"Syd Solomon: Fluid Impressions" at Ringling College

"Useppa" (1982-83)

It's a bit hard to imagine, but Sarasota wasn't always the arts and culture-filled city it is today. Syd Solomon is one of the artists who played a role in Sarasota's transformation from a sleepy beach town to a cultural center. It's just one more reason to celebrate Solomon's work, and "Syd Solomon: Fluid Impressions" at Ringling College does just that. 

World War II played a role in both the development of Solomon's art and his move to Sarasota. Solomon studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before enlisting in the Army. Given his artistic training, he was assigned to the First Camouflage Battalion where he created camouflage instruction manuals and techniques to protect U.S. personnel and equipment from the enemy. Solomon credited his work as a camofleur for some of his ideas about abstract art. You can particularly see the connection in "Trishades" below. 

"Trishades" (1982)

During the Battle of the Bulge, Solomon suffered from frostbite. As a result, his plan to settle in NY had to be replaced by life in a locale with a warm climate. So Solomon and and his wife Annie packed up their possessions -- including Solomon's five Bronze Stars -- and moved to Sarasota. They were not alone. Both Sarasota and Venice had been home to Army Air Bases during the war, and many former military personnel returned to the area to study under the GI Bill. More than a few had artistic aspirations. And so Sarasota and its artistic community grew -- and grew. By 1949, the city had become known as an art colony, with more than 1,000 artists and art students living in the area. (The city's population at the time was around 10,000. You can do the math.) Many taught or studied at the half dozen art schools that had opened. Others were just drawn to the creative environment, enhanced by the city's location as the winter home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. And then, of course, there was the weather. 

"Shore Serenade" (1981)

Solomon thrived in this environment, becoming perhaps the best known of the Sarasota Colony Artists. If he'd lived in NY, Solomon likely would have become a leader of the Abstract Expressionism movement that included his friends William de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. But he didn't live in NY, and in Sarasota the natural world became part of his inspiration and, often, his studio. He referred to his style of painting as "Abstract Impressionism." While it seems apt, I suspect Monet and his compatriots wouldn't have recognized the connection between Solomon's artistic style and their own. 

The exhibit included a video of Solomon at work, and it's quite interesting to watch. I particularly like the part where he uses his hands to smear paint on the oversized canvas. His process -- developed over a 30 year period -- included techniques like flinging wheat paste on the canvas and then spraying water from a garden hose to remove some of the paste to create a "resist." Sometimes he worked with spray paint, which seems kind of radical for the time. And Solomon was one of the first artists to use acrylic paint, having collaborated with a chemist who was developing the medium.  

"Coast Event" (1988-89)

I learned this background about Solomon and more on a docent tour of the exhibit. (Always go for the tour!)  Our docents for the day were not what I had expected. Instead of an art history student trained to talk about Solomon and his art, Dr. Richard Mones provided the overview. Mones and his wife own the collection from which the paintings in the show were borrowed. Mones spoke knowledgeably and eloquently about Solomon's work. It was a treat to hear from someone with such evident passion. 

Also on hand were three students from Tim Jaeger's class on curating an exhibit. Hearing about their experience made me wish I could dial back time and go back to school. 

The students were broken into four groups -- creative, events, marketing and curatorial -- and tasked with putting the exhibit together from start to finish. They selected the works to be included from the Mones' collection, negotiated the loan agreement, prepared condition reports, arranged transport for the paintings and decided where they would hang in the gallery and how they would be lit. They decided to include the video I mentioned and the explanatory text for the show. (Much of the text, which includes some great quotes, can be found on the floor. I liked it.) They created the brochures and ads for the exhibit and organized the receptions and tours. I'm sure they handled many other details as well as the exhibit took shape. What an incredible experience, and their hard work paid off with a beautiful show.  

For a terrific article about Solomon written by his son Mike, click here. It's worth mentioning that Mike is an accomplished artist himself. You can see some of his work by clicking here. And for more on the Sarasota Colony artists, click here. (It's worth it just to see the picture from one of the Beaux Arts Ball.) 

 "Syd Solomon: Fluid Impressions" will be on display at Ringling College through March 25.