STARK MUSEUM OF ART
NELDA C. & H. J. LUTCHER STARK FOUNDATION
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Boehme, Director
409.883.6661
Nicolai Fechin Exhibition Returns to Stark Museum of Art
ORANGE, Texas, September 18, 2007 – Over 30 works by Russian-American artist Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955) will be on display at the Stark Museum of Art October 5 - December 29, 2007. The Artist’s Hand: The Art of Nicolai Fechin will include charcoal drawings, oil paintings, and carved wooden sculptures depicting portraiture, landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of Indian life. The collection is an expanded version of Fechin: A Taos Homecoming that was recently on loan to the Taos Art Museum and Fechin House in Taos, New Mexico.
Best known for his paintings, Fechin developed a style with an expressionistic application of paint and bold colors that was nevertheless grounded in realism. His charcoal drawings show his mastery of the line and his ability to create a sense of form and three dimensions through contours and shading. His simple sculptural forms echo the elemental nature of his drawings; however, the surfaces retain the evidence of the artist's expressionistic hand in direct carving.
Museum director Sarah Boehme says the exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to see the range of Fechin’s work. “I think people can identify with the deep emotion he expresses in his works of art from his wood carvings to his exuberant studies of landscape such as the beautiful Cactus,” said Boehme.
Born in Russia in 1881, Fechin studied at the Kazan Art School and then the prestigious Imperial Art Academy in St. Petersburg. He went on to teach in Kazan but immigrated to New York in 1923 following the Russian revolution. A few years later, Fechin discovered and relocated to Taos, New Mexico, his inspiration for the works featured in the Stark Museum of Art.
Having the largest collection of Fechin pieces in the world, the Stark Museum of Art recently loaned a portion of the current exhibition to the Taos Art Museum and Fechin house to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the artist’s birth. Said Boehme, “We were pleased to be able to share this exhibition, so the works could be seen in the environment in which Fechin created them. After its successful showing in Taos, we are delighted to bring it back and show it in Orange with additional works.”
The exhibition catalogue: Fechin: A Taos Homecoming is available for purchase at the Museum Store. The publication served as the catalogue for this exhibition in Taos, New Mexico, and contains reproductions of most of the works featured.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public at no charge Tuesday through Saturday. Hours are from 10 am-5 pm. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information call 409.883.6661.
###
For permission to publish these images please contact Jillian Welker at Imaginuity Interactive, Inc.: 214.413.2843 or jillian.welker@imaginuity.com.
Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955)
Cactus, 1925
Oil on canvas
24 x 20 inches (61.0 x 50.8 cm)
Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas
31.28/11
Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955)
Self Portrait
Charcoal on paper
16 7/8 x 13 inches (42.9 x 33.0 cm)
Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas
31.28/55
