Vern G. Swanson, Ph.D. Traci Fieldsted

foreword by
Vern G. Swanson, Ph.D.
essay by
Traci Fieldsted
Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery
Park City, Utah
November 21 - December 15, 2009
Springville Museum of Art
Springville, Utah
March 13 - April 25, 2010
Butler Institute of American Art Trumbull Branch
Howland Township, Ohio
May 16 - June 27, 2010
This exhibition is generously sponsored by Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery,
Jim Dabakis, Thomas Kearns McCarthey and Stephen Justesen
With additional support from Fred C. and Sherry Ross and the Art Renewal
Center
Exhibition Curator
Traci Fieldsted
Exhibition Coordinator
Kai Bolger
Exhibition Consultant
Vern G. Swanson, Ph.D.
Media Consultant
Michael Westley
Special thanks to
Robin Valline
Dixon Lei
Mavis Green
Catalogue design
Ruth L. White
Editorial assistance
Katrina Guinter
Philipp Malzl
Ashlee Whitaker
Printing and binding by
J Mart Publishing Company
Spanish Fork, UT
All dimensions of art works are listed height by width. Dimensions are for unframed works.
In the USSR when times were hard the
Russians would call it “Difficult Times.”
Usually this would be an understatement
meaning starvation from the famine of
Collectivization or the devastation of the
Great Patriotic War. In China they would say
in “Interesting Times,” which usually meant
periods of great social upheaval. In America
we say “Hard Times.” This phrase connotes
the idea of an economic depression with ten
percent of the workforce out of a job, not
ten percent dead or dying. The patriotic song
America the Beautiful has a line that reads,
“Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed
by human tears”. Except for the Civil War,
America has only tasted foreign wars and
economic down-turns. No holocausts, no
annihilation from war, no pandemic plagues
has decimated our happy country.
Yet the Country has suffered from slavery,
religious bigotry and abuse of the Native
American population. It is said that poetry
only flourishes in a totalitarian setting.
One might also say that in times of plenty
Modernist and Post-Modernist art prospers,
but in Hard Times and Great Causes social
realistic narrative art thrives. When an artist
has something to say outside themselves
social-realism and naturalism is the best
vehicle of expression. The WPA Federal
Art Project during the Great Depression
retrieved art from its inexorable path toward
abstraction for nearly a full decade.
Anxiety about government spending and
regulation of society leading toward hyperinflation is just now beginning to inform the
visual fine arts. As America enters hard times
artists will reengage in a dialogue of art
about life and living. The nobility of man in
the teeth of adversity and shallowness of the
l’art pour l’art is becoming more evident. This
exhibition is about the ‘inkling’ awareness
and ‘stirrings’ of consciousness that we are
indeed our brother’s keeper. Hard Times:
An Artist’s View is a cautionary tale that
provident living is wisdom in an illusionary
world.
Vern G. Swanson, Ph.D.
Director
Springville Museum of Art
A misbegotten man is slumped along the
curbside, dejected and alone. The passersby
hurriedly stroll behind him, oblivious to his
plight. He’s a castaway from an inhospitable
world that is mired in economic struggles, a
lonely and dejected figure who is a product
of the time he faces. This Forgotten Man was
painted by Maynard Dixon in 1934, yet he
speaks powerfully to us today.
There is now a portentous stillness hanging
over America; the affluence that we thought
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), Forgotten Man, 1934, oil on
canvas, 40 x 50 inches. Brigham Young University Museum
would last forever has been replaced with
apprehension, angst and anxiety. According
to Dr. Vern G. Swanson “Impending doom
has cast an encroaching shadow upon the
economic landscape and appears to be a
harbinger for future want and depression.”
As suddenly as a thief in the night, the best
of times for the Great American Enterprise
has turned into the hard times in which we
now live.
As recent times have thrown our current
society into an abyss of trepidation and
uncertainty, sixteen selected artists have
answered the call to paint the social and
economic issues of our day. In so doing,
they have addressed the greatest economic
meltdown since the Great Depression of the
1930’s and thus become the reporting artists
of the present day.
