Coming to the Downing Museum this month is a multi-generational, multi-media artwork exhibition from longtime mates of the museum, the Fife household. Todd, his nonagenarian father, Malcolm Noland, and son, Malcolm Mathison exhibit collectively for the primary time, representing a household custom of art-making that goes again to the Forties with Malcolm Noland’s creation of “Seated Lady,” an award-winning stone carving that may proudly be one of many highlights of this exhibition.
Todd started his artwork journey lower than a decade in the past fulfilling a promise to his beloved sister, Phyllis, to hold on her legacy by growing and sharing his artistic thoughts with the world by artwork. The will to create hasn’t skipped a technology, both, as Todd’s son, Malcolm Mathison Fife, started creating artwork at an early age, and in Could 2022 graduated from Murray State College with a level in artwork.
The Fife custom of making spans not solely three-quarters of a century, however ranges in medium, as properly. Malcolm Noland now creates brilliantly-carved strolling canes that are available quite a lot of sizes and styles, from fairytale-like birds swallowing tiny fishes to two-headed creatures and snakes, all suggesting a type of folk-creativity that’s unequalled within the space. That creativity was actually well-infused into Todd, whose subject material ranges from surreal scenes of macabre torture and supernatural terrors to decadent historic still-life and peaceable scenes of Kentucky’s pure arches. Todd’s main medium is portray, and with extravagant element. His work has gained a number of awards, together with Better of Present on the 2022 US Financial institution Celebration of the Arts Exhibition on the Kentucky Museum and is within the everlasting assortment of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in Cleveland, Ohio. The work of the youngest Fife, Malcolm Mathison, is extra “tame” than that of his father and grandfather’s, however is definitely as fascinating. His subject material displays his private penchant towards historical past, typically reexamining grasp works as self-portraits, with an affinity for historic fashion and apparel. He works in quite a lot of artwork kinds, his main being portray and printmaking. His Terra Cotta bust of Kentucky inventor Nathan Stubblefield is within the everlasting assortment of Murray State’s Wrather Museum.
The linear attribute that runs by these three artists is the power to inform a narrative with related, however various pursuits. Thus, the objective of this exhibition is to curate the Fife story by completely different generations, chapters, if you’ll; some fiction, some fantasy, some you won’t even have the ability to describe. One factor, for positive, is that this exhibition is certain to entice, encourage, encourage and endure as a snapshot of probably the most fascinating creative households in South Central Kentucky.
Together with the Fifes, painter Jay Dougherty, additionally of Bowling Inexperienced, will exhibit his watercolors, a lot of native cemetery scenes, within the window gallery of the museum. Each exhibitions will run from January 10-February 18. Please be part of us on the Downing Museum for an exhibition opening reception on January 14, 6-8PM.
-by Jack LeSieur, Downing Museum Director
