I am really excited about a project that I’ve taken on recently, a mural for the Robert Henri museum in Cozad, Nebraska. Painting any mural is fun and exciting. But I already know that this particular project is going to be transformational. It’s not just an opportunity to produce a great mural. It’s also an opportunity to learn under the mentorship of one of the legends of American art, and the fact that he’s been dead for almost a hundred years isn’t going to be a barrier.
A bit of background for those unfamiliar: Robert Henri, born Robert Henry Cozad in 1865, was a prominent American painter and teacher who greatly influenced the development of 20th-century art. He pioneered the Ashcan School of American realism, which aimed to depict the everyday lives of people. Henri taught at several institutions, including the Art Students League, and inspired numerous artists such as Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe. He authored the influential book "The Art Spirit." Henri passed away in 1929, leaving a lasting impact on American art through his contributions to realism and dedication to teaching.
As I conceptualize and plan this mural, I’m using his book, ‘The Art Spirit’, as a guide in my artistic process. I will incorporate some of his techniques and philosophies in the mural. I thought that this would be pretty straightforward, considering that the Art Spirit, among other things, “contains insightful and valuable technical advice for every art student.” I’m always open to shifting into the ‘beginner’s mind’ and learning something new!
The problem with this book is that it isn’t written as a manual or textbook. It is a collection of notes, articles, and fragments of letters and lectures. It isn’t linear. When I first picked it up, I thought that it was a charming collection, but useless as a guide. Now, you have to realize that I am not a linear person. I’m the type that will pick up a magazine and turn to a random page and take it in from the back to the front. And this book can be read that way, since there is no narrative. I find this vaguely irritating since I am looking for answers. For example, what are his theories on specific elements of art? I have to dig, which means sitting down and taking time. The book is not indulging me with quick and easy answers. This is my first clue that I have stepped into an apprenticeship of some kind.
I’m breaking down the information that I glean from it into categories so I can refer to them as I work through the process of the mural. I’m making sections of notes on Color, Composition, Line, Brushstrokes. I soon realized that I need to add Philosophy, The Parallels Between Art and Music, Grand Unification, Seeing, Self Education, etc. It’s clear that his philosophies are inextricably tangled in his teaching. My plan to straighten it out and organize it is certainly being challenged. Why wasn’t this written in a way that’s easier to read and apply? Last night I went back and re-read the forward, which I completely rushed past when I first picked up the book.
In the forward he wrote: "No effort has been made toward the form of a regular book. In fact the opinions are presented more as paintings are hung on a wall, to be looked at at will." He believed that art is a deeply personal expression that shouldn’t be constrained by traditional forms or rules. He seems to be inviting the reader to approach art with the same spirit of openness and creativity that he brought to his own work.
I can hear him chuckling, thinking, “This one has much to learn.”