Iowa Star
Taking back country roads from the Omaha airport to my hometown this past week, I was charmed by the presence of large geometric abstract paintings peppering the landscape. Brightly announcing their respective farms among the rolling hills of corn and soybeans, these big blocks of hard edge color are not easy to miss. Several can be found in town as well, hung on garages. My mom tells me it is a recent project of local 4-H clubs, and that it is part of a greater movement of painted barn quilt squares across the Midwest. Apparently, the early painters of this style were a couple hundred years ahead of Mondrian, Malevich and Taeuber-Arp!
Double Aster
Card Trick
Pinwheel Star
Mounds of Robert Smithsonesque gravel in the foreground.
Double Wedding Ring
another Double Wedding Ring
Ohio Star or Scrap Star
Spinning Color Wheel or Twisted Star
This painting hangs on the hog barn of my godparents' farm on Highway 44 west of Harlan a few miles. Their son and his family now live there and work the farm. The quilt square was painted by Megan Fahn. The pigs sure had a lot to say while I was documenting!
Carpenter's Wheel
Whirling Star
Crossed Canoes
A painting that didn't survive the winter leans against a shed, warped, yet still striking.
Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteAll the squares create a quilt. I like the metaphor the paintings represent to me. With all the farmers and ranchers involved it creates the fabric of the community.
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