These unencumbered portrayals are the
contributing artists’ responses to a world in
turmoil, with the intent to invoke sympathy
for the subjects they depict. They are
kindred in their resemblance to works by the
Regionalist artists of The American Scene
during the 1930’s. They include: Thomas
Hart Benton, Grant Wood, John Steuart
Curry, Dorothea Lange and Maynard Dixon.
These artists offered first-hand recollections
and images of the Great Depression and
became icons for future generations. It was
From an unpublished interview with Dr. Vern G. Swanson, 10
July 2009.
through this social realist movement that
life’s stark realities were explored using
contemporary genre as inspiration, creating
artistic expressions that were candid in their
approach.
As a result of current conditions, this
exhibition features poignant and memorable
narratives. These indelible images by notable
social realist artists living in America today
include: Max Ginsburg, whose paintings
exemplify the unglamorous realities of
inner-city class distinction and racial
division; Warren Chang’s contemporary
genre renditions of California’s migrant field
workers; Gary Ernest Smith’s contemporary
regional rural workers, reminiscent of
The American Scene; Trevor Southey’s
portrayals concerning inward struggles of
the human condition; Steven Assael and
Jeffrey Hein’s juxtaposed compositions using
realism in their portrayals of a modern and
technological culture. The innovative works
of Sean Diediker, David Linn, Mary Beth
McKenzie, Justin Taylor, Garin Baker, Denis
Peterson, David Kassan and Mario Robinson
bring a revival of American realism to a new
generation. The homage that these artists
pay to past tradition is unmistakable.
Included are the works of Harvey Dinnerstein
and Burton Silverman, artists who are no
strangers to America’s hard times. Together
they ventured to Montgomery, Alabama
to artistically render and record Rosa Parks
and the citizens of the bus boycott marches
in 1956. The social awareness of their own
times reflect the sentiment of Maynard
Dixon whose statement is as true today as
it was in the 1930’s: “The Depression woke
me up to the fact that I had a part in all this,
as an artist… Painting is a means to an end.
It is my way of saying what I want you to
comprehend. It is my testimony in regard to life
and therefore I cannot lie in paint.” Dixon’s
candid interpretation and uncompromising
truths of his time have created a timeless
message for today’s audience.
In like manner, the exhibition of Hard Times
will tell the story of our day in an extraordinary
way. These are works of art that challenge
the viewer to confront the uncertainties
and issues of the here and now. They unveil
harsh realities of today’s existence, exposing
the doubt and vulnerability that many in
this nation feel. It is through this process
that the viewer gains a sense of recognition
for humanity and feels the burden of his
brother.
Traci Fieldsted
Curator
Donald J. Haggerty, Desert Dreams: the Art and Life of
Maynard Dixon (Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith 1998), 206.
Denis Peterson
Wild Rose, 2007, acrylic and oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches
The deafening silence of “Hard Times” is a
painter’s moral imperative to controvert
society’s acquiescence.
Denis Peterson
Beer Island, 2008, acrylic gouache on canvas, 59 x 35 inches
Denis Peterson
Diogenes II, 2009, acrylic on panel, 24 x 24 inches
Consumed, 2009, oil, 90 x 72 inches
Jeffrey Hein
It seems that in our modern world we have little
control of our lives and the lives of our families.
Regardless of our actions, the behavior of those
around us seems to manipulate our paths and
alter our plans for the future. As a visual artist I am
fortunate to have a voice with which to express
my thoughts and feelings about the world and
maybe even affect people. In this way I feel like I
can take back a little control.
Flux, 2009, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches
The Middle of Things (First Grief Revisited),
2009, oil on canvas 57 x 41 inches
Justin Taylor
I’ve wanted to do a remake of Daniel Ridgway Knight’s “First
Grief” for a couple of years. The “hard times” theme for this
show seemed a perfect opportunity. I wanted to address the
human side of what we are all currently facing in these times
of financial and social unrest. Usually our trusted intimate
relationships literally save us during times of hardship or tragedy.
I wanted to create the same composition as Knight’s “First
Grief”, but put these women in a more urban modern setting.
I think its fitting to illustrate the idea that human needs do not
change, whether in the nineteenth or twenty-first century it is
friendship and togetherness that pulls us through. The world’s
problems might be a little different but the individual remedies
are the same.
