Carl Blair

While many art viewers in Columbia are familiar with Carl Blair’s energy filled abstract landscapes, they probably aren’t as familiar with his equally animated sculptures. But this isn’t a new direction for Blair. It’s just the first time that his sculpture has been shown in Columbia.

The sculptures are a surprise in that the subject matter is so radically different than his paintings and prints.  Instead of the landscape, one that is noticeably empty of figures, these pieces are distinctly figurative. Blair has focused on real and fantastic animals, from roosters to dragons.

The figures are carved polychrome wood, each standing about 1 ½’ to 2’ tall. His manipulation of the wood is similar to his painterly mark – quick, deft, active and gestural. So they become animated not only by their poses, but also by the physical mark made in the carving process.

One of the most marked differences in the paintings and sculptures is the degree to which Blair has allowed his humor free rein in the 3D pieces. “Billy Goat Gruff”, as in the children’s story, stands foursquare, legs planted firmly. He is bug-eyed, almost to the point of being cartoonish, but it works.

Billy Goat Gruff, 2007 Polychrome wood 18 x 15 ½ x 11 ½ inches

One of the reasons it works is that piece reflects Blair’s deep understanding of animals. He grew up on a farm, spending as much time with the animals as people. Another reason is that he has managed to make the animal emotionally expressive, but without going over the top. The goat’s eyes portray fear, but it still stands its ground. Blair creates a human connection that is not simple anthropomorphism.

He is showing a large body of new paintings in addition to the sculptures. Blair may have retired from teaching, but he certainly hasn’t retired from making art.

The paintings range in size from around 8”x8” to 24”x30”. Some are gouache on paper, but most are acrylic on canvas. While many play off the inherent grid of the cultivated landscape, some of the most interesting explore the textured patterns of more wild spaces.  The more obviously structured and ordered forms of cultivation give way to a much more complex space.

Blair’s fascination with the natural world is balanced by his equally strong interest in mark and color. This is true of both bodies of work.

Viewers can see both in “Carl Blair’s Flora and Fauna” at if ART Gallery on Lincoln Street in Columbia through May 9th.