#memory paintings

Untitled by ReyA’

first posted in facebook december 13, 2020

helen lafrance -- "sunday supper" (1997)

"mom used to hold my hand and help me to draw things" ... helen lafrance

"helen lafrance, a self-taught artist whose vibrant and intimate 'memory paintings' of scenes from her childhood in rural kentucky brought her renown late in life, died on nov. 22 at a nursing home in mayfield, ky. she was 101" ... penelope green

This post comes to you from Victoria Fagan, Curatorial Intern

Peter Waite (B. 1950) is an American scene painter currently residing in Connecticut and is known for capturing aging infrastructures in the Northeast. The Massachusetts native received his M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1975. Two years later, he displayed his work in the New Britain Museum of American Art for the first time. Waite’s first exhibition included his series of square paintings, Memory Paintings. All of these paintings were inspired by Waite’s memory rather than a still life or photograph. He currently uses snapshots to guide him in creating his more recent works, but he still refers to his memory. By using a muted color palette, Waite leaves room for the viewers to focus on the structure itself and allows our memories to go to work.

In an interview with the Hartford Courant, Waite stated “everything is memory. You are a collection of your memories“ [1].This is confirmed through the titles of his works. Bridge (2006) is one of Waite’s most notable works, currently located in the Contemporary Gallery on the second floor of the NBMAA as part of the Museum’s permanent collection. His titles allow the viewer to see scenes not as specific places, but rather as places that we have all been. He creates an intersection of personal and social memory.

Although not specified in the title, Waite is referencing the Charles J. Arrigoni Bridge that crosses the Connecticut River, connecting Middletown and Portland, Connecticut. Constructed between 1936-1938, the two 600 feet steel arches make this bridge the largest in the state.

Bridge, Waite’s ten panel painting, displays the Arrigoni Bridge from underneath. Although many people have driven over this bridge, this is a view that very few have noticed. This change in perspective leaves the viewer in wonder. The geometric and mathematical execution of the bridge is disrupted by the unexpected slashes of neon paint. Waite refers to these markings as “zips.” The zips, along with where the panels come together and where the nails affix them to the wall, animate the surface of his work.

There are moments in the painting where the zips help the structure. The bright, neon marks follow the direction of the beams causing the viewer’s eyes to be directed to them. These zips are found in all directions in the work allowing the viewer’s attention and focus to constantly be shifting. The main focus of the work is on the right side of the painting, where the emphasis is located and where the viewer would be standing if they were to be looking at the Arrigoni Bridge in person. The bridge itself moves the viewer’s eyes towards the bottom left portion of the painting where the focus becomes dismal. The size and angle of the bridge create an interaction between the place and the viewer.

Notice how this painting does not include any figures, which enforces the viewer’s participation in the scene. By taking out distractions, such as people and cars, Waite is able to place emphasis on the historic monument itself. This process allows Waite to transform a chaotic scene into a much more arranged one.  

Although Waite’s paintings are powerful, they are also quite simple. Waite uses thin layers of paint that appear to be watered down, allowing the surface to build up through the many values of color.  There is an undercoat of fluorescent colors which Waite refers to as 21st century primary colors. Waite describes the painting process as phenomenal, stating, “you have pigment and you take a brush—an extension of your arm—and create images. You create an illusion. This to me is alchemic” [2].

Waite’s vision for art comes from his childhood. During long family trips through Ohio, Waite would look out the car window. To him, the window acted as a frame to a landscape. Waite said he “saw this boulder isolated in a field. There was just this flat landscape, and then this huge rock with nothing else around it. I was only seven or eight, and I didn’t have any idea of the way glaciers worked or anything like that, but I remember thinking to myself that I was going to remember that for the rest of my life” [1]. This vision helped Waite become one of the most widely-respected American scene painters in the state of Connecticut. Today, Waite’s 109 large-scaled paintings are spread throughout the country, including right here in New Britain, Connecticut. Allow your memory to go to work by coming to the NBMAA to see Bridge, currently located on the second floor in the Contemporary Gallery.

[1] Eagan, Matt. "A Matter of Perspective." Hartford Courant 25 Jan. 2007: 14-15. Print.

[2] Rosen, Steven. "Architectural Allure." Architectural Allure.  13 May 2015. Web. 01 July 2015.