Trevor Southey
Ode to Ideology II, 2009, oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches
The potency of the arts gripped me when very
young. Now with antiquity galloping toward me,
I understand more the grand spiritual essence
of this mysterious thing, and see it as the same
stimulation that links us to families, lovers, religions
and indeed all that makes us human. I also
understand the danger of this essence when it
becomes absolute in the eyes of some. That is
why I work with a combination of authority and
trepidation, always seeking the fluid alternatives.
David Jon Kassan
Artist’s Mother, 2009, oil on canvas, 30 x 20 inches
Time is the most valuable thing that we all
have, the one aspect of daily life that we
cannot get back once its gone. I want
to use time while trying to understand
the world around me. Painting is my
notebook, my sounding board.
Contemporary realism is the language I choose. Standing on
the shoulders of great artists I strive to express from my point
of view the circumstances and personal observations of the
world in which I live. These times artists find themselves in a
precarious place, navigating and balancing the needs to
Restore, 2004, black and white charcoal on canson paper, 19 ½ x 51 inches
Garin Baker
survive through ones work and an inner uncomforting noise.
Often keeping a distance to what is difficult, apparent and
real, finding more palatable subjects, keeping our viewers
intrigued. Sometimes stumbling, catching my balance, a
compelling inner voice speaks out to the human truth in all
of us.
Mary Beth McKenzie
Maurise, 2005, oil on canvas, 64 x 48 inches
I always work directly from life, partly because
I really enjoy having an interaction with the
person in front of me but also because I love
having a direct response to shape and color.
The artist’s hand and eye can take a moment of
inspiration and translate it to visual symbols that
speak to the soul. This communication is different
than other forms of communication in that the ideas
expressed in visual form can also be of a nonverbal
nature that evokes feelings and contemplation.
Historically, artists have used their art as social
commentary. When hard times are upon us we are
focused upon our human condition and how our
fellow man is affected. The symbols of hard times
are upon us. Artists are answering the call to create
the icons of this period as a reminder to us and to
future generations that we are all in this together.
Gary Ernest Smith
Christmas 2010, 2009, oil on linen canvas, 40 x 36 inches
Family Farm 2010, 2009, oil on linen canvas, 30 1/2 x 60 inches
Steven Assael
Bag Lady Twice (diptych), 1996, oil on canvas, 97 x 92 inches, courtesy of Forum Gallery
Unlike photography drawing is not instantaneous,
but rather sequential. A drawing can provide the
viewer with a relic of compounded experiences
that remains alive to the eye.
The “hard times” we now seem to be facing, while based on tangible
material factors, is still deeply connected to the strength, maturity,
and integrity of our souls. We suddenly face the deprivation of what
we have long taken for granted, and it tests us, frightens us, and
prompts us to a variety of responses. That response can be one
of personal collapse, confused grasping for external rescue, or a
heightened resolve to employ the qualities exemplified by our notso-distant ancestors, who carved out of an indifferent environment
homes and communities.
It is unfortunate that we have lost the diverse skills, knowledge,
and in many cases, the will to take “hard times” as an opportunity
to rebuild not only the weakened foundation of our culture, but
ourselves as individual stones in that foundation.
My work included in this exhibit portrays various layers and responses
to these challenging times—the expulsion from what has been our
personal Eden into an unknown terrain; the courage to step into the
darkness with faith; the challenge of speaking a voice of warning
or encouragement, even when the presence of a willing listener is
uncertain.
These are archetypes. Hard times are never new in this world. They
only seem that way to those of us who have yet to live them.
David Linn
Expulsion, 2009, oil on panel, 18 x 13 ½ inches, courtesy of Turner Carroll Gallery
There are numerous truths that have intersected with mankind from
the beginning. One of these is that life can be very, very hard. We
live in a nation that has been blessed for a long time with unrivaled
prosperity and opportunity. The hard realities of “man vs. nature”
are, for most of us, the stuff of novels—even though they still exist
and remain unchanged in many less developed parts of the world.
Hard times for us, in the splendor of western affluence, scarcely
compare to normal life for much of the globe.
