There are landscapes, portraits, figurative pieces, and still lifes in our new show, WATER & LIGHT: The Watercolors of Ben Solowey, covering a nearly fifty year period.
Almost exactly sixty four years from our June 7th opening you could have seen the same work Spring Flowers – Iris & Daisies at the opening of the Art Institute of Chicago’s annual watercolor exhibition. Ben’s floral painting hung alongside works by Charles Sheeler, Edward Hopper, Diego Rivera (an old neighbor of Ben’s from New York), and Reginald Marsh to name a few.
There is also a classic example of a spontaneous watercolor inspiring a series of related works.
“Evening,” a watercolor (top), turned to “Storm,” and oil painting passing through stages as a drawing and an etching.
“One of the most rewarding things in life,” writes critic John Russell on artist’s sketchbooks, “is to look over the shoulder of a great artist and see exactly what is going on.” Ben delighted in using pen, pencil or brush to record a quick observation or to study a composition that he might eventually use for a more accomplished painting. We have two sketchbooks with exquisite watercolors that provide us a revealing view of Ben at work, capturing the essence of the world around him.
There are three self portraits in the exhibition, including the classic Self Portrait at Modeling Stand where shows himself sculpting with Rae seated nearby in the studio with a landscape and still life also on view. it is as complete a resume as Ben ever created.
Manet called still life ”the touchstone of the painter,” and this show includes several beautiful ones. Al of the flowers seen in these works were culled fromthe garden right outside the studio.
