Journal

Donald G. Longcrier, Artist Journal/Blog

FISH 2012: Artist's Statement

Native Trout of the American West

The Native Trout paintings represent a discussion of some of the American West’s most pressing contemporary issues, the first and foremost of which, will always be water and its management. One cannot speak about the West without discussing public land and private ownership, environmental and economic concerns such as mining and irrigation and farming arid land.

The native trout species I have chosen to paint were once common to most rivers and streams from the Pacific Ocean to the Rockies, from Mexico to Canada. Now, they number a fraction of their original population and many are only to be found inhabiting tiny, isolated headwater streams in small areas of their original range. Where some of these fish once grew to legendary size, Lahontan cutthroat trout were reported to reach sixty pounds, many now survive as six to ten inch specimens.

Wild, native trout populations are indicative of the environment in which they live, and reflect the choices we have made and will be making regarding the use of these watersheds. Native trout habitat has been affected by mining, grazing, farming, and irrigation needs. Blocked by dams, spawning runs have ceased. Many native species have been displaced by the introduction of non-native species.

Recovery efforts supported by, private organizations, government, and tribal agencies are underway throughout the region. 

A simpler explanation of the paintings might have to do with the fact that research for the work requires me to spend as much time as possible, chasing after wild native fish in remote but untouched locations. Regrettably, the time spent on research is never enough. But, fishing is all about hope.

 

FISH 2012 Installation

Installation of large-scale Native Trout paintings in the entrance of the Fred Jones Jr. Art Center on the University of Oklahoma campus with Sandra Longcrier and Jeff Beekman, Assistant Professor of Foundations.

The paintings are being exhibited in FISH 2012, an international exhibition of art that explores the culture of fishing. The exhibit is curated by Assistant Professor of Foundations, Cedar Marie and hosted by the University of Oklahoma School of Art and Art History. The exhibition runs October 23 through November 7, 2012.

 


Installing Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache, Acrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W.

©2007

 

Installing Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apacheAcrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W.

©2007

 

Installing Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apacheAcrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W.

©2007

 

Installing Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisiAcrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W. ©2007

 

Installing Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisiAcrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W. ©2007

 

 

Installing Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisiAcrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108"W. ©2007

 

 

Installation view:

Left: Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apacheAcrylic and encaustic on wood,

54" H x 108"W. ©2007

Right: Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisiAcrylic and encaustic on wood,

54" H x 108"W. ©2007

 

Installation view:

Left: Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apacheAcrylic and encaustic on wood,

54" H x 108"W. ©2007

Right: Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisiAcrylic and encaustic on wood,

54" H x 108"W. ©2007

 

 

 

FISH 2012 From the Curator, Cedar Marie

FISH 2012
From the Curator 
Cedar Marie 
The University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History and the Lightwell Gallery present FISH, a 
multimedia art exhibition that explores a concern for one of the planet’s most diminishing food 
resources. The exhibition is on display from Tuesday October 23 through Wednesday November 7, 
2012 in the OU School of Art & Art History’s Lightwell Gallery. A free, public reception will be held 
on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6-8 p.m. Coinciding with the exhibition, The School of Art & Art History 
welcomes visiting Guggenheim Fellowship artist Ray Troll. Troll will give a public lecture on 
October 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum 
of Art. 
FISH offers a compelling range of perspectives on the culture of fishing. Interpreted broadly, the 
artworks in the exhibition include sculpture, painting, video, and good old-fashioned storytelling, 
among other media, from both U.S. and international artists. Oklahoma artist Donald Longcrier 
speaks to some of the “American West’s foremost contemporary issues, particularly water and its 
management.” His nine-foot wide paintings of native trout act as sentinels in the main entry to the 
Fred Jones Art Center. Tim Waldrop and Catherine Reinhardt broaden these environmental and 
habitat concerns, addressing topics related to Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon Oil 
Spill. Dave Beck makes historical connections, referencing Americankitschandpatriotismofthe1960s.Bangkok-based photographer Jane Iverson documents the simplicity and fragility of Asian 
fishing culture, while Brooks Dierdorff and Brenda Oelibaum fish the Internet for appropriated 
images to deconstruct notions of the trophy. 
FISH also comprises artworks that foster community awareness and education. Texas-based artist 
Christine Foerster creates interactive installations based on green design. She takes her work to 
public schools and universities where they are integrated into the curriculum. The Sitka 
Conservation Society in Alaska works to deepen youth understanding of local food resources with 
their “Fish to Schools” program, which develops strong connections with local fishermen and the 
fishing community, and integrates locally-caught seafood into public school lunches. 
FISH recognizes and includes the voices of fishermen, the men and women who risk their lives 
daily on the open sea in order to bring a quality food product to the table. In her audio story 
Sisterhood, writer and commercial fisherman Tele Aadsen explores what it means to be a woman 
“trolling for truth” in a male-dominated field; while Fisher Poet and performer Moe Bowstern 
catches—and releases—stories written by the various “species” of fishermen in her arty zines. In 
his photograph Ryan Harris Sea Rescue, commercial fisherman and photographer Joel Brady-
Power guides a Coast Guard rescue team in a miraculous save of a nineteen-year old fisherman.
 
