Out of the struggles of the Great Depression, Charles W. Thwaites
(1904-2002) rose to prominence as a muralist and leading
portraitist in Wisconsin. An active exhibitor in hundreds of local,
regional, and national art exhibitions, he won awards and critical
acclaim from New York to California.
Thwaites began his career straddling the cultural demands for a
truly American art while being lured to the formalism of European
modernism and the freedom of expression it espoused. When he moved
to New Mexico in the 1950s, he found camaraderie with the Taos
Moderns, going on to create sophisticated abstractions that
synthesized his personal response with universal emotions.
In this first examination of Thwaites' biography and oeuvre,
examples of his Wisconsin and New Mexico paintings are put into the
context of American art. Also included are numerous excerpts from
his writings, which are profound observations on the meaning of art
and the goals of an artist who authentically responds to his inner
spirit.
Freedom of expression, underpinned by a disciplined study of
nature, art history, and the self, were the raison d'etre of this
artist who disdained being labeled or placed in a category. As he
noted, "There are 1,000 ways to paint, why limit yourself to one
manner? It is of no importance whether a picture is 'modern, '
'academic, ' or what have you. Is it good art, is it bad painting,
or is it just indifferent? To understand yourself--to understand
your personal philosophy--is to understand your likes and dislikes
in an organized way."
Thwaites is destined to be recognized as one of America's most
skilled, colorful, and admired post-World War II modernists.
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