Jamie Wyeth
could well be considered the third leg of a secular trinity of sorts. He is one
of America’s foremost practitioners of realistic painting. He is responsible
for a formidable body of work that rivals the living and the ages. He has well
mastered his chosen; perhaps genetic and culturally…even God-given medium; painting.
Jamie Wyeth is an artist of the highest order. He is also the grandson of N.C.
Wyeth and son of Andrew together forming, and continuing their great family’s
tradition, devotion, commitment to and love of art.
Jamie labors
painstakingly; hours, days and nights on works that result in things of
interest, passion and a richness of beauty of craft. In this world;
increasingly unappreciative of the works of the human hand, mind and spirit he
reminds us of a vanishing, richer age. He continues to produce works that are challenging
while true to life and it’s very essence.
Wyeth’s
life-long fascination with the visual arts and imagery was first informed by
visits to his father’s studio, books, objects and an unquenchable curiosity of
the natural world. While his unceasing interest and exploring of everything
possible, he grew. As a child he asked to be able to leave school (like his
father who never actually attend formal school) early on and be educated by his
aunt Carolyn Wyeth.
Jamie Wyeth
would eventually evolve with his natural abilities into something akin to his
grandfather; an illustrator. He has to date done three children’s picture
books: “Cabbages and Kings,” “Sammy and the Sky,” and his mother; Betsy’s story
“The Stray.” In the age of Post Modernism, Abstraction, Minimalism and Dada the
Wyeth’s have never been lauded by the overall contemporary “Art Scene.” Again;
negativity from the art world elites who consider illustration unworthy of
great talent or merit. Wyeth has met disdain with the following quote:
"We're charged, my father and I,
with being a pack of illustrators. I've always taken it as a supreme compliment.
What's wrong with illustration? There's this thing now that illustrations are
sort of secondary to art and I think it's a bunch of crap."
Jamie Wyeth
The Wyeth’s
have survived and thrived in spite of some, somewhat expected snobbery and derision.
It is the price of popularity. Jamie was chosen to be a member of the “Eye
Witness to Space” group created by the National Gallery in Washington; DC and
NASA. The goal was to represent the activities of the space program for the
present and posterity. Some of the other participants were Norman Rockwell,
Robert Rauschenberg and Morris Graves.
Wyeth has
been a much sought out artist of chose for other venues as well. “Harper’s”
hired Jamie as court artist for the Water Gate Hearings and later trials. The
Kennedy Family commissioned an unofficial posthumous portrait of JFK. It was
brilliantly executed from the inspiration of photos and video depicting a young Kennedy perhaps at
the time of the Bay of Pigs. The expression was something of introspection and
possible indecision. The family for the most part was not pleased but over time
public acceptance won out. It is considered one of the best depictions of the
former president known.
Recently
Jamie has been working on a series of his own provocation, his borderline surreal, often dreamlike
seascapes. These images are coming to him within his actual night’s dreaming.
The waters are choppy, rough and stormy. The wet rocky edges of the seas are
often depicted with figures standing calmly watching the spectacle of it all.
The figures just happen to be those of many whom he has known in life that left
their individual marks on him. His father; Andrew and his grandfather, N.C. are
depicted closest to land’s end and perhaps surprisingly the figure of Andy
Warhol at a further distance;watching, almost hidden in the background trees. They are the
residents of these strange hypnotic worlds. These are the most visionary and symbolic
of any of Jamie’s works, especially when considering those of his earlier years. These works are a definite departure from the
quiet and serenity of the majority of his pieces.
At the end of
the day and much has been said Jamie Wyeth’s works are most solidly “American” in form and character. At once the speaking of his vivid, painterly voice. His paintings are robust, no-nonsense, strong pieces that seem to spring up from the very earth
and sky becoming the incredible things they are. Wyeth knows himself, his history and his work
as well and much better than most. He is yet a rare talent and blessed with an
inherited legacy few can match. We are all the better for the inspiration of
his life and works. We continue and will always admire his gifts and giving.
