Stretching Our Horizons

by Jeff Sone

The "Texas Art Collectors Organization exists to further the understanding and appreciation of early Texas art through education, study, debate, and exhibition."

These words are from the first line of TACO's Mission Statement. They, particularly the "education" and "study" parts, guide the TACO Board as it arranges meetings and events. And they should also be our personal guide as we collect art. Again, particularly the "education" and "study" parts.   

We have all grown up with a lot of exposure to certain types of artistic expression, such as impressionist landscapes. Over our lives, we have seen many examples of great paintings of wildflowers and understand what makes an impressionist landscape painting a good one. This has happened even if we have not studied very hard, because great paintings are there for us to see and understand. And there are plenty of commentators to tell us which paintings are great and not so great. But some art we find less interesting, less compelling. I want to suggest that in part, this is because we have not had the exposure or training that we have gotten in Impressionism by just being alive in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.

This year, I would like to challenge each of us to take something difficult for you in Early Texas Art and do a little study. Once you begin to read about any artist, or an artistic tradition or style, learn the methods the artists were using, what they thought they were conveying and how they saw themselves in the historical context (they always see themselves in that context). The art they produced may suddenly have a real attraction for you.  

For me, for example, Abstract Expressionism was a mystery until I saw an exhibition in San Angelo, very well curated by Robert Summers. He pulled what I knew about Impressionism, Cubism, Dada and other modern forms that I had studied in college forward and suddenly I seemed to get what I had previously rejected as something a 9-year-old could do.   And it was seriously fun. I felt like I had really learned something and expanded my horizon in art appreciation. A little bit of work and study after that and I bought my first piece of Abstract Expressionism, which remains one of my favorites.

TACO is about providing its supporters with the ability to start that educational leap by viewing great art in homes and other special settings. Another great place to do that, of course, is the upcoming CASETA Annual Symposium, where there will be a number of presentations on Early Texas Art styles of expression that you may not yet appreciate. Join me in preparing for this by selecting something specific to learn about. I myself have chosen Impressionist landscapes, which I frankly do not much like. To get started, I'll pull out Michael Grauer's "Texas Impressionism" catalogue and read the excellent essay with a more open mind.  Who knows, this time next year, I may own a Lucian Abrams!