On view through Saturday, February 23, 2019 at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, “Bog Cycle” is an exhibit of abstract pen and ink drawings by artist Alan Montgomery.
The inspiration for this series comes from Alan’s reading of the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Heaney’s critical pieces, on the Irish peat bog, are a journey through time and space and a signifier of Irish culture. The patterns and rhythm of Heaney’s writing struck a chord with the artist who grew up in that same part of Northern Ireland.
Montgomery’s intention is not to illustrate the poems, but rather to interpret the written text through his own visual language of design and art. In these predominantly monochromatic pieces, the artist uses “…undulating curved horizontal waves and value gradations to create what essentially comes across as high contrast, multidimensional landscapes.” The calligraphic, lively brushstrokes and marks evoke organic root-like forms. Vertical space reveals reflections and patterns.
For more information, see: www.thedahl.org.
About
Alan Montgomery spent the early part of his life in Belfast, Ireland. He has been an art professor at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota since 2000. In 1990, he received his Master’s in painting and printmaking from Minnesota State University at Mankato. In 1994, Montgomery received his Masters of Fine Art from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.