Charles Ragland Bunnell
Encyclopedia
Charles Ragland Bunnell was an American painter
, printmaker, and mural
ist. He moved to Colorado Springs in 1915 and was thereafter associated with that city. As a WPA
artist from 1934 to 1941 he executed many commissioned murals in a sturdy, somewhat abstracted figurative style. He was also noted for his colorful Western landscapes
. Later he become particularly known for bold abstracts in a cubist-influenced idiom, tending eventually toward abstract expressionism
, the style in which he worked from about the 1950s until his death. Marika Herskovic's American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s : an Illustrated Survey (New York School Press, 2003), provides an accounting of this period in Bunnell's stylistic evolution. His work is in the collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
, the Taylor Museum in the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Denver's Kirkland Museum
, and others.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, printmaker, and mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
ist. He moved to Colorado Springs in 1915 and was thereafter associated with that city. As a WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
artist from 1934 to 1941 he executed many commissioned murals in a sturdy, somewhat abstracted figurative style. He was also noted for his colorful Western landscapes
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
. Later he become particularly known for bold abstracts in a cubist-influenced idiom, tending eventually toward abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
, the style in which he worked from about the 1950s until his death. Marika Herskovic's American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s : an Illustrated Survey (New York School Press, 2003), provides an accounting of this period in Bunnell's stylistic evolution. His work is in the collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, known for its neoclassical architecture and extensive collection of Asian art....
, the Taylor Museum in the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Denver's Kirkland Museum
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is an art museum in Denver, Colorado. The museum houses three principal collections and includes the historic school and studio of artist Vance Kirkland...
, and others.
External links
- Askart.com pages on Bunnell, with several color images.
- Artnet.com information on Bunnell.