Timothy H. O'Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs

Currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago is the exhibit of Timothy H. O'Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs.  O'Sullivan cut his teeth in photography by documenting the civil war for Mathew Brady.  After the war his field photography skills led him to succeed outside the studio and naturally he became a Survey Photographer.  Never again will the intersection of adventure, science, art, and naturalist meet so symbiotically.  Such is the life of of the westward expansion era survey photographer.  These photographs were taken at the same time as John Muir's first visit to the Sierra Nevada. Some even predate Muir's exit from the Midwest.  O'Sullivan was brought to the Fortieth Parallel by Clarence King to survey the area for industrial development.  Gritty views of Mono Lake, Donner Pass, Pyramid Lake, and the Wasatch Mountains hang on the gallery walls alongside images of the mining and railroad industry and geothermal formations.  These photographs captivate the eye as much as the imagination.

 

 

The exhibit is on view until Jan, 15 2012.

National Parks

Thomas Cole: A Distant View of Niagara Falls

The latest Ken Burns documentary is airing on PBS this week (all the past episodes are viewable at pbs.org). The 5th episode is on tonight and I have been glued to my TV set all week. I am amazed and impressed that the unifying argument for creating such areas of the country was "we don't want another Niagara Falls". This was code for anti commercialism and private companies preying on tourists. This is made evident in Thomas Cole's Distant View of Niagara Falls from 1830 (on view at the Art Institute of Chicago: American galleries). He created this painting because as early as 1830 the view was already ruined and wanted to view it as the natives did. The Midwest is really a blessing and a curse as far as the parks are concerned. While located at the center of the country we are relatively close to all of them however none are in our backyard. There are really only 2 National Parks in the Midwest, Isle Royal and Mammoth Cave. Mammoth Cave being the closest at 6hrs from Chicago and Isle Royal is closer to Canada in the middle of Lake Superior. I consider myself to be well traveled I have been to every region of the lower 48 and Alaska along with 4 of the 7 continents. In my adult life I have only been to 2 of our national parks Y0smite and Denali. However watching this series I feel as though I know all of these parks I've never been to. Last nights episode explained why. There was a chapter called Going Home that stated that these places are where we are from, we live in cities but we came from the wilderness so visiting the parks is like going home. A philosophy that maybe a stretch for some. I refer to Shawnee National Forest as my happy place and while climbing is great, the forest speaks to me on a higher level. Last nights episode also talked about collecting parks. A subject of conflict for me. There is an urge to see these places and see them while young. My first National Park was Denali in Alaska. Candidly speaking to a Ranger I was enthusiastically welcomed and told to enjoy this place "while your young". A closer look around revealed a sea of retirees. At the age of 23 I had a good head start that came to a screeching halt when I returned to the Midwest. The day I left Denver for Chicago, 4 years ago this month, my friends invited me on a trip to Moab I was literally at a crossroads. Had west been the choice versus east many more National Parks would likely have been in my future. This makes the hidden gems of the Midwest all the more pertinent. As an Illinois resident I can't help but feel the National Park Service failed my state. As we were busy saving so many majestic places from logging and private investors we let the namesake of my state disappear. Why did the prairie not have an advocate from the plow? Well at least we saved the remaining Indiana Dunes from the steel mills. I hope to see more of my National Parks but for right now the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will have to do.

Art in the City

So I caught the latest exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago this week. Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper. They are actually two separate shows billed on one $20 ticket. The price is usually too rich for my blood but considering that the Homer gallery is truly one of a kind and all together some 200 images are on display it is only sticker shock. The museum already features a number of Winslow Homer artworks and Edward Hopper's most iconic painting "Nighthawks" is normally on display in their American Galleries. What sets this exhibit apart is the fact that never before have so many of Homer's watercolors been on view together. Winslow Homer apparently was a good businessman. He knew that the medium of water color was fast and inexpensive so he could sell lots of them cheap and quick. Many institutions bought them and put them on display so time took its toll on the paintings. Since the watercolors are prized possessions and extremely fragile most images rarely see gallery time much less travel.

The rarity of the images along with, arguably, two of the most important and familiar names in American art turned out to be merely the hook that pulled me in. The show really appealed to my sensibilities as a city dweller and my affinity for an active life outdoors. While both artists feature scenes of the wilderness Homer clearly stands out in this respect. He portrays picturesque scenes of the Adirondacks as only an avid outdoors-man could convey. Dramatic glimpses into the life of a Gloucester fisherman are not far behind.



Edward Hopper views a metropolis like no other. Upwards of 60 years a have passed since his brush touched the canvas yet his images are no less powerful. In a recent interview on NPR's All Songs Considered singer songwriter Josh Ritter mentions a painting titled Automat that he likens to an isolated individual in a crowded rock show. Such is Hopper's view of city life. This is most noted in Nighthawks which was made shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Another unique view of the city comes from riding an elevated train traveling past top floor apartments. Hopper takes a two second glimpse into someones life and immortalizes it, giving no particular narration therefore allowing the viewer to take out of it what they will.