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EDGAR EWING (1913-2006) - Artists - Sullivan Goss Art Gallery

Metamorphosis, Shadows in the Meteora, 1964

60 x 70 inches  |  oil on canvas

Edgar Louis Ewing was born in Hartington, Nebraska in 1913. Ewing began his career at the age of 18, as a student of painting and drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago under Boris Ansfels. Right away, Ewing had a deep personal philosophy for his art career. Ewing’s success lead him the Edward L. Ryerson Fellowship for Foreign Travel and Study upon graduation in 1935.

After his studies in Europe, Ewing returned to Chicago to become a member of the faculty of the Art Institute of Chicago and later educator of the Arts at the University of Southern California. The University of Chicago was one of his first teaching stints, though interims were spent at Oregon as well as Michigan Universities. Years later Ewing went on to teach at the University of Southern California, where he remained for numerous years. Throughout his entire career as an educator, he remained a highly productive artist. Ewing became the recipient of a myriad of awards and recognitions for his solo as well as group exhibitions.

Ewing embraced his double career of artist and educator and was equally devoted to each passion.

At the age of 30, WWII erupted and Ewing offered himself as a member of the Corps of Engineers attached to CPIC-RAF. Specifically, he served for the Southeast Asia command in China, Burma, India Theatre, in the Philippines and Japan. While away, Ewing’s work was featured in Group exhibitions affiliated with The Art Institute of Chicago. He returned to the United States after three years and resumed his careers as artist and educator. With 11 years at the University of Southern California, Ewing went on sabbatical to journey throughout Europe. Specifically, England, France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. Ewing developed a particular affinity for Greece and spent lengthy intervals in the country.

In 1964, Ewing went on leave again from University of Southern California and became an artist in residence at the American Academy in Rome. In this time he allowed for inspiration from travels across Europe as well as Asia; in Portugal, Spain, England, Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. In 1967 he receiveed the Jose Drudis Foundation Grant which allowed for his work in Greece. At the same time his work was shown at the prestigious Esther Bear Gallery in Santa Barbara, California. From 1968 through 1969 Ewing was awarded The Andrew Mellon Chair at the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1972 he continued work as Professor at University of Southern and as well as spending summers in his Athens studio. His strong impact in the Los Angeles Art community lead him to win the Los Angeles Library Association Eighth Annual. His continuous travels to Greece allowed for series of work based on his travels (i.e. Greek Wedding Series 1973, which is featured at the prestigious National Gallery in Athens as well as the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery the year later).

Videos

5:23 | Narrated by Jeremy Tessmer | Released for EDGAR EWING: The Later Works, 2009

3:46  |  Narrated by Jeremy Tessmer  |  Released for L.A. in S.B. II, 2018

2:15 | Narrated by Jeremy Tessmer | Released for L.A. in S.B., 2017

3:33 | Narrated by Jeremy Tessmer | Released for CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF ART, 2014

4:02  |  Narrated by Jeremy Tessmer  |  Released for L.A.'s RISEN, 2011

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ANALYSIS OF THE ARTIST'S WORK

Irving Stone, a close friend recalls how Ewing’s’ work has gone through a gradual transformation and maturity through each passing year. Ewing notes What is painted today is conditioned by experience today but tomorrow is another story. From an early age Edgar Ewing had wanted to be a painter, nothing more. To that account, he only views the world through his painter’s eyes. Ewing’s prolific career has been on the basis of three ideals: 1. Paint what you see, 2. Paint what you know about what you think you have seen; and 3. Paint a metaphor of what you think you know about what you have seen. He believes that these three ideas convey with nature and the reality of the experience as well as his experience with canvas and paint. When a piece is completed by Ewing, he admits the piece needs no further explanation from the painter instead the piece can go on to live its’ own life over a period of time. Frederick W. Sleight, executive Director at the Palm Springs Desert Museum in 1976 recalls how Ewing had an intensive look into the reality of things and deep reflection on the essence of his subjects. Edgar Ewing is noted for his more than 30 series of paintings on subjects such as Bryce Canyon, Las Vegas and, most extensively, Greece. Much like the shards of ancient pottery that show only pieces of the mythological story, in the Greek series of paintings Ewing pieced together fragments of color and shapes to create his own story of Greece. He used a highly classical subject matter to create distinctly modern compositions, fusing past and present. Ewing admitted to being influenced by the style and color of modern French painting and yet applied his unique vision to every canvas and sculpture.