David Linn
Into, 2009, charcoal on strathmore bristol, 16 x 12 inches, courtesy of
Turner Carroll Gallery
David Linn
The Warning, 2009, oil on panel, 30 x 24 inches, courtesy of Turner Carroll
Gallery
Sean Diediker
The Unseen Collection, 2008, oil on linen canvas, 50 x 75 inches
You might say that my work is directly
affected by where I’m living, the people,
city, landscape—the things I see every day.
I enjoy observing the stimulus and reaction
of different human situations. Environment
should affect and artist’s work; if it doesn’t,
you’re painting decorations.
Harvey Dinnerstein
Homeless, 1986, pastel on board, 17 x 28 ½ inches, Frey Norris Gallery
My work seeks to bear “witness”… and convey
a personal vision of the contemporary life that
goes beyond narrative description to other
levels of perception.
Harvey Dinnerstein
Aftermath, 2008, charcoal and pastel on board, 25 x 19 inches, courtesy of Frey
Norris Gallery
Harvey Dinnerstein
The Veteran, 1990, pastel on board, 23 ⅝ x 18 ⅝ inches, courtesy of Frey Norris
Gallery
Burton Silverman
Wall Poster, 2009, oil on canvas, 48 x 40 inches
Like wars, a painting may be started
for one reason and wind up being
painted for another. The Wall Poster
was the result of a portrait that I
painted 10 years ago of an African
American model who seemed to
epitomize a lot of the unspoken
and perhaps unacknowledged
resentments that the underclass
often feels (and clearly what drives
the Jeremiah Wrights in the Black
community) I saw the painting in my
photo file and thought that in this
different time—and perhaps even
the same one—that this image
needed to be seen again (the
original is in someone’s collection). I
changed the background and the
pose and curiously wound up trying
to tackle an aesthetic problem; to
point up the difference between
the photograph and a painting and
to do it within the same painted
image…I’m not sure this has even
come close to resolving the issue,
but alas, that’s possibly for the next
time.
Stone Mason, 2008, oil on canvas, 50 x 30 inches
Top left: The Carriage Pusher, 2004, pastel on
fabriano watercolor paper, 22 x 22 inches,
courtesy Fred C. and Sherry Ross
Bottom left: Deacon Harrell, 2008, watercolor
on paper, 24 x 18 inches
Bottom right: The Apprentice, 2006, charcoal
on strathmore, 14 x 17 inches
Mario Andres Robinson
Self Portrait, 2007, watercolor on cold pressed illustration board, 14 x 14 inches, courtesy of Ann Long Fine Art
In a fast paced, youth obsessed
culture, the Hard Times exhibition
is a sobering reminder of who we
really are as a nation. My work seeks
to elevate the common man who
dwells largely in the shadows of our
society. This exhibition reflects the
sensitivity and courage of a highly
skilled group of artists who have
chosen the road less traveled.
It is amazing that there are artists, like the ones in this show, who
have weathered the drought imposed by the modern, abstract
art establishment to create quality realistic art. During most of
the twentieth century when most galleries, schools and critics
condemned traditional realism thus effectively denying art students
the freedom to study and develop their skills, it also denied the
public the opportunity to view and
identify with art in a visceral and
emotional way.
While I obviously prefer realism to what
is called “modern art”, it is important
to state here that no one has the right
to deny another form of expression
and its development, and this is what
was done to realism in the last century.
Where was “freedom of expression” in
art in our Democracy or was this like the
“Dark Ages” following Classical Art. This
denial of artistic freedom in my time,
the twentieth century, was criminal.
Max Ginsburg
The Beggar, 2009, oil on canvas, 25 x 18 inches
It is a monumental task to organize and mount an exhibition dealing
with real pressing issues facing humanity, especially today, in an art
world that is concerned with “isms” and “shtik”. This is a welcomed
opportunity and encouragement for artists like myself to paint and
exhibit realistic art that is both realistic in form and content.
Max Ginsburg
Homeless, 2006, oil on canvas, 25 x 40 inches
Max Ginsburg
Two Worlds, 2003, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, courtesy of Fred C. and Sherry Ross
Warren Chang
Approaching Storm: Broccoli Harvest, 2006, oil on linen canvas, 30 x 40 inches, courtesy of Jess and Laura Brown
Though the subject of the fieldworker in my
paintings are specific, I see it as a more universal
metaphor for the human condition. Subjects
such as the theme of this exhibition are laced
in tragedy and as in all fields of art, this reaches
deeper into the human experience.
