Serving Many Purposes

Collector's Focus: Works on Paper

Introduction by Chelsea Koressel

Whether used for sketching, drawing, collage, printmaking, pastel or watercolor paintings, and even photography, paper has provided artists with versatility—opening up a world of creative possibilities. Traced back to its origins in China, we see paper used for calligraphy and ink drawings before reaching other areas of the world where artists first used the medium for sketches that were later translated to oil paintings on canvas.

Artists like the great John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) created hundreds of portraits using charcoal on paper, after years painting in oil. Childe Hassam (1859-1935) explored printmaking later in his career, culminating into a new body of work that enhanced the artist’s practice and reignited his passion.

David P. Chun (1898-1989), Fish Cove, ca. 1939-1940, lithograph, sheet: 11 15/16 x 14 1/8 in., image: 7 15/16 x 10 7/8 in. Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration 174:1943.

For the recent exhibition, Childe Hassam: Impressions in Black and White, hosted at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, Kim Spence, museum senior director of collections and curator of works on paper says, “When Hassam adopted printmaking beginning in 1915, it reinvigorated him artistically. He quickly became a prolific printmaker, producing over 60 etchings in that first year alone—a testament to his enthusiasm for the process. He seems to have been intrigued by printmaking’s technical and artistic challenges, as he sought new ways to express the ideas he had been exploring in impressionism in exciting new media.”

Spence continues, “Although he was openly critical of modernism, in his lithographs in particular, I see him becoming looser and more abstract in his handling. His compositions and forms become less descriptive (or naturalistic) in their rendering, and the blank space of the paper becomes increasingly important. He seems to be content in capturing the essence of a place, rather than its precise details.”

Another significant exhibition of works on paper, featuring art produced during the Federal Art Project sponsored by the Works Progress Administration between 1935 and 1943, was presented by the Saint Louis Art Museum in Saint Louis, Missouri, that drew from the gift of 256 prints, drawings, watercolors and paintings, including the first objects by African American artists to enter the museum’s collection.

The museum notes, “In San Francisco, David Chun experimented with color lithography. In Philadelphia, Dox Thrash helped invent an entirely new print technique…Taken together, stories like these demonstrate how art can take root in individuals’ lives and contribute to a community’s vitality.”

Through exhibitions like these, we can trace the impact of the paper medium, and how it served many purposes, in addition to helping to shape culture and community.

Continue reading this special section dedicated to works on paper to hear more insights from artists who create on paper and galleries that carry their work.

Blue Rain Gallery, Maria Goretti, marker, China marker and mixed media on paper, 10 x 7 in., by Erin Currier.

When considering artworks on paper, collectors have an excellent opportunity to begin or expand their collections in a meaningful and accessible way. “Works on paper, whether drawings, studies or finished pieces, often offer a more approachable price point, making them an ideal entry into collecting an artist whose paintings may be beyond your current budget,” says Leah Garcia, Blue Rain Gallery director. “They also hold a unique appeal for those who are drawn to the immediacy and intimacy of the medium, where an artist’s hand and thought process are often more directly visible.

Blue Rain represents some outstanding artists working with or on paper, including Erin Currier, whose mixed media drawings serve as intimate, dynamic studies for her larger collage paintings. The artist combines pencil, ink and washes of color with fragments of found paper, distilling her vision into raw, immediate compositions. Lew Brennan’s artwork reflects a masterful command of realism, honed over decades of dedicated practice. While his paintings often capture the nuanced beauty of rural life, his work in charcoal stands out for its remarkable depth and precision. Alberto Valdés’s artwork is defined by a refined sensitivity to form, atmosphere and emotion, with his charcoal drawings revealing the full extent of his technical and expressive range. Working in deep tonal contrasts and delicate gradations, Valdés uses the medium to explore the human figure, architectural forms and moments of quiet introspection.

Top: Blue Rain Gallery, Suffer the Children, 1985, charcoal on vellum paper, 15¼ x 9½ in., by Alberto Valdés; Blue Rain Gallery, The Machine, charcoal on Fabriano paper, 24 x 22 in., by Lew Brennan. Bottom: RJD Gallery, study for The Courtiers, drawing on artist paper, 20 x 18 in., by Andrea Kowch; RJD Gallery, The Hunting Ground, graphite on paper, 45 x 80 in., by Christina Pettersson.

At RJD Gallery, located in Romeo, Michigan, a trio of artists exemplifies the expressive power of works on paper. Andrea Kowch infuses her Study for The Courtiers with depth and emotion, offering a glimpse into a larger painting now held in the collection of the Muskegon Museum of Art. Emily Copeland’s Barber Chair transforms a familiar object into a study of memory and character, created with a quiet, familiar warmth; and Christina Pettersson astonishes with her graphite on paper, The Hunting Ground. The piece was initially shown at the Miami Art Museum for their New Work Miami show. The drawing is the third in a series resurrecting the murdered women of Shakespeare’s plays, this one being Juliet. The alligator and tortoise are also resurrected from the play, as they were mentioned as taxidermy creatures present in the alchemist’s lab where Romeo obtains his poison. This work was also the 2011 South Florida Cultural Consortium winner.

“Works on paper bring a unique dimension to a collection and fit seamlessly in a variety of spaces,” says RJD Gallery owner, Richard Demato. “While a painting may only be appropriate on a specific wall in a specific room, works on paper lend themselves to nearly any room in a house or office. They stand out like a jewel, and in their innate simplicity, they showcase an artist’s talent and mastery of the basic concept of drawing—the line.”

RJD Gallery, Barber Chair, charcoal on Stonehenge paper, 60½ x 47½ in., by Emily Copeland; Roberta Condon, Five Lightning Rods, soft pastel on sanded paper, 22 x 29 in.

Artist Roberta Condon’s soft pastel on sanded paper, Five Lightning Rods, is part of her American Pastoral series. Twenty-six of these painting are in the permanent collection of the Barton College Foundation. “The paintings tell the story of the loss of the small family farm throughout our country," shares Condon. "The barn in this painting has been razed and replaced with a metal pole barn. The landscape is changing. During the course of painting this series, the state that I lived in—Wisconsin—was and continues to lose two family farms every day. I felt it was time to document the loss and the change of our landscape before it was too late. These paintings will be our only record of the past, and as such, become historical documents of the way things were. There is beauty even in the decay, and it is my goal as an artist to find that beauty and call attention to the loss.” —

Featured Artists & Galleries

Blue Rain Gallery
544 S. Guadalupe Street Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 954-9902
934 Main Avenue, Unit B Durango, Colorado 81301 (970) 232-2033
www.blueraingallery.com

RJD Gallery
227 N. Main Street, Romeo, MI 48065
(586) 281-3613, www.rjdgallery.com

Roberta Condon
www.robertacondon.com

Saint Louis Art Museum
1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 721-0072, www.slam.org

Speed Art Museum
2035 S. 3rd Street, Louisville, KY 40208
(502) 634-2700, www.speedmuseum.org