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拍品專文
G. Harvey’s powerful images chronicle the life of oil workers in the boomtown era of the early twentieth century when the explosive oil industry brought wealth and opportunity to small Texas communities. Profoundly atmospheric and immersive, Texas Oil Patch transports the viewer back in time to a place of horse-drawn wagons, saloons and candlelit windows with Harvey’s classic hero in a yellow rain slicker leading the way.
Harvey was born in 1933 in Texas Hill Country and grew up hearing his grandfather tell tales about his years as a trail boss among the longhorn herders up the Chisholm Trail to Kansas. These stories of the Old West are instilled into the spirit of his art, which draws on both history and legend to convey the feeling of days gone by. Harvey explained, “I really enjoy uncovering historic details and then using them to build drama or emotional impact in a composition. I strive for a sense of nostalgia, to stimulate reminiscence.” (as quoted in R. Carstens, “G. Harvey: A Sweet Time of Life,” Southwest Art, September 1, 2010)
In Texas Oil Patch, the linear perspective of the oil derricks receding far into the distance conveys the sense of unprecedented industrial growth in the region, while the warm glowing light reflecting into the wet, earthen street adds that “sense of nostalgia” for which Harvey was aiming. With his lighting and atmosphere, Harvey in some ways follows more closely in the tradition of French boulevard painters, such as Edouard Cortès, than in the American Western tradition. As the artist described, “When I am researching a subject, whether it’s reading or studying old photographs, the ideas flood over me. I envision different scenes and moods. The principles of light and atmosphere help me to express my feelings about the story. A painting has to be more than just a graphic representation if it is to involve the viewer.” (“History on Canvas: Conversation with the Archivist,” Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives, vol. 23, Summer 1991, p. 184)
Harvey’s paintings have not only been acquired by several important collectors with connections to the energy industry, including William I. Koch as well as T. Boone Pickens, but also by politicians such as President Lyndon B. Johnson and Governor John Connally of Texas. In the 1990s, the artist was honored with a show of The All-American Horse: Paintings of G. Harvey at the National Museum of Natural History as well as exhibitions at the National Archives and U.S. Treasury Building. He was also commissioned to paint The Smithsonian Dream to be reproduced as a print in honor of the Smithsonian Institutions’ 150th anniversary in 1995.
The present painting Texas Oil Patch was printed in 1981 as an offset lithograph in a sold-out edition of 2250 and 150 artist proofs.
Harvey was born in 1933 in Texas Hill Country and grew up hearing his grandfather tell tales about his years as a trail boss among the longhorn herders up the Chisholm Trail to Kansas. These stories of the Old West are instilled into the spirit of his art, which draws on both history and legend to convey the feeling of days gone by. Harvey explained, “I really enjoy uncovering historic details and then using them to build drama or emotional impact in a composition. I strive for a sense of nostalgia, to stimulate reminiscence.” (as quoted in R. Carstens, “G. Harvey: A Sweet Time of Life,” Southwest Art, September 1, 2010)
In Texas Oil Patch, the linear perspective of the oil derricks receding far into the distance conveys the sense of unprecedented industrial growth in the region, while the warm glowing light reflecting into the wet, earthen street adds that “sense of nostalgia” for which Harvey was aiming. With his lighting and atmosphere, Harvey in some ways follows more closely in the tradition of French boulevard painters, such as Edouard Cortès, than in the American Western tradition. As the artist described, “When I am researching a subject, whether it’s reading or studying old photographs, the ideas flood over me. I envision different scenes and moods. The principles of light and atmosphere help me to express my feelings about the story. A painting has to be more than just a graphic representation if it is to involve the viewer.” (“History on Canvas: Conversation with the Archivist,” Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives, vol. 23, Summer 1991, p. 184)
Harvey’s paintings have not only been acquired by several important collectors with connections to the energy industry, including William I. Koch as well as T. Boone Pickens, but also by politicians such as President Lyndon B. Johnson and Governor John Connally of Texas. In the 1990s, the artist was honored with a show of The All-American Horse: Paintings of G. Harvey at the National Museum of Natural History as well as exhibitions at the National Archives and U.S. Treasury Building. He was also commissioned to paint The Smithsonian Dream to be reproduced as a print in honor of the Smithsonian Institutions’ 150th anniversary in 1995.
The present painting Texas Oil Patch was printed in 1981 as an offset lithograph in a sold-out edition of 2250 and 150 artist proofs.