Warren Chang
Portrait of Bill, 2009, oil on linen canvas, 36 x 24 inches
Warren Chang
Twilight Santa Cruz, 2009, oil on linen canvas, 24 x 36 inches
Denis Peterson (1944 – )
Denis Peterson grew up painting, tutored
by his grandfather who was considered a
protégé of Claude Monet. While studying
for his BFA and MFA, he restored 16th and
17th-century Flemish paintings. His early
photorealist paintings were shown in
various galleries and exhibitions in New
York, including in the Brooklyn Museum.
After
following
traditional
painting
techniques, Peterson eventually dove into
Hyper-Realism, a recent advancement
from Photo-Realism. The process consists
of taking multiple photos at different
angles of the subject, airbrushing, and
painting. The incredible realism of his
cityscapes of downtown Time Square
and life on the streets bewilder viewers.
Peterson has also created a collection
of images on genocide in Rwanda,
Darfur, Ethiopia, Haiti and Cambodia.
Jeffrey Hein (1974 – )
Jeffrey Hein was born in New Windsor,
New York. At an early age, he decided
he would become an artist. In 1992 Hein
began his formal training at Brigham
Young University, Idaho. After one year,
Hein suspended his studies to fulfill a mission
for his church. 21 months into his service,
Hein was diagnosed with cancer, with
treatment lasting 18 months. From 1998
to 2002, he resumed his studies at the
University of Utah. Hein has participated
in the US Artist Show in Philadelphia, the
Bridge Art Fair, and the London and New
York Armory Show. Currently residing in Salt
Lake City, Utah Hein paints in his downtown
studio working directly from life without
the use of photographs. His works include
contemporary figurative works, spiritual
themes, and portrait commissions. In 2007
the artist opened the Hein Academy of
Art.
Justin Taylor (1976 – )
Justin Taylor was raised in Las Vegas,
Nevada. In 2006 he completed a BFA from
Brigham Young University. It was during
this time of formal training that Taylor
developed the adeptness for drawing and
painting the human figure. Taylor currently
teaches part-time at Utah Valley University
and Brigham Young University. When he is
not teaching, Taylor paints full-time. In 2008
he co-founded of the Bridge Academy of
Art located in Provo, Utah.
Trevor Southey (1940 – )
Trevor Southey was born in Rhodesia,
Africa (now Zimbabwe). In 1965, he
immigrated to the United States, retaining
an abiding sense of his African and British
origins. Southey’s formal training includes
two years at the Brighton College of Art in
Sussex, England, one year in Durban, South
Africa, and two degrees from Brigham
Young University (1967 and 1969). Southey
taught at the Brigham Young University
through 1977 and has since pursued his
career independently, although he still
leads occasional workshops, particularly in
drawing. He lived in Utah, then California,
where he currently resides in the Bay
area. Southey works in a variety of media
including drawing, printmaking, painting,
stained glass and sculpture.
David Jon Kassan (1977 – )
David Kassan was born in Little Rock,
Arkansas. He began his formal training at
the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and
then he studied under Mark English and
Malcolm Liepke in the Illustration Academy
at William Jewel College in Missouri.
Kassan received his BFA in 1999 at the
Syracuse University’s College of Visual and
Performing Arts in Syracuse, New York. In
2003, Kassan traveled to Italy and sketched
many masterpieces under the NewingtonCropsy Foundation’s travel grant. In an
inherent contradiction to unify reality and
abstraction his representational oil paintings
consist of realistic figures in front of abstract
backgrounds. Kassan draws on his study
of different artists including John Sloan,
Franz Kline, Robert Rauschenburg, and
Caravaggio, as well as his extensive study
of human anatomy. His most outstanding
technique is the authentic appearance of
the skin and flesh of his subjects, achieved
through the layering of pigments. Currently,
Kassan lives in Brooklyn, New York where he
teaches painting classes and workshops at
institutions locally and around the world.
As of April 2009, his artwork was exhibited
at the Gallery Henoch in New York City.