Visiting Guggenheim Fellowship artist Ray Troll’s quirky images based on the latest scientific 
discoveries bring a street-smart sensibility to the worlds of ichthyology & paleontology. His 
drawings and paintings are also a delightful commentary on the fishy behavior of humans. The 
author and illustrator of nine books and lead band member of the Ratfish Wranglers, his unique 
blend of art and science has reached a wide audience in major shows at the California Academy of 
Sciences in San Francisco, the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, and the Denver Museum of 
Nature and Science. He has been awarded a Gold Medal for Distinction in the Natural History Arts 
by the Academy of Natural Sciences, and is the art director for the Miami Museum of Science’s 
Amazon Voyage traveling exhibit. Sharkabet: a Sea of Sharks from A to Z, and a new exhibition 
based on his book Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway–written in collaboration with Dr. Kirk Johnson–is 
currently on tour. 
Taking a stream to plate approach, FISH offers the public an opportunity to consider how we tend to 
our relationships with the food we grow, harvest, and consume. 
The University of Oklahoma’s School of Art and Art History is located in the Fred Jones Art Center 
(FJC), 520 Parrington Oval, in the OU Arts District. The Lightwell Gallery is located on the second 
floor and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and closed on holidays and 
weekends. 
For special accommodations call 405.325.2691 or email art@ou.edu. 
From the Curator Cedar Marie 

FISH 2012 Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    

CONTACT: Cedar Marie, cmarie@ou.edu

CONTACT: Jessica Upson, jess@ou.edu

OU School of Art & Art History

(405) 325-2691

 

 

OU Art Exhibition Offers Glimpse into the Culture of Fishing

 

NORMAN, OKLA. (October 12, 2012) – The University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History and the Lightwell Gallery present FISH, a multimedia art exhibition curated by OU professor and artist Cedar Marie. The exhibition explores a concern for one of the planet’s most diminishing food resources and includes sculpture, photography, video, and painting from U.S. and international artists.

 

“FISH offers the public an opportunity to consider how we tend to our relationships with the food we grow, harvest, and consume,” said Cedar Marie. Artwork represented in this exhibition includes pieces from Bangkok-based photographer Jane Iverson, whose work documents the simplicity and fragility of Asian fishing culture, and Texas-based artist Christine Foerster who creates interactive installations based on green design. Other artists address Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, American kitsch, and patriotism.

 

Coinciding with the exhibit, The School of Art & Art History welcomes visiting artist and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Ray Troll. Troll will give a public lecture on October 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium at the red Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

 

Ray Troll bases his quirky aquatic images on the latest scientific discoveries and brings a street-smart sensibility to the worlds of ichthyology & paleontology. “His paintings and drawings are also a delightful commentary on the fishy behavior of humans,” said Cedar Marie. His unique blend of art and science has reached a wide range of audiences in major shows at the Smithsonian, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Troll received a Gold Medal for Distinction in the Natural History Arts by the Academy of Natural Sciences, and is the art director for the Miami Museum of Science’s Amazon Voyage traveling exhibit. An exhibition based on his book “Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway”–written in collaboration with Dr. Kirk Johnson–is currently on tour.

 

FISH is on display from Tuesday October 23 through Wednesday November 7, 2012 in the OU School of Art & Art History’s Lightwell Gallery. A free, public reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6-8 p.m., with locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal food donated by LOCAL of Norman, Oklahoma, and fish hors d’oeuves prepared by Pepe Delgaldos.