There is no direct classification of Ewing’s work, though most subsequently it is identified with post cubist tendencies. Ewing admits, No one has taught us more about the subject of structure, while keeping intact the unity of content, than the Cubists.

 

AWARDS & AFFILIATIONS

1967  Jose Drudis Foundation Grant-$1500

1964  First Award for Sculpture, Laguna Beach Museum, CA

1962  Ahmanson Purchase Award, City of Los Angeles Exhibition-$1500

1957  Samuel Goldwyn Award, Los Angeles Artists and Vicinity, LACMA, CA

1957  First Purchase Prize for Oil, Sierra Madre Art Association-$400

1957  Second Prize for Oil, San Jose Centennial Exhibition

1956  First Purchase Award for Oil Painting, the California State Fair, Sacramento, CA-$600

1955  Calif. Artists Purchase Prize, Long Beach Museum, 35th National Exhibition the Calif. Watercolor Society

1953  Second Prize for Oil Painting, National Orange Show

1953  First Purchase Prize, Eighth Annual Newport Harbor Exhibition

1952  First Purchase Prize, Los Angeles Artists and Vicinity, LACMA, CA-$1000

1952  Ada Kilpatrick Purchase Prize, California Watercolor Society, De Young Museum, San Francisco-$150

1951  First Award for Oil Painting, Chaffey Community Art Association-$250

1950  First Prize for Oil Painting, 25th Arizona State Fair Exhibition, Phoenix, AZ-$350

1949  Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant-$1,000

1948  Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant, New York City, for oil painting-$1000

1948  Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant, New York, NY-$1,000

1947  Pepsi Cola Regional Award, New York, NY

1943  Berthe Aberle Floresheim Memorial Prize

1935  Edward L. Ryerson Fellowship for Foreign Travel-$2,500

 

COLLECTIONS

Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
Los Angels County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Santa Barbara, Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA
Sheldon Memorial Art Library, Lincoln, NE
University of Southern California, Fisher Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
University of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Bear, Esther. Edgar Ewing Catalog. Esther Bear Gallery. Santa Barbara, California.
2. Ewing, Edgar. The Roman Series. Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Ambassador Hotel. Los Angeles, California. March 20 – April 17, 1964.
3. Gilmore, Jack G. Ewing Catalog. Ruthermore Galleries. San Francisco, California. October 1 – 31.
4. Karlstrom, Paul J. Archives of American Art Journal, 1997 (Volume 37 Numbers 3 and 4) P. 48. Smithsonian Institution,Washington, DC.
5. Langs, Jules. Ewing and Johnston. Art News. February 1952.
6. Ross, Kenneth & Ewing, Edgar. Wedding Series: Edgar Ewing. Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Park Catalog. January 30 - March 3 1974.
7. Stone, Irving & Ewing, Edgar. Wedding Series: Edgar Ewing. National Gallery, Athens, Greece. January 1973.
8. Topping, Norman. Sixth Annual Academic Honors Convocation catalog. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, California. March 10, 1987.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2006  Sullivan Goss-An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

1993  Fisher Gallery University of Southern Calif.

1978  University Gallery, Univ. of Southern California

1976  Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA

1974  Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1973  National Gallery, Athens, Greece

1971  Esther Bear Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

1969  Hewlett Gallery, Carnegie-Mellon, Pittsburg, PA

1967  Esther Bear Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

1965  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1963  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1961  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1960  Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA

1958  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1956  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1956  Hewlett Gallery, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburg, PA

1955  Carniege Institute of Technology, Pittsburg, PA

1955  Ruthermore Galleries, San Francisco, CA

1955  M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA

1955  Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA

1954  Dalzell Hatfield Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

1953  College of the Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

1952  Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA

1952  Pasadena Art Institute, Pasadena, CA

1950  University of Redlans, Redlands, CA

1949  College of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

1949  Palos Verdes Gallery, Palos Verdes, CA

1948  M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco

1948  Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

1947  Pepsi Cola Galleyr, New York, NY

1946  University of Southern Calif, Los Angeles, CA

1946  Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

1946  Syracuse University Gallery, Syracuse, NY

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