Published: Feb. 17, 2018
DRIVEN BY ART
Gallery of Wisconsin Art features abstract art in three-part
exhibition
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
Ric Hartman just knew there was a lot of underappreciated
artwork sitting in Wisconsin basements and attics.
An art collector since his college days, Hartman wanted to
create a safe home for work he considers important pieces of history.
The Gallery of Wisconsin Art, 303 Water St., West Bend, will
unveil a three-part exhibition March 3 showcasing the evolution of abstract art
and artists in Wisconsin, going back to the early 20th century.
The exhibition, “Abstraction X 3,” is divided into three
segments: “Three Generations of Abstraction,” “Sculptural Abstraction” and
“Contemporary Abstract Artists: The Female Perspective.” It ends April 28. “One
of the neat things about this show is it’s going to span three generations of
artists,” Hartman said.
Artists representing the three generations are Santos
Zingale, Fred Berman and Richard Lazzaro. Zingale died in 1999 and Berman died
in 2011.
“Throughout their careers, the three artists extensively
exhibited their work nationally and internationally and are represented in
several museums, private and corporate corporations in the U.S. and abroad,”
according to a news release announcing the exhibition.
The sculpture exhibition will showcase works by Bruce
Breckenridge, Artistotle Georgiades and Jerry Anderson, while the female
perspective will be represented by Claudette Lee-Roseland, Susan Bartsfield and
Melissa Dorn Richards.
The Gallery of Wisconsin Art opened in June and so far,
Hartman said, the response has been overwhelmingly positive for the
6,500-square foot facility, which now shares a building with the headquarters
of the Volunteer Center of Washington County and The Hub, a coffee shop.
“The reception has been amazing, far exceeded our
expectations,” Hartman said. “The support is tremendous.”
One reason behind the support, Hartman believes, is its
unique focus on Wisconsin art with themed exhibitions throughout the year. The
gallery and gift shop also offers artwork for sale.
“No one in the state anywhere supports and promotes or sells
early Wisconsin artwork,” Hartman said, adding early artwork was defined as
early 20th century — between the 1900s and 1940s.
Contemporary art is in the line from the 1950s into the
early 21st century, Hartman said, while modern art refers to the last 20 years.
“A lot of families, literally, have basements full, attics
full, sheds full of paintings and in many cases, literally they’re rodent
infested and aren’t climate controlled,” Hartman said. “These families don’t
have resources to promote it, don’t know
where to go with it, what to do with it.”
Hartman studied art in college and owned a graphic design
company in Menomonee Falls for nearly 15 years. He calls himself an artist by
trade.
But he also has great appreciation and respect for some of
Wisconsin’s earliest artists, which is why he gravitated toward collecting
their work — more than 200 pieces.
“A lot of them during that period were self-taught,” Hartman
said. “They were not professional artists. They were teachers to survive and
then sold artwork.”
He said art in the first half of the 20th century was a
cultural record book.
“The only stipulation is that you painted the common man and
the common America,” Hartman said. “So people would go out, paint these
paintings and they’d take to the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and gave
them the $20, $40 or $50 and the WPA would give them to banks and schools and
libraries and government offices, anybody who would take those things.
“It was the first time the history of America was
documented.”
He also thought it was inspiring to paint about challenging
times, such as the Great Depression, and do so in a positive way.
“They’re saving money to buy paint because they’re
passionate about artwork,” Hartman said. “They were driven by the art.”
Hartman named Jackson Pollock and Georgia O’Keeffe as
examples of abstract artists.
“Abstract really means you take a subject and you take it
apart, you abstract it,” Hartman said. “Instead of painting something
realistically, like a landscape, you see painting where things are broken into
shapes or cubically.”
The gallery is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
and by appointment. For more information, visit www.galleryofwisconsinart.com.
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