Charles Burchfield writing at his desk, by William Doran (Photo: Charles E. Burchfield Archives, Gift of William Doran) For years I had Charles Burchfield misfiled under “Depression Era Regional Artists” along with Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and Grant Wood. It wasn’t a file I spent much time rifling through, so my error wasn’t […]
Charles Burchfield
Feeling the Undercurrent
Charles Burchfield, “Moon and Thunderhead” There are many craftsmen who paint pleasantly the surface appearances and are very clever at it. There are always a few who get at and feel the undercurrent, and these simply use the surface appearances selecting them and using them as tools to express the undercurrent, the real life. If […]
The Intuition Deliminator
Homage to Ucello #4, Anna Hepler (Photo: Courtesy of Karin Thomas) I have written about Sebastian Smee’s review of Anna Hepler’s show at the Portland Museum in an earlier post but there’s another passage in that article that has continued to hold my attention. Hepler’s approach to her work and to teaching runs close to […]
Burchfield on My Mind
Charles Burchfield, Gateway to September Tanglewood in Winter Autumnal Fantasy (This painting was not included in the original Hammer exhibit but was available for inclusion in the Whitney show) How easy it is to think you know an artist’s work. I’ve seen Charles Burchfield paintings all of my life, but now I know that really […]