From the Stone Ages through present times, drawing with graphite has been fundamental to an artist’s training. The smooth, erasable material allows for multiple attempts at sketching, permitting artists the opportunity to improve their skills. Painters often begin a new work by drawing, working out compositions and values before committing them to canvas. For these reasons, many experts believe that illustrations represent the majority of art work in existence today.
The versatility of this ancient medium will be explored in Leaving Our Mark: In Celebration of the Pencil, on display from November 24, 2015 through March 26, 2016 at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, Massachusetts. The exhibit features a diverse body of contemporary work that includes abstract and representational drawings by East Coast artists, including many based in Western Massachusetts. In addition, unusual sculpture created entirely from pencils by artists Dalton Ghetti and Jennifer Maestre will be featured.
Many artists represented in the show enjoy international recognition and some have studied and worked abroad. Massachusetts-based artists include Lesley Cohen, Lisa Henry, Ryan Jacque, Elizabeth Kostojohn, Jennifer Maestre, Christina Mastrangelo, Scott Tulay and Steve Wilda. Artists from Connecticut include Paul Batch, Dalton Ghetti, Doug Gillette, Luciana Heineman, Bill Simpson and Alan Spellman. Work by artist Terry Miller from Maryland is also featured in the show.
According to Julia Courtney, Curator of Art for the Springfield Museums, “The exhibit was inspired by the enthusiasm our visitors have shown for the graphite drawing of a woman by photorealist artist Bill Vuksanovich (American, born Yugoslavia, 1938), which is on view in the Museum’s Contemporary Gallery. The drawing of Rita (1993) demonstrates how artists can use simple tools to create complex, rich works of art.” Courtney added, “Artist Steve Wilda of Hadley, Massachusetts has been instrumental in assisting with organizing and curating the show.”
Wilda commented, “This fascinating exhibition of artwork provides an opportunity to see our world from the artist’s perspective, but without color. To see beauty and feel emotion in the simple blacks, whites, and shades of gray is dramatic as well as stimulating.”
The earliest known drawings date from 30,000 to 10,000 BCE, and were found on cave walls caves in France and Spain, demonstrating that humans were drawing pictures long before they learned how to write. Like other art forms, drawing has evolved over time and closely paralleled the development of painting. This evolution was aided by the discovery of an enormous graphite deposit in Cumbria, England during the 16th century. First used as a marking tool for sheep, this particular deposit of graphite was extremely pure and soft, and could easily be broken into sticks, which made it a natural material for sketching.
Two complementary exhibits in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts will also be on display. It’s Sketchy: Secrets from the Artist’s Notebook (on view through March 20, 2016) features artist sketchbooks and drawings from the permanent collection, and Leave Your Mark: Community Drawing Wall (November 24, 2015 through March 27, 2016) presents visitors with the rare opportunity to create and leave their own artwork on museum walls.
A special opening reception for Museums members will take place on Tuesday, November 24 from 5 – 7 p.m. Artists Lesley Cohen, Doug Gillette, Luciana Heineman, Bill Simpson, and Steve Wilda plus sculptor Jennifer Mastre will also be on hand for a special lecture about the exhibit on Thursday, January 21 at 12:15 p.m.
Leaving Our Mark is sponsored by MassMutual; the media sponsor of the exhibit is the Valley Advocate/Preview Magazine. The media partner is Artscope Magazine.