Cloar’s ‘memories’ have global appeal

GA: Athens

WHERE: Georgia Museum of Art.

WHEN: Through January 5, 2014.

TITLE: The Crossroads of Memory: Carroll Cloar and the American South

"Halloween" by Carroll Cloar.
“Halloween” by Carroll Cloar.

BRIEF ABOUT: This exhibition features works by Carroll Cloar whose complex style not only pays homage to the great American realist masters and the pointillism of the Post-Impressionists, but also blends these elements smoothly with the subtly disturbing images and themes of the Surrealists.

     Cloar’s paintings, with their saturated colors, repeating patterns and shallow picture planes, offer a unique and timeless vision of the American South. Marking the centenary of the artist’s birth, the exhibition includes approximately 70 paintings, ranging from early realist works to the poignant pictures of his later career.

"Wedding Party" by Carroll Cloar, 1971.
“Wedding Party” by Carroll Cloar, 1971.

     Born in the small town of Earle, Arkansas in 1913, Cloar painted from memories of his rural childhood. He spent most of his life in the South, attending Southwestern at Memphis College and later, Memphis College of Art. He later received a Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to travel to Mexico, where he was exposed to and influenced by such realist painters as Diego Rivera. Cloar’s widow, Patricia Milsted-Cloar, is an Athens resident and docent at the museum.

"Story Told by My Mother" by Carroll Cloar.
“Story Told by My Mother” by Carroll Cloar.

     Three works featured in the exhibition come from her private collection. While Cloar is known for his depictions of the South, his widow believes that they have a universal appeal. “People from different countries would often stay in our home, and they would be stunned by the paintings. The feelings they evoke are the same in everyone. This exhibition is new territory for him, as he is more well known in New York and the mid South. Carroll would have loved this,” said Milsted-Cloar.

MORE DETAILS: Call 706.542.4662 or see http://georgiamuseum.org.