 

The university of Oklahoma’s School of Art & Art History is located in the Fred Jones Art Center (FJC), 520 Parrington Oval, in the OU Arts District. The Lightwell Gallery is located on the second floor and is open from 8 a.m-5 p.m., Monday through Friday and is closed on holidays and weekends. For more information on the University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History please visit art.ou.edu.

 

For special accommodations call 405.325.2691 or email art@ou.edu.

 

###

Preparing Native Trout Paintings for FISH 2012

Preparing two of the Native Trout paintings for the upcoming FISH 2012 Exhibition to be held in the Lightwell Gallery at the University of Oklahoma. FISH will run October 23 through November 7, 2012. 

The paintings to be exhibited will be Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi and    Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache. The paintings are acrylic and encaustic on wood panels and measure 54" H x 108" W.

 

Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache. Acrylic and encaustic on wood, 54" H x 108" W. ©2007

 

On Left: Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi Acrylic and encaustic on wood,        54" H x 108" W. ©2007

On Right: Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache. Acrylic and encaustic on wood,                         54" H x 108" W. ©2007

 

 

Front: Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache. Acrylic and encaustic on wood,                             54" H x 108" W. ©2007

Back: Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi Acrylic and encaustic on wood,            54" H x 108" W. ©2007

 

FISH 2012 International Art Competition

I will be exhibiting two of my large-scale Native Trout paintings in the upcoming FISH 2012 International Art Competition Exhibition to be held in the Lightwell Gallery in the University of Oklahoma School of Art and Art History. The Exhibition will run from October 23 through November 7, 2012. 
Apache Trout, Oncorhynchus gilae apache, Acrylic and encaustic on wood,
54"H. x 108"W., ©2007
Westslope Cutthroat TroutOncorhynchus clarki lewisi, Acrylic and encaustic on wood,
54"H. x 108"W., ©2007
FISH 2012 International Art Competition

Exhibition: 23 Oct - 7 Nov 2012

The University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History will host FISH 2012 International Art Competition in the Lightwell Gallery from October 23 to November 7, 2012. The exhibition will feature "artists who focus on themes that relate to the culture of fishing". According to the exhibition prospectus, the exhibition will explore a "broad range of interpretations...such as fishing as an economic lifestyle, the process of fishing, work and gender issues, conservation & politics, environmental habitats & sustainability, food quality & safety, fishing for subsistence, fisheries collapse, & community education." 

Donald G. Longcrier to serve as Awards of Excellence Judge at 2012 Arts Festival Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts, Director of the Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery and Adjunct Professor of Art Donald G. Longcrier will serve as an Awards of Excellence Judge at the 2012 Arts Festival Oklahoma. 

2012 Arts Festival Oklahoma, September 1-3,
Oklahoma City Community College
http://www.occc.edu/afo/index.html

The Trout Drawings and Paintings

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis

16" H. x 20" W., Watercolor and Prismacolor pencil on Museum Board

 

The Trout Drawings/Paintings refer to scientific illustrations and specimen drawings used for taxonomic identification used in common practice in fisheries biology and angling literature. Representative individuals are presented facing left referring to the fact that measurements are taken along one side and illustrate basic morphological characteristics of the species (or subspecies in many cases). Brighter colored specimens are males shown in spawning colors.

Whereas the genesis for the trout drawings and the larger encaustic trout paintings can be traced to my studies in zoology and early work in fisheries biology, my interest in trout in particular, and fish in general, can be directly attributed to an interest in fly fishing and my subsequent environmental work related to clean water.

 

Coastal Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus

16" H. x 20" W., Watercolor and Prismacolor pencil on Museum Board

 

The majority of the smaller trout drawings have been sold to raise funds to support the 89er Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the organization's efforts to protect, restore, and enhance the cold-water fisheries of Southeastern and Eastern Oklahoma. Information on the the work of the 89er Chapter of Trout Unlimited may be found on the chapter website: www.89ertu.org

Recently, several trout drawings have been sold to help fund the work of Reel Recovery, a national, non-profit organization that provides fly fishing retreats for men diagnosed with cancer. Information on the work of Reel Recovery may be found at: www.reelrecovery.org

The images are watercolor and Prismacolor pencil on 100% acid-free museum board. The measure 16" H. X 20" W.

 

 

Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis

16" H. x 20" W., Watercolor and Prismacolor pencil on Museum Board