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April Issue 2003
The Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC, Features Works by Reverend McKendree Robbins Long
Whether preaching the Gospel through the South in the 1930s, '40s and '50s or painting Biblical scenes in his vivid, highly personal style, the Reverend McKendree Robbins Long (1888-1976) embraced his callings with a stirring passion and a visionary's zeal. That passion and that vision are at the heart of the exhibition, Reverend McKendree Robbins Long: Picture Painter of the Apocalypse, which will be on view through June 29, 2003.
This exhibition, organized jointly by the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College in Davidson, NC, and the North Carolina Museum of Art, marks the most comprehensive showing of Long's work ever assembled, and the accompanying catalogue marks the first in-depth study of the artist ever published. Exhibition contents range from the traditional portraiture of his early career to later illustrations of Biblical scenes painted in bright colors and with compelling detail. Many of the show's 29 works are focused on Long's depictions of Revelation and his often politically themed visions of the Apocalypse. Additionally, the exhibition offers a selection of Rev. Long's hymns and other writings, recordings of his sermons and a selection of family photographs.
Reverend McKendree Robbins Long: Picture Painter of the Apocalypse is a survey of the painter's entire career from early portraiture to later illustrations of biblical scenes as well as portraits of the mysterious "Lady in Red," a woman who occupied Long's attention throughout his career. The exhibition includes 29 works, many of them depictions of the Apocalypse. Of particular interest is Rev. Long's magnum opus, Apocalyptic Scene with Philosophers and Historical Figures, from the North Carolina Museum of Art's permanent collection. The exhibition also features a selection of Rev. Long's hymns, sermons, and other writings, recordings of some of his sermons and a selection of family photographs.
The son of a distinguished family in Statesville, North Carolina, McKendree Robbins Long (1888-1976) gained renown as both an itinerant Baptist evangelist and as an artist specializing in biblical scenes, particularly those drawn from Revelation. His paintings reflect a highly personal style, revealing the influence of his academic training in their compositional principles and their ambitious symbolism. At the same time, the vivid style in which they are painted, and the passionate and highly personal reading of the Gospels and contemporary culture they evince, reflect the influence of the 30-plus years Rev. Long spent preaching throughout the South during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
This exhibition is sponsored by Salt Shaker Bookstore and Café, located in Wilmington.
For further information check
our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the museum at 910/395-5999
or at (www.cameronartmuseum.com).
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