"I don't want petty self-expression. I want the elemental, infinite thing; I want to paint the rhythm of eternity."

I had never heard of Rockwell Kent before our trip to Asgaard so I decided to look a little deeper into his story and artwork. He was known for being a talented painter, printer maker and illustrator. He was heavily influenced by the works of Thoreau and Emerson and found inspiration in the stark beauty of the wilderness. Over the course of his life he traveled extensively and called Minnesota, Newfoundland, Alaska, Vermont, Tierra del Fuego and Greenland home for extended periods of time.  While in Alaska he published Wilderness (1920), a travel memoir comprised of his letters home as well as illustrations. Kent was also approached by a publisher in 1926 and ended up illustrating a limited edition of Moby Dick (1930). The edition sold out almost immediately and many cite the success of this specific illustrated edition as a huge factor in the recognition of this work as a classic today. He also illustrated editions of Leaves of Grass, Candide, Faust, Canterbury Tales and Beowulf. His black and white prints and illustrations were popular and powerful and matched the tone he austere tone he often hoped to capture. A contrast between nature and civilization was often central to his work.

 "...in the 1930s, he reached his greatest popularity. In 1936, the magazine Prints conducted an extensive and elaborate survey on the practitioners of graphic art in the United States. Kent came out far ahead of all others as the most widely known and successful printmaker in the country." 

But his consistent support of radical causes lead to a decline in his popularity during the 40s and 50s. Kent became very popular in Soviet Russia and almost half of a million Russian attended an exhibit of his work. In 1967 he was awarded the Lenin peace prize, which was mainly awarded to prominent Communists and supporters of the Soviet Union who were not Soviet citizens. Unfortunately at this point much of his work was denounced due to political reasons despite its quality. It is crazy to think that just this afternoon I was standing in his studio in the Adirondacks and that I could hold the same tools he used to craft his work. After witnessing the stunning views from the property it is no surprise he drew upon it so heavily. I am very curious to explore how other artists and intellectuals were inspired by the park and thankfully will have a formal opportunity to do so with my presentation on the Philosophers' Camp. 

Here is a relatively thorough Bio of Kent from SUNY Plattsburgh: http://clubs.plattsburgh.edu/museum/rk_bio.htm

One of Kent's Illustrations from Moby Dick (1930)