Tom Buechner

Tom Buechner to Speak at Rockwell Museum of Western Art

January 20, 2003

Artist Tom Buechner will give an informal Gallery Talk on "A Painter's Perspective" at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art in Corning. The event will take place on Thursday, February 6, at 6:00 pm. "A Painter's Perspective" is the name of a current exhibit at the museum, and the "perspective" is Buechner's own. He will share his thoughts about paintings as a creative act captured on canvas, and he will explain what he sees in these particular paintings that he selected for this exhibit from the Museum's permanent collection.

The lecture is open to the public. Members of the Rockwell Museum of Western Art are invited to attend without charge; a fee of $3.00 will be charged for not-yet-members. Reservations are required, since seating in the gallery is limited. For reservations, call 607-974-2807. Those who reserve a space will receive a discount at the Cantina, the southwestern restaurant that adjoins the Museum.

Tom Buechner is an active artist whose paintings are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Brooklyn Museum, and many other public and private collections in the USA and abroad. Buechner is a Trustee of the Rockwell Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass, and a former Director of the Rockwell Museum, Corning Museum of Glass and the Brooklyn Museum. He also formerly served as President of Steuben.

Those who attend Buechner's lecture can look forward to hearing him expand on two major themes that he introduced recently at a members-only preview of the show. The first, says Buechner, is the notion that "unlike many other artistic endeavors, a painting is the complete record of the artist's creative act. There is no actor, musician, dancer, or other intermediary who interprets or in any way changes the painter's product." And yet, Buechner points out, the labels in most museums talk about the art in a way that has no particular relevance to the original work of art. They describe the subject, the life of the artist, the social or historical context - everything but the paint and the canvas and the uniqueness of the painting itself. The labels he wrote for this show are different: they talk about the original works of art.

His second theme is that painting is a commercial endeavor. "Every painter represented in this show - from 1840 to 1942 - was in the business of painting," he says. Some, like Albert Bierstadt, were showmen who displayed their paintings in a traveling road show, charging visitors admission for a glimpse of the exotic lands, peoples, flora, and fauna of the West.

Others, like Frederick Remington, created illustrations that were intended to be translated into prints and bound into the pages of books. However the paintings were to be used, the artists made them as a means of earning a living.

In addition to discussing these broad themes, Buechner will talk about how he looks at the paintings in "A Painter's Perspective" - how the brushwork, color, form, line, perspective, and other unique factors of the painting itself influence what viewers see.

Says Rockwell Museum Director Kristin Swain, "This is a chance to get inside the mind of a fine painter and look out at the world through his eyes. Tom has a special gift of being able to help other people see what he sees. After standing in front of a painting with Tom, I always come away with a fresh understanding of what I'm looking at. We're grateful that he's willing to provide his special blend of insight and inspiration to our visitors here at the Rockwell Museum."

"A Painter's Perspective" includes paintings by Alfred Jacob Miller, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Albert Bierstadt, Henry Farny, and John James Audubon. The show will be on exhibit through March 31. Admission to the Museum is free of charge through that date, as a special gift to the greater Corning community and its visitors.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art owns the largest and finest collection of western art on the East coast, and is actively expanding its collection to include exciting work by Native American and other contemporary Western artists. Through its exhibitions and programs, the museum seeks to engage visitors in a stimulating experience that inspires fresh thought and fires the imagination. Housed in an historic 1893 City Hall Building, the Rockwell Museum was founded in 1976 through the generosity of Robert and Hertha Rockwell, Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated), the City of Corning, and many generous patrons. The museum underwent a complete renovation and reinvention in 2000-2001.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is open seven days a week. Visitors are welcome Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Further information about the Rockwell Museum of Western Art is available by contacting the museum at 607-937-5386.