Lew Wilson, Lady Lake, Florida
Member Since June 2009
Artist Statement 2021 Lew Wilson: An American Artist on Rivers. (A Holiday Season Gift unto an Heirloom as Rivers Speak Peace and Love!)
"Rivers have a message for good earth, for we all live down stream!"
Two Rivers-Two Lands: An American Passage is a series of
hand-painted black and white photographs and contemporary
plein-aire watercolors by Lew Wilson.
The straight black and
white and color photographs shown on this site are offered as
an opportunity in Lew's hope that generous patronage of his
artworks in these high-quality open edition prints will be the
first step in realizing his life-long dream to establish a physical gallery, where through a more direct "traditional" and "personable" manner, Lew will be able to foster the public-mind towards our sustainable majestic environs.
The series is based on Lew's journeys across the rivers of
America and the understanding of their place in our national
identity. Lew is also making contact through this venue of
broader public communication to solicit considerations in
offering formal exhibition programs on a national level to
fine art centers, museums and featured press media. Two
Rivers-Two Lands is a testimonial in fine art photography
and painting that tell the story of American rivers he has
chosen, especially those of the Great American Migration.
He has journeyed across the United States, from the Hudson
to the Mississippi to the Pacific coast in this epic quest. Wilson's
art career started in the early 1970's when he was a fine arts major in
college. Lew was inspired to pursue this adventure during a
road trip from Florida to the Big Bend National Park south of
Alpine, Texas. Lew served in the United States Coast Guard
during the Vietnam War era. Surviving a near-fatal accident
in the Colorado Rockies shortly after the 9/11 attacks strengthened
his Christian faith as well as his belief in the power of art to
connect Americans to the wonders of nature. Lew believes that
passionate public appreciation also fosters an unending guardian-
ship of our nation's ecological legacy, the cornerstone of our
American identity and heritage. Lew is inspired by the art and example
of the early plein-aire Hudson River Artists who gave birth to our
nation's first major art movement, among them Asher Brown
Durand and Thomas Cole.
Lew's artworks are owned by numerous national and international
museums, as well as by corporate and private collections. They
include The Denver Art Museum; The Blanton Museum of Art at
the University of Texas, Austin; The Norton Museum of Art in
West Palm Beach, Florida; The Museum of Modern Art Bozano-
Simonsen for the First World "Eco-Art" Summit Exhibition, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil; The Tampa Museum of Art, Florida; The
Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne (during early 2017); and
The John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River,
Utah.
Lew's epic journey to document the story of our American rivers
is told, especially, through his masterful amalgamation of hand-
painted black and white photographs. As a committed environ-
mentalist, he understands that the greatest challenge for conservation
is to integrate positively the presence and collaboration of human
residence, industry, and commerce in the natural world. A profound
experience to anyone visiting the Lower Colorado River of
Arizona and California is the river's interaction with agriculture,
nature and civilization. Ironically, the Colorado River, one of our
nation's most endangered major waterways, has shaped landscapes
which are synonymous with America and the spirit that made this
nation great. Its fragility parallels that of other waterways and eco-
systems, including the Everglades in Lew's native Florida. This
eco-system was the first one Lew approached as a professional
artist and an advocate for the preservation of our rivers and
natural heritage.
In Gratitude, Lew
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