Chuck Olson’s The Land: Spirituality, located in the Amarillo Art Museum, can be seen as a vivid delineation of the mesas and canyons of North Texas.  Olson completed this piece in 2009, when the artist had a solo show at the Amarillo Museum of Art.  Though not always on display, this piece is in the permanent collection of the museum and can be viewed upon appointment.

The painting uses bright acrylics and decorative maps to illuminate the emotive qualities of the regional landscape. The canvas is sectioned into two pieces: a small rectangular left piece and a large rectangular right piece. This cut does not disrupt the picture as a whole, as the two parts are placed close together. When I visited the museum, it was on display in an open area with natural and artificial light.  During the day, it can be fully illuminated by the natural light.

The painting is about 2-3 feet off the ground and is very large, positioned high above one’s head and spans more than ten feet across. It stands alone; there are no paintings within its close vicinity.  The acrylic paint the artist chose is very bright and textural. In some places he has watered it down to allow it to drip and in other places, he has globbed it on to create thick brushstrokes. Continue reading →