On view through April 19, 2015 at the Spartanburg Art Museum in Spartanburg, South Carolina, are exhibitions featuring two regional painters, one from the 20th century and one contemporary artist living and working Asheville, North Carolina.
In the museum’s Alcove Gallery is “Dark Corners: The Appalachian Murder Ballads” by Juylan Davis. Ten large paintings offer viewers glimpses into haunting narratives that depict the region’s history as well as present day culture.
“These works are just masterful,” said Executive Director of Spartanburg Art Museum Elizabeth Goddard. “In my experience with contemporary painters, it is rare to find the talent that has tremendous command of landscapes, built environments and the human figure. Mr. Davis not only can depict any and all of these, but the emotive response his work elicits has incredible staying power.”
On loan from the Johnson Collection, “From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason”, Thomason (1895-1972), like many aspiring painters, moved to New York as a young man and enrolled in the Arts Student League. While there, he was influenced by such prominent painters as Robert Henri, John Sloan and George Luks.
Twenty-nine paintings offer viewers a sense of the scope of Thomason’s interests, from landscapes and portraits to everyday scenes of life in North Carolina and New York. “One of the real treats of having Eugene Thomason here at SAM is that one of his influences in New York was Robert Henri, whose painting, “Girl with Red Hair” hangs predominately in the entrance of the museum. Henri’s 1907 painting was the first work of art purchased by the citizens of Spartanburg, which was the first step in the evolution of the museum’s existence,” Goddard said. “It is incredible to have these artists hanging side by side.”
For more information, see: www.spartanburgartmuseum.org or call 864.582.7616.