“Fine Lines: A Family of Artists,” the newest show at the Chilmark Public Library through August 8, is a family affair. Eight artists span two branches and three generations with ties to the Vineyard.
Co-curator A .F. Cook, born on the Island, discusses the exhibition’s origins: “I wanted to do a family show for a long time to bring everybody together. Luckily, everybody was up for it.”
“Fine Lines” includes her grandfathers, two aunts, an uncle, a cousin, and a brother. Although each is unique, images of the natural world abound.
Peter G. Cooks’ rural images of Maine open the show, including the large oil painting “Cundy’s Harbor,” with simple houses hugging the coast. Visible brushstrokes of strong color simplify the landscape into an idyllic scene that today recalls earlier times.
As a junior at Princeton, Peter met John Fulton Folinsbee from the New Hope School in Pennsylvania, and they worked on WPA projects together in the 1930s. He was a farmer, hockey coach, clarinetist, boater, and fisherman, becoming a full-time painter in about 1954.
In addition to her portraits, decorative still lives, and conceptual work, A.F. Cook paints scenes of the Vineyard, including a classic location in Oak Bluffs. Empty traffic lanes lead our eye to the visually fascinating intersection, with Circuit Avenue going off to the right and the Flying Horses dead straight ahead. Devoid of human activity, our eyes delight in the architecture’s brilliant, sharp colors in the springtime light, giving “Oak Bluffs Intersection” a timeless feeling.
Anne Scott McGhee is a well-known summer fixture in Menemsha, depicting its boats and building configurations. She paints en plein air without the aid of photography. “I enjoy painting on site, the excitement of it as an artist’s reaction to what’s there.” She explains, “I fall in love with things,” in how she chooses her subject matter. Anne has painted multiple versions of the iconic 1929 “Little Lady,” represented here in a handsome close-up. The loosely painted flat background recedes instead of creating the illusion of depth, allowing the colors and shapes of the fishing vessel to take center stage.
Henry E. Scott Jr. connected to Martha’s Vineyard after being stationed at the Island’s air base as a night flier during WWII. He became director of the Fine Arts Department at the University of Kansas City, a role made possible by his friendship with the American artist Thomas Hart Benton, who was also part of his social network on the Vineyard. In addition to Island scenes, his watercolor “Corfu Village, Greece” evokes the country’s unique tones and light.
Hank Scott (Henry Scott III) was a man of many talents. He was an expert sailor, musician, set designer, writer, and occasional actor with a scene in “Jaws.” However, painting was an essential part of his life and was his primary focus since his youth. In the 1930s and 40s, Hank was part of a group of gifted painters, including Thomas Hart Benton, Fred James, and the cartoonist Denys Wortman, who all painted on the Vineyard. Executed on board with a rough wooden frame, his “Scallopers, Chilmark Pond” has the appealing immediacy of folk art.
Marie Fischer Scott’s parents bought a house here during World War II. Born and raised on the Vineyard, she maintained a garden and farmstand at Beetlebung Farm for many years and first began showing her paintings there.
Marie’s colors immediately convey the very feel of the cool autumn air and special light in her lovely Island scene, “Marsh Hawk,” of an open field spotted with trees in the middle ground and far distance and a graceful hawk just off to the left.
Liz McGhee, who co-curated the show with A.F., uses printmaking as a basis for her multimedia works on paper, inspired by natural rhythms, textures, and processes. “Art is in my history,” she says. “I have always been surrounded by artists; it’s just everywhere. My mom would give me art supplies for birthdays and Christmas. So, you sort of get shuttled down this road. It’s just one of the parts of me, but one I can’t ignore.”
Liz’s monoprints reference recognizable images from nature, but hover in abstraction. In “Ruminants,” the goats float calmly unattached to the land on which they graze, creating a magical dreamscape.
“Fine Lines” closes not with nature but with striking woodcut portraits by Peter “Stan” Cook. A.F. shares, “He’s an extremely talented interior and exterior renovation contractor. His artistry spans many different areas of interest.”
Ultimately, this exhibition shows how artistic “lines” weave in and out of the family while tying the members together across ages, styles, and generations.
“Fine Lines: A Family of Artists” is on view at the Chilmark library through August 8. Closing reception on Wednesday, August 7, from 4 to 5:30 pm. The library is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 10:30 am to 5 pm; Wednesday 10:30 am to 6 pm, and Friday 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. For more information or inquiries, contact Liz McGhee at lizmcghee@gmail.com or 207-780-0381.
