Two new paintings on loan in the collection gallery offer a wider perspective of the influence of agrarianism. Land stewardship and food cultivation has never been limited to the Corn Belt, though today many may perceive it to be the case. A movement is springing up across the country through urban gardening and organic produce in farmer’s markets to bring people closer to food production. The foundation of this movement is a broader understanding and respect for the stewardships of our lands. People instinctively need to feel connected to nature in some way. For many, this becomes a reality in their daily way of life.
Artist Matthew Jacobson breeds and raises Belgian draft horses in northern Wisconsin. He, and many kindred spirits in the area, are reviving the older farming practices and mechanization with horse power. Young Man, now on view, is a graphically striking composition of a young man who is comfortable with these huge draft horses towering over him. He mysteriously smiles and is at ease with these beasts and they prepare to work together. They have become his friends.
Similarly, on the other side of the world in Tibet, tribal people live in tents amongst large long haired yaks, as portrayed in Huihan Lui’s Yaks, Magu Pasture in Northern Tibet. Lui, originally from China, has become fascinated with the people of Tibet and rural China, as he likens them to American Indians for their respect of nature and the environment. Painted in the impressionist style, a woman faces one of the large black and white yaks, and again a sense of mystery and awe overwhelms the viewer to witness this tolerant interaction between the two. The power of these paintings raises our understanding of the power of interacting with the natural world.