Jon Schueler (September 12, 1916 – August 5, 1992) was an American painter known for his large-scale, abstract compositions which evoke nature.Smith, Roberta. "Jon Schueler, 75, Abstract Artist Whose Paintings Evoked Nature." ''New York Times'', 6 Aug. 1992

/ref> Recognized first as a second-generation

Abstract Expressionist Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...

he lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and in

Mallaig Mallaig (; ) is a seaport, port in Morar, on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. It faces Skye from across the Sound of Sleat. The Mallaig railway station, local railway station is the terminus of the West Highlan ...

, Scotland, inspired by the dramatic skies over the

Sound of Sleat The Sound of Sleat ( ) is a narrow sea channel off the western coast of Scotland. It divides the Sleat peninsula on the south-east side of the Isle of Skye from Morar, Knoydart and Glenelg on the Scottish mainland. The Sound extends in a south ...

.Gilchrist, Jim. "How US artist Jon Schueler fell in love with Mallaig." ''The Scotsman,'' 7 May 2016
Web.
/ref> His work is included in international collections such as the

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art National Galleries Scotland: Modern (the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art) is part of National Galleries Scotland, which is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Modern houses the collection of modern and contemporary art dating from about 1 ...

(Edinburgh),

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

(New York), and the

National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia (NGA), formerly the Australian National Gallery, is the national art museum of Australia as well as one of the largest art museums in Australia, holding more than 166,000 works of art. Located in Canberra in th ...

(Canberra). In 1975

director John I. H. Baur described Schueler's distinctive style: "We see his paintings one minute as clouds and sea and islands, the next as swirling arrangements of pure color and light. And they shift back and forth in our vision from one pole to the other, amassing richness from both." In 2006, at the time of solo exhibitions of his work in Edinburgh and New York, art reviewer Janet McKenzie wrote of "his remarkable commitment and development as a mature painter, abstract, yet inspired by natural phenomena."McKenzie, Janet. "Jon Schueler: A Painter of Our Time." ''Studio International'', 6 Feb. 2006
Web.
/ref> Schueler himself wrote: "When I speak of nature, I’m speaking of the sky, because in many ways the sky became nature to me. And when I think of the sky, I think of the Scottish sky over Mallaig."Galenson, David. "Self-Portrait of an Experimental Painter: Jon Schueler and The Sound of Sleat." ''Huffington Post,'' 4 Jun. 2011

/ref>

Life and career

Jon Schueler was born on September 12, 1916, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a B.A. in Economics (1938) and a M.A. in English Literature (1940)."Artist's Chronology." ''Jon Schueler Estate.'

/ref> He wrote briefly for the ''New Haven Evening Register'' before joining the US Army Air Corps in September 1941."Jon R. Schueler." ''AskART.'
Web.
/ref> As a B-17 navigator stationed in England, he flew missions over France and Germany. Hospitalized and then discharged from the Air Corps in 1944, Schueler moved to Los Angeles. In 1947 he taught English literature at the

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...

and, increasingly interested in painting, enrolled under the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

at the

California School of Fine Arts San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a private college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Approximately ...

(

San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a Private college, private art school, college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mis ...

). From 1948-1951, he studied under such artists as

Clyfford Still Clyfford Still (November 30, 1904 – June 23, 1980) was an American Painting, painter, and one of the leading figures in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists, who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediat ...

Richard Diebenkorn Richard Diebenkorn (April 22, 1922 – March 30, 1993) was an American painter and printmaker. His early work is associated with abstract expressionism and the Bay Area Figurative Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In the late 1960s he began ...

, David Park,

Hassel Smith Hassel Smith (24 April 1915 – 2 January 2007) was an American artist and teacher. He is considered to have been one of the USA's foremost West Coast artists, emerging in the decade after World War II as an innovative, potent, witty and often ...

, Edward Corbett, and met

Mark Rothko Mark Rothko ( ; Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz until 1940; September 25, 1903February 25, 1970) was an American abstract art, abstract painter. He is best known for his color field paintings that depicted irregular and painterly rectangular reg ...

. In 1951 he followed his friend and mentor

to New York City where he was introduced to

Barnett Newman Barnett Newman (