahn. These pieces made me feel like there was more around than just the encasement of solid walls and floor. If I do decide to come back when this collection is still here, then I will most definitely bring my ten year old boys to see it. I also thought the egg tempura with gold leaf collection by Fred Wessel was very pretty. I enjoyed the detail in each painting especially in the girl’s hair. It is nice to know that there is so much good art here in the local area; I am glad I got to experience the KIA. I plan on finding more museums to visit and also trying to go to some of the ones that have been mentioned in class like the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Works Cited
Brotebeck, Mark Niehus, Karla J. “Rediscovering Nina Belle Ward.” Resource Library. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Web. 12 July 2016.
Niehus, Karla J. “Rediscovering Nina Belle Ward.” Resource Library. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Web. 12 July 2016.
Thiele, Rebecca Dec 11, 2015 “Gibson Smokestack Becomes New Subject for Portrait Artist.” WMUK 102.1 NPR. Web. 12 July 2016.