Artist:
James Welling
(American, b. 1951)
Glass House
Medium: Archival inkjet print on rag paper
Date: 2010
Dimensions:
15 3/8 × 23 1/2 in. (39.1 × 59.7 cm)
Accession number: 2016.3.4
Copyright: © James Welling
Label Copy:
In 2010, Los Angeles-based artist James Welling began taking a series of color photographs inspired by the painter Andrew Wyeth. Welling started the Wyeth series as an examination of the artist’s influence on his own career. This project represents one artist entering the creative mind of another artist. Welling was fascinated and challenged by what he saw in Wyeth’s work.
In order to experience the physicality of Wyeth’s world, Welling went on location in Pennsylvania and Maine and photographed in the same areas where Wyeth painted throughout his life. His goal was not to make a literal record of these subjects, but rather to reference aspects of Wyeth’s style, technique and palette. Welling’s investigations led him to a greater understanding of the degree of painterly license found in many of Andrew Wyeth’s works. In response, Welling digitally manipulated elements of many of his photographs in the studio in order to capture the moods and atmosphere of Wyeth’s paintings.
"Glass House" is an icy composition of whites and grays captured in the cupola of a home in Chadds Ford owned by the Sipala family. Friends of Andrew Wyeth, the Sipalas welcomed photographer Welling into their home, which was the setting for several paintings by Andrew Wyeth. Welling chose a view from the cupola atop the house, which was also the setting for Wyeth’s painting "Renfield" (1999, private collection). Welling worked quickly to make the image because the frost-covered windows began to melt from the heat he generated working in the small space.
In 2010, Los Angeles-based artist James Welling began taking a series of color photographs inspired by the painter Andrew Wyeth. Welling started the Wyeth series as an examination of the artist’s influence on his own career. This project represents one artist entering the creative mind of another artist. Welling was fascinated and challenged by what he saw in Wyeth’s work.
In order to experience the physicality of Wyeth’s world, Welling went on location in Pennsylvania and Maine and photographed in the same areas where Wyeth painted throughout his life. His goal was not to make a literal record of these subjects, but rather to reference aspects of Wyeth’s style, technique and palette. Welling’s investigations led him to a greater understanding of the degree of painterly license found in many of Andrew Wyeth’s works. In response, Welling digitally manipulated elements of many of his photographs in the studio in order to capture the moods and atmosphere of Wyeth’s paintings.
"Glass House" is an icy composition of whites and grays captured in the cupola of a home in Chadds Ford owned by the Sipala family. Friends of Andrew Wyeth, the Sipalas welcomed photographer Welling into their home, which was the setting for several paintings by Andrew Wyeth. Welling chose a view from the cupola atop the house, which was also the setting for Wyeth’s painting "Renfield" (1999, private collection). Welling worked quickly to make the image because the frost-covered windows began to melt from the heat he generated working in the small space.