"Untitled" (2013) (Oil on canvas) [36"x58"] (Note: on an orange wall) |
Images of Mayhew's work, though stunning, do not recreate the experience of gazing directly into one of his paintings. As I looked, my perceptions constantly changed as I noticed new details or focused on a different area of the painting. More important than what I saw, though, is the feeling his work gave me at my core. Even paintings that initially seemed somewhat turbulent drew me in and left me with a sense of serenity hard to come by in the last year. But I've gotten ahead of myself.
"Desire" (2019) (Oil on canvas)[36"x48"] |
Mayhew pursued his artistic dream from that time on, but he had to make a living in other ways until his talent was recognized. He joined the military during WWII and rose to a first sergeant in the marines. He practiced his art even then, delighting the troops with painted images of pin-up girls on tanks. In the 1950s, he worked as a jazz singer in small clubs in New York City and the Borscht Belt in the Catskill Mountains. When his first solo show in 1955 was well-received, he turned off his microphone to focus solely on his art.
"Above and Beyond" (2009) (oil on canvas) [48"x48"] |
This focus has led many to categorize him as a landscape artist. But Mayhew's own view of his work is more complex. In an interview last year with Hyperallergic, he said, "What I do with landscapes is internalize my emotional interpretation of desire, hope, fear and love. So, instead of a landscape, it's a mindscape."
Mayhew's painting style is consistent with this philosophy. He doesn't work en plein air or create a sketch before picking up his paintbrush. Instead, he said, "When I start painting, I just smear paint on the canvas, for no reason at all. It just gets me started. After I do that, a certain feeling starts to take place and I go with it. So, there's no planning in the beginning...it happens on the canvas. It's that moment of truth." This is a man comfortable with improvisation.
"Mendocino Series #10" (2015) (watercolor on paper) [11"x14"] |
In the 1960s, Mayhew was a founding member of SPIRAL, an African-American artist collective whose other members included Romare Bearden. The 13 men and one woman organized to discuss the role of African-American artists in the civil rights movement and the larger world.
"Untitled, ca" (2004-2008) (oil on canvas)[48"x60"] |
Whether a landscape or a mindscape, political or not, Mayhew's paintings made a significant impact of this viewer. He's an artist whose work I will seek out in the future. Kudos to Ringling College and Chief Curator Tim Jaeger for bringing Richard Mayhew: Transcendence to Sarasota. To learn more about Mayhew and his work, click here or here. To learn more about SPIRAL, click here. Sadly, the exhibit closes this Friday so there's no opportunity for a second visit. I (and you) can, however, see the exhibit online on the College's website by clicking here. Happy viewing.
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