As part of the Local Colour exhibit, works by artist David Strom hang in the Whipple Gallery Nov. 12 through Jan. 28. The exhibit is inspired, by the artist’s viewing of the landscape, and the buildings that sit on it. Most pieces were created within the last two years.
“Everywhere I am, I try to be open and receptive to what I am experiencing and that is reflected in my work,” Strom said.
Strom knew he wanted to be an artist since junior high, and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1973. Grain bins and farming landscapes are major themes in the artwork, which Strom has been developing for many years.
“Nearly every farm yard has a grouping of grain bins, each one being unique in the arrangement and sizes,” Strom said. “This sameness and variety is part of what inspires me.”
Strom also explained how the way fields change throughout the seasons also play a role in the design.
SMSU Professor Emeritus of Art Edward Evans curates the exhibit, and further explains the work.
“These paintings are more than representations of grain elevators,” Evans said. “They are highly developed original interpretations which relate to many ideas. [Strom] continually finds new ways of depicting this subject matter which is important to him.”
Greeting viewers as they walk in the exhibit, the work “Grate Painting,” created in 2012, incorporates depictions of grain elevators against an intricate background of colorful local themes.
“When I make a painting, I go on a journey which involves many layers of paint,” Strom said. “The paintings are painted over many times before they reach the final layer.”
In creating the pieces, Strom works in Windom, Minn. Also hanging is a work entitled “Six Venetian Red Bins.” Created in 2014, this depicts various grain bins surrounded by earth tones making different layers and textures.
“[Strom] is a serious, highly motivated artist,” said Evans. “He is definitely one of the finest artists in southwest Minnesota.”
In addition to the Whipple Gallery, Strom’s work was also featured in solo exhibitions at The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis. and the Riverview Café in Minneapolis earlier in 2014.
“I intend to continue with my work to see where it will lead me,” Strom said.