Garin Baker (1961 – )
Garin Baker is a native of New York, which is
reflected in his colorful cityscapes and plein
air landscapes. He received academic
training at the High School of Art and Design
in Manhattan, the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn,
and the Arts Student League in New York
City. Baker entered the New York art market
in 1983 by becoming an illustrator for the
New York Magazine, Bantam books, and
various advertising agencies. Baker also
made time to paint his own subjects on the
side. Nationally recognized as a New York
Realist painter, he currently owns a small
mural company called Carriage House
Art Studios. Baker continues to expand
his repetoire through his involvement
in notable projects, including the NYC
Department of Motor Vehicle in upstate
New York, American Road & Transportation
Builders in Washington D.C., Rudolf &
Slatten Engineering in Irvine, California and
“Archways”, The Trestle Mural Project along
the Hudson River banks in New York.
Mary Beth McKenzie (1946 – )
Mary Beth McKenzie attained a formal
education at the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston, the Cooper School of Art in
Cleveland, the National Academy of
Design and the Art Students League.
She studied under Robert Philipp, Robert
Brackman, Jose Cintron, Daniel Greene
and Burton Silverman. Throughout her
career, McKenzie has staged numerous solo
and group exhibitions mostly in the Eastern
states. Her unique brushstrokes that create
impressionistic portraits have garnered
over thirty awards. McKenzie’s artwork is
shown in various corporate and museum
collections, including the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Gary Ernest Smith (1942 – )
Born in Baker City, Oregon, Gary Ernest
Smith grew up drawing and painting. He
studied at Eastern Oregon College and
at Brigham Young University, where he
earned a Bachelors and Masters degree
in Fine Arts. Smith went on to serve three
terms as director of the Brigham Young
University Art Gallery. He traveled to study
European masters and Russian painters but
cites Maynard Dixon as the most influential
artist in his artistic development. Currently
living in Utah, Smith is considered a
regionalist painter, depicting Northwestern
landscapes and people. Smith’s work has
been included in various solo exhibitions
throughout the West.
Steven Assael (1957 – )
Born and raised in New York City, Steven
Assael received his art education at
the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, New York.
In 1977, a scholarship enabled him to
experience independent study in Europe.
Assael’s realistic figure paintings portray
a variety of people often in stage-like
stances. He taught art for two years at the
New York Academy Graduate School.
Assael currently teaches at the School of
Visual Arts and the Pratt Institute. He has
been featured in group exhibitions along
both the West and East coasts as well as in
numerous solo exhibitions.
David Linn (1959 – )
David Linn is considered a realist and
symbolist painter. He originates from Los
Altos Hills, California and currently lives
in Utah. Linn earned an MFA at Brigham
Young University. Linn’s paintings usually
feature religious/spiritual subjects set
in landscapes. His influences include
Baroque Masters, American luminists
and contemporary conceptual site and
earthwork artists. Inspired by his High School
teacher, Charles Garoian, David Linn has
even created video and sound installations.
Linn’s paintings can be found not only in
various museums, but also incorporate, and
private collections throughout the country,
including the Turner Carroll Gallery in Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
Sean Diediker (1974 – )
Sean Diediker is originally from Newbury
Park, California. A painter of contemporary
life, Diediker combines bold colors and
chiaroscuro in his brushwork. His imagery
captures biblical allegories and narratives,
often painting classical iconography in
modern settings. Diediker, who is the son of
a general building contractor, constructs his
paintings with similar planning, using a stepby-step and layer-upon-layer approach.
After receiving his formal training in fine
arts, Diediker has lived and worked in the
Rocky Mountains of Utah, often sojourning
to various countries around the world. In
2008 Diediker co-founded of the Bridge
Academy of Art located in Provo, Utah.
Harvey Dinnerstein (1928 – )
Harvey Dinnerstein was born in Brooklyn,
New York and graduated from the
High School of Music and Art in uptown
Manhattan and attended the Art
Students League before enrolling in 1947
at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art
in Philadelphia. Upon returning to New
York in the early Fifties, Dinnerstein made
a conscious decision to go against the
more prevalent styles of abstraction within
the Modern and Aesthetic Movement,
honoring his personal conviction to paint
in a representational manner. His works
reach far beyond mere narration and tap
in to nuances and personal observations of
the human experience. Dinnerstein served
as a faculty member of New York’s School
of Visual Arts, National Academy of Design
and Art Students League. His works are in
the permanent collections of the Butler
Institute of American Art, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, the National Museum of
American Art, the Museum of the City of
New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of
Fine Arts and the Whitney Museum of Art.
