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December Issue 2004
Gibbes Museum
of Art in Charleston, SC, Features Exhibit of Works by Horace
Talmage Day
Horace Talmage Day (1909-1984) first exhibited at the Gibbes in
1954 with a group of watercolor paintings that included works
by his wife, Elizabeth Nottingham (1907-1956). Both well-established
artists teaching at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA, the
exhibition showcased Day's technical skill while revealing to
the Charleston community his longstanding affinity for the Carolina
Lowcountry. Today, the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC,
is presenting the exhibition, The Lowcountry Landscapes of
Horace Day, on view through Mar. 20, 2005.
Day's love for lowcountry terrain began when he left New York
City in 1936 to become director of the Herbert Institute of Art
in Augusta, GA. His introduction to the region occurred at the
height of the Charleston Renaissance period. Like many artists
who were drawn to the area, Day quickly recognized the unique
nature of the city and its environs and translated it into art.
Marking the fiftieth anniversary of Day's first showing in Charleston,
the Gibbes presents a fresh look at his work in The Lowcountry
Landscapes of Horace Day.
The son of American missionaries living in China, Day's artistic
talents were apparent from an early age. Training in New York
honed his artistic skills and by 1934 he was an artist in residence
at the noted Henry Street Settlement House. Two years later Day
was named the first director of the Herbert Institute of Art.
Deeply influenced by his new surroundings, he soon began to create
images of the Lowcountry that emphasized the vernacular architecture
and lush, tropical vegetation. Day once wrote of the Lowcountry,
"The landscape here is so luxuriant that it reminds me of
South China." In fact, early landscapes from this period
like Live Oak, Beaufort, SC (1938) bear a striking resemblance
to View from Chang Chow City Wall, Fukien Province, China
(1920), a painting Day executed while still living in China. His
perceived connection between the two locations fueled Day's desire
to visit repeatedly and portray the Lowcountry for the remainder
of his career.
Charleston and its surrounding sea islands held particular allure
for Day. He captured the architecture, landscape and people of
the area through charming, sensitive renderings in watercolor
and oil, including Church, Edisto Island, SC (1960) and
Live Oak Avenue, Edisto Island, SC (1960). Both paintings
demonstrate Day's masterful command of color and the ability to
imbue his works with vibrant energy and a solid sense of place.
Evidence of Day's increasing confidence as a mature artist, the
brushwork in Church (1960) and Live Oak Avenue (1960)
is loose and expressive, as compared with earlier works. While
concerned with technique and personal style, subject matter was
paramount for Day. He was selective with commissions and only
painted subject matter to which he felt a personal connection.
Day's friend Bennett Baxley described the artist as "one
driven to action not by monetary reward but by internal feelings."
The landscape of the South, and particularly the Lowcountry, moved
Day to paint. He worked en plein air to capture directly the color
and intensity of a scene. As a result of this direct, emotional
connection, Day's paintings emanate the spirit of the people and
convey a sense of intimacy with the Lowcountry. Day's vibrant
depictions of Charleston serve as an historical record of the
city's past. Like Alfred Hutty (1877-1954), Elizabeth O'Neill
Verner (1883-1979) and Alice Ravenel Huger Smith (1876-1958),
Day followed the Charleston Renaissance tradition of portraying
everyday life in the city.
Day carried this tradition into the late 20th century with works
such as Athenian Room I (ca. 1980) and Kaye's Drug Store,
King Street, Charleston, SC (ca. 1980). By depicting meeting
places central to the daily lives of Charlestonians, Day truly
captured the heart of the city.
For nearly fifty years, the Charleston region inspired Day's creation
of timeless paintings that celebrate the rich history, unique
character and stunning beauty of the Lowcountry.
A selection of one-person exhibitions by Day include: Chrysler
Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond,
VA; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York, NY; National Gallery of Art, London, England; Whitney Museum
of American Art, New York, NY; and Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago,
IL.
For more info check our SC Institutional Gallery listings,
call the Museum at 843/722-2706 or at (www.gibbesmuseum.org).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.