The current exhibit in the William Whipple Art Gallery, “Primarily Black and White,” displays artwork devoid of color, but full of life. Running through Feb. 20, the show utilizes numerous materials and mediums in its art, including aluminum, string, suction cups, plastics, papers, inks, and various paints. SMSU Professor Emeritus of Art, Edward Evans, who taught at SMSU from 1969-2002, curates the exhibit.
“For a long time I have been interested in the impact of black and white, also black and white with small touches of color,” said Evans. “The title, “Primarily Black and White,” means two things.
‘Primarily’ means mainly black and white, and also refers to the primary colors. Thus everything in the exhibit is either black and white or black and white plus a bit of either red, yellow or blue.”
Artists featured in the display are Siri Berg, Dorothy Cochran, Bob Dorlac, Laura Duggan, Daniel Hill, Deborah Katz, Nancy Manter, Joyce Pommer, Edward Shalala, and Ann Woodward.
In addition to being displayed in the Whipple Gallery, many of the exhibiting artists have works in prominent collections such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, National Museum of Art, Washington, DC, Brooklyn Museum, NY, New Jersey Art Museum, Newark, the British Museum, London, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, UCLA ART Museum, Los Angeles.
“These are established, mature artists who know what they are doing,” said Evans. “All of them are very respected artists and almost all of them work in New York City, the art capital of the world.”
Featured artwork from Nancy Manter, Left Field #8-11, are paint on aluminum. Strictly following the black and white limitation, this series of four pieces contain abstract designs and precise scattering of paint.
Robert Dorlac’s Polar Ice No.2 shows a nighttime landscape of a cold region, incorporating a subtle amount of blue.
“Within this mainly black and white limitation I wanted to show many possibilities for expression, so the show contains works done in a variety styles, techniques, and materials,” said Evans. “Most of the works are non-representational but show a variety of approaches to abstraction. The landscape monotypes of Bob Dorlac are proof that good representational art must also be good in an abstract sense. For artists, black and white are just as much colors as any other color.”
Evans, a passionate promoter of art, became a professor at SMSU before there was a gallery. At the time, the region was identified as a culturally deprived area. With all this, Evans started the university gallery.
“There was no gallery so I rented a large trailer and filled it with art,” said Evans. “I had a truck pull that traveling art exhibit from town to town and I talked about the art on display. I also worked with area teachers on ideas for presenting art to students and townspeople. I saw myself as a missionary for art and I still see myself in that way.”
Curating the gallery he started, Evans’ enthusiasm of advocating art continues as “Primarily Black and White” fills the walls of the William Whipple Art Gallery, located in the McFarland Library in Bellows Academic.
“I have strong feelings for Southwest Minnesota State University and the art gallery,” said Evans. “Everybody deserves an opportunity to enjoy art. I will always be a teacher.”
