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The Best Kind of Life |
Charles Burchfield: The Progression of an ArtistPodcast by Caroline Hale '09This exhibition contains three of Burchfield's paintings that best represent three periods of his work. Village in the Swamp, Country Blacksmith's Shop, and Decorative Landscape are important because they depict the changes in Burchfield's style over the course of his career. Village in the Swamp and Country Blacksmith's Shop are very different from Burchfield's signature style in that they do not depict a typical nature scene. In his works, he usually reflected scenes like the one seen in Decorative Landscape. Done in 1916, it is characteristic of Burchfield's early watercolor work. As shown in this watercolor, Burchfield used color and line to accentuate the tree in the foreground and the bushes in the background, and in general, used these elements in many of his works to authentically portray scenes within nature. Country Blacksmith's Shop, done in 1929, and Village in the Swamp, done in 1930, represent a shift from Burchfield's characteristic style of painting. These paintings are noticeably different from Decorative Landscape in that Burchfield incorporated a new palette of color and set of subjects. These two paintings were done during the time of the Great Depression, and feature a dark, depressing mood. The colors used were quite dark and heavily saturated, unlike the usually cheery colors of Burchfield's earlier and later works. Country Blacksmith's Shop features a bleak scene in the middle of nowhere. Burchfield used uncharacteristic colors, mostly grays and browns, to give the feel of true desolation. Village in the Swamp incorporated the same style Burchfield used in Country Blacksmith's Shop. Again, this work emotes a very sad, very depressing feel. The colors are even darker than in the previous painting, as he kept his color palette restricted to black in varying forms of saturation. Both these watercolors are a far cry from the cheery nature scene we see in Decorative Landscape. The 1940s marked another shift in Burchfield's style. During this time, Burchfield reverted back to his signature style of painting. Watercolors like Cicada, done in 1944, represent Burchfield's return to depicting scenes within nature using bright colors and line. However, the 1930s had a great influence on his later works. The paintings Burchfield created within this time period gave his career a new dimension. His works now contained a new depth that allowed him to truly develop as an artist. Burchfield was able to channel that newfound depth into the pieces he created in later years, and because of this, the paintings done during the 1940s and beyond are said to be the culmination of his career. NOTES
COPYRIGHT & CREDITSPodcast Copyright Hamilton CollegeAll works featured in this podcast are copyright the artist, the artist's estate, or the owner. Copyright information for specific works is identified below: Charles Burchfield, Insect Chorus, Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, reproduced courtesy Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum of Art, Utica, NY Root on Campus, Edward Wales Root Papers, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY Charles Burchfield, Mother Britannia, Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, courtesy John B. Root Charles Burchfield, Village in the Swamp, Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, reproduced courtesy Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum of Art, Utica, NY Charles Burchfield, Country Blacksmith's Shop, Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, reproduced courtesy Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum of Art, Utica NY Charles Burchfield, Cicada, Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, bequest of Edward Wales Root. Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. Charles Burchfield, Self-Portrait, www.burchfield-penney.org/ceb |
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