Burton Silverman (1928 – )
Burton Silverman was born in Brooklyn,
New York and received his Bachelors
degree at Columbia University. He has
taught at the School of Visual Arts in New
York City and has been teaching studio
classes since 1971. Silverman has staged
31 solo exhibitions in New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and San
Francisco. He has appeared in numerous
national and international exhibitions,
including the National Portrait Gallery in
Washington D.C., the National Academy
Annuals, the Mexico City Museum of Art,
the Royal Academy of Art in London and
the Butler Midyear Annuals. Silverman has
won 37 major prizes and awards at annual
exhibitions. The National Academy Museum
has honored him with nine awards including
the Ranger Purchase Award in 1965 and
1983. He was a member of the council in
both the National Academy of Design and
the American Watercolor Society.
Mario Andres Robinson (1970 – )
Early in his development, contemporary
artist Mario Andres Robinson began
looking at the great masters for inspiration
and technical insight. An avid student of
realism, Robinson studied the fundamental
principles of painting by exploring the work
and techniques of Old Masters such as
Rembrandt, Vermeer and Caravaggio.
However, it was the work of 19th and 20thcentury American artists that provided
Robinson with the strongest stylistic
foundation, helping him to forge and
define his own artistic sensibility. Robinson’s
work fits squarely within the tradition
of American painting. Containing few
references to modern life, his work has a
timeless and universal quality and exhibits
a distinct turn-of-the-century stylistic
aesthetic. Robinson possesses exceptional
technical proficiency, which he uses to
convey his vision of people and places in
his immediate world, and the rural venues
he chooses to depict.
Max Ginsburg (1931 – )
Although he attended art schools,
Ginsburg’s real mentor was his father
Abraham who taught him to paint in the
traditional and realist manner. Over the
years, Max Ginsburg has had many oneman-shows and participated in numerous
group exhibitions garnering numerous
awards. Throughout his career, Ginsburg
has had to rely on teaching and illustrating
in order to earn a living. During the twentieth
century, while the world of modern art went
through an endless sequence of “isms”,
realistic painting was critically scorned.
Galleries generally preferred abstract art,
and most art schools discouraged realism
in painting. Nevertheless, along with a
few other painters, Ginsburg resisted the
pressure to conform to the current tastes.
As a life long resident of New York City, his
work has always reflected the beauty and
intensity of the city; the crowded streets,
the subway rides, the pick-up ball games in
schoolyards, as well as the quieter interior
of apartments. Ginsburg’s work is suffused
with the energy of the city and its people:
its vendors, its protestors, its athletes, and
musicians. The power of his work stems
from both his belief in the immediacy of a
shared, realistic viewpoint and his strong
belief in Humanism. His work explores issues
of class, race, and gender and in recent
years has gone on to examine more subtle
relationships within society, such as the way
society cares for the elderly, the young, and
in the wake of 9/11, notions of patriotism.
Warren Chang (1957 – )
Warren Chang was born in Monterey,
California and graduated from the Art
Center College of Design in 1981 with
honors. He was soon hired as a staff
illustrator painting box covers for the
Atari game company. In 1983, Chang
ventured as a freelance illustrator into the
advertising and entertainment industry of
Los Angeles. In 1990, he moved to New
York City to work with various publishing
houses, illustrating nearly 200 book covers.
Chang’s work has won many awards of
merit from the Society of Illustrators in New
York and Communication Arts Magazine.
In 2000, he moved back to California,
eventually settling in Northern California
and teaching drawing and painting at the
Academy of Art University in San Francisco
while simultaneously pursuing a career in
fine art. Primarily a figurative artist, Chang
paints the human figure in contemporary
settings, including biographical interiors of
his studio and classroom, as well as outdoor
genre subjects such as the field workers of
his native Monterey County.