Second Gallery Visit - Burchfield Penney

1: The Exhibition

1. What is the title of the exhibit? Blistering Vision: Charles E. Burchfield’s Sublime American Landscapes

2. What is the theme of the exhibition? The theme involves Burchfield’s love of nature and desire to present it to the public and the tension between nature and our rapidly industrializing society

2: The Gallery

1. What type of lighting is used? In general softer, ceiling track lighting is used throughout and focused on the particular works. In some spaces the room lighting is more subdued and the lighting on the works is brighter, more noticeable.

2. What colors are used on the walls? The large East Gallery is painted off white; the smaller galleries are light gray.

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space? Interior materials are generally painted plaster board, with some light gray stone outlining the entrance to the Burchfield Rotunda. It is sparsely furnished with a few benches. The benches in the rotunda are arranged in a circle to reinforce the circular space.

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space? The large opening of the Oishei gallery to the left of the entrance gallery draws the viewer in and directs them in a circle: past the replica of Burchfield’s studio to the rotunda, through the rotunda into the East Gallery, out the back of the East gallery where one can choose to go up the staircase to sculpture exhibits or through a series of smaller galleries, and then back to the entrance gallery

 3: The Artwork

1. How are the artworks organized? They are arranged in a variety of different way. Some spaces tend to alternate monochromatic pieces/studies (usually smaller) with more brightly colored pieces (usually larger). Some are arranged around a theme, such as one space dedicated to mines and another dedicated to commissioned work for Fortune magazine. Where available, studies are arranged next to finished works

2. How are the artworks similar? The paintings are almost all watercolors; the studies and monochromatic works are almost all done with conte crayon. None of the works address the human figure; I saw no animals depicted other than birds. All the works either address natural phenomena or man-made/industrial objects.

3. How are the artworks different? Many of the works are dark or monochromatic – a lot of black and shades of gray, browns and tans – and focus on industrial subjects. Others have vibrant colors and deal with nature subjects.

4. How are the artworks framed? I’m assuming you literally mean the frames on the works. Some, especially the smaller, monochromatic and “darker” works, are in plain, black, and wooden. The larger works are in frames that are lighter in color and somewhat more ornate.

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled? Each artwork was labeled with Mr. Burchfield’s name, the name of the work (if any), date(s) created, medium, place that owns it. Some also had a description of the work.

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other? Generally 3-4 feet apart.

 4: Art Criticism Exercise

Select three of the artworks from the show and use the Art Criticism worksheet to describe, analyze, bracket and interpret the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described. (see the sheet in the module folder)

A.      Still Life: Scrap Iron (1929)

1.       Description: The work looks like a section of a junk yard, with various pieces of scrap iron as the title notes. The pieces are pushed against a decrepit fence, under telephone poles and wires at the right. A few sparse blades of grass poke through at the lower right.

2.       Formal analysis: Various forms are created through values – cylinders, domes, bowls – positioned largely at the center and left of the work. This is balanced by the fence and telephone poles on the right. The viewer’s eyes move from left to right and then upwards up the fence and telephone poles at the right.

3.       Bracketing: This is a play on the still lives more commonly seen in art: ones with flowers and fruit and tableware that have been carefully arranged. Here we see the random arrangement of scrap metal in a junk yard.

4.       Interpretation: I think the artist was trying to show that even these discarded pieces are worthy of examination. Additionally, even in this desolate landscape, nature (in the blades of grass) is still able to survive.

B.      White Violets and Abandoned Coal Mine

1.       Description: In this work, the gaping mouth of the opening of the mine takes up the center of the picture. A scrawny tree limb appears to reach out from the right side of the opening and form a canopy over it. Three white violets line the center and right of the opening.

2.       Formal analysis: The jagged lines of the branch reach out from the mouth of the mine opening and white lines dangle down from the branch, directing your attention towards the mouth of the mine. It gives an ominous appearance to the mine opening, along with the claw-like appearance of the branch. These contrast with the delicate appearance of the white violets.

3.       Bracketing: As noted above, the claw-like branch reaching out of the mine opening  and the gaping mouth of the opening itself remind one of a monster, threatening the delicate violets at the bottom of the opening.

4.       Interpretation: The artist may have been commenting on the destruction of the natural world by the conduct of mining operations, or at least how they threaten to damage nature. The presence of the violets could also symbolize the resilience of nature in the face of destructive side effects of industrialization

C.      Gothic Windows

1.       Description: In this work, tree branches form a canopy over some smaller trees, framing them like window frames in a cathedral.

2.       Formal analysis: Much of the work is a series of thin and thick lines – thick for the large tree trunks and branches, thin lines for the smaller tree trunks and branches. It has an almost child-like appearance. The composition is symmetrical. The floor of the forest is blue instead of green, and dabs of light green at the ends of the smaller tree branches represent leaves.

3.       Bracketing: As the name implies, the composition evokes a cathedral.

4.       Interpretation: Burchfield saw nature as a sacred space. He used this image of trees forming gothic windows in other paintings as well- See below for Untitled (Gothic Window Trees) and the central image in the Four Seasons.