One look at the art of Ashley Bryan and you know this is a man who loves life and the world around him-and relishes sharing these riches with others. His paintings, whether manifestations of nature’s bounty or figures and symbols inspired by Caribbean and African motifs, overflow with color, animation and joy.
A long-time resident of Islesford, Bryan’s work is the subject of a lively exhibition, Singing with Truth, on view at Archipelago Fine Art, the Island Institute’s art gallery at 386 Main Street in Rockland, through September 19. It’s a show not to be missed by old and young alike.
At first glance, the display of roughly 20 paintings looks like the work of two different artists. One group is devoted to lush paintings of trees and flowers, the other to more hard-edged figurative narratives. All benefit from Bryan’s masterful employment of color and composition in images that appeal, entertain and make one stop and think. They seem to fascinate viewers of all ages.
A well-educated, widely-traveled, broad-gauged and generous man of the world, Bryan, 87, was born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, one of six offspring of parents who emigrated from Antigua in the West Indies. Bucking discrimination, he served in World War II, earned degrees at Cooper Union and Columbia University and studied art in France and Germany.
Thereafter, he taught for decades at a number of institutions, culminating at Dartmouth College from which he retired in 1988. On the side, as it were, he created a variety of artworks and, since 1967, has written and/or illustrated some 30 books, ranging from African folk tales and African American spirituals to his own poetry. Many have earned awards. Several feature cutouts assembled into spectacular collages set to proverbs and sayings that provide lessons for young readers.
After painting for years in oils, Bryan now works mostly in acrylic, which adds vitality to his colors. This is immediately evident in a series of sure-handed floral and tree images in the Archipelago exhibition.
One standout is “Dahlias in Rain,” measuring a sizeable 48 x 60 inches. Here, Bryan’s energetic brushwork and astute sense of color and composition combine to create a symphony of oranges, yellows, pinks, purples and blues that stand out against the garden’s greenery.
The artist’s affection for gnarled yet still flowery and productive apple trees is apparent in a group depicting these staples of the Maine landscape. Bryan has a special feel for this subject in all seasons, as exemplified by the star, “Spring White Blossom Apple Tree.” In this 28 x 24 inch acrylic, a riot of white blossoms, enlivened with touches of reds, yellows, and greens, fill the picture frame. It’s enough to make many an impatient Mainer yearn for spring.
“Fall Leafless Russet Apple,” by contrast, features red apples amidst twisting limbs and the suggestion of a field behind. Forcefully painted branches reach to the sky beyond our view, suggesting the size and vitality of the aging tree.
The only oil in the show, “Quiet Gardener,” is an appealingly decorative picture of great richness and depth, showing a handsome woman proudly carrying an armful of bright blooms. A gardener at home with nature, she blends into effulgent, muli-colored flowers and trees that reach the top of the picture.
If Bryan’s flowers and trees invite contemplation and pleasure, his half-dozen figurative works evoke smiles and joy. Likely painted for illustrations in children’s books, these feel-good acrylics, 48 x 36 inches in size, offer happy faces on welcoming figures depicted in a deliberate faux-naïve style. In works like “Sweet Talk” and “Welcome Home” smiling black people with arms open in welcome are surrounded by clusters of gaily colored objects or symbols that draw the viewer in to the picture.
All but a couple of the paintings on view are for sale. Prices range from $3,000 to $11,000, with 40% of the proceeds going to the Island Institute.
When not doing good deeds around the world, Bryan revels in the simple life on Little Cranberry, where he soaks up the ambience of earth, sea and sky. Luckily for us, still going strong at 87, this admirable and talented artist relishes the life around him-and shares his joy with us through his art.
Stephen May, a lifelong summer resident of Union, divides his time between Maine and Washington, D.C. He is an independent historian and writer about art and culture for national and regional magazines and newspapers.