Coast to Coast art collection at BRAHM reflects on stylistic impressionism

BLOWING ROCK — An exhibit of impressionist style paintings is on display at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum to reflect the different dimension of the style based on the location of the artist.

A variety of impressionist paintings line the walls of the Coast to Coast exhibit at BRAHM. Curated by Gabe Wilson, the exhibit is meant to show contrasting values and techniques between the East and West Coast artists through their individual takes on the impressionist style. The art is from the early 19th and 20th centuries.

The exhibit focuses mainly on artist who migrated to the opposite coast, and many depict scenes created while practicing plein air painting. With the rise in popularity of the photograph the subjects of art became more subjective, thus giving a new light to art the mimicked landscape, or common scenes.

“Great subjects of history, myth and religion were no longer at least in their eyes, the only worthy subject for the canvas. Everyday life. The domestic and sometimes the intimate and risque, are worthy in their eyes, unexpected vantage points and compositional framing, were recognized for their ability to bring new insight to an otherwise stale view. These new subjects were predicated on the artist experiencing and perceiving their surroundings deeply,” Wilson said.

This exhibition will include works by Maurice Braun, Alson S. Clark, Elliott Daingerfield, Childe Hassam, Jane Peterson, William Merritt Post, Guy Rose, Hanson Putthuf and Jack Wilkinson Smith. Much of the collection belongs to Chip and Monica Perry, who are loaning it to BRAHM for the duration of the exhibit.

For more information on Coast to Coast at BRAHM, visit www.blowingrockmuseum.org/see/coast-to-coast.