Today I thought I would talk about one of my favorite oil paintings in the entire OJAC collection! I just love the mood and vibe of this modern work. This painting is titled “Highway 60” and was created by artist Sarah Williams. But before we explore this work, let’s talk about its creator.
Sarah Williams was raised in the rural midwest in Brookfield, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at William Woods University in Missouri and then completed her master of fine arts in drawing in painting at the University of North Texas. She now serves as a professor of painting at Missouri State University.
Williams believes art should originate from personal experiences. Her work focuses on her childhood and roots in rural American settings. She states, “I have become conscious that I am compelled to paint what I know best- which is the environment from which I come. My perception of a specific sense of place guides me while these local settings offer abundant material.”
She thinks her art isn’t just for people from small towns though. She said, “Even though my connection to the small town farm culture that shaped me as I grew up played a major role in how I approach these works, I believe they can speak to people from a variety of places and experiences. Each viewer brings their own vantage point to the works. It could be that they are from similar environments and feel comforted by the imagery, or maybe it reminds them of cross-country road trips. For some these desolate nightscapes may represent somewhere they hope to never find themselves alone. Whatever the case may be, it prompts viewers to draw upon the character and identity of their regional home when approaching these works.” Williams also enjoys bringing paintings of small towns to a contemporary art scene in urban settings. It allows people to examine where they come from, and take pride in their home region.
Okay now that we’ve got some context, let’s take a close look at the painting “Highway 60.” Even though it is a night scene I absolutely love the level of detail visible in this work. The shining, neon focus of the painting stands in such contrast to the enormous black night that envelopes it on all sides. And those pops of light and color seem to draw your focus like a moth to a flame.
Even though I myself am from the city, I can relate to a sense of rural landscape as I spent the summers in rural Iowa with my grandparents growing up. This painting seems to transport me to those summers- driving around at night. One of my personal favorite details of this painting is the snowflake light. This is such a visual staple in most small towns throughout the south and mid-west…regardless of their size or population they always seem to go all out for the holidays- and you never find a lamp post left barren.
I think this quote from Robert Jessup defines Williams’ work perfectly, "Williams' landscape paintings present a uniquely focused view of the world. Her pictures do not depict picturesque views; rather they create scenes cinematic in their mood, setting, and sense of impending drama. Her paintings often depict lonely places, the air thick with isolation and dread, like an image by Hopper crossed with a scene from a Coen brothers' movie. In her night paintings, the ramshackle buildings and storage sheds, battered signs and water towers, glow with an ominously mysterious life under the nighttime illumination. What isn't seen is as important as what is and points to the real subject of these paintings: the heavy presence of the impenetrable night.”
Kirsten Hahn
Family & Public Programs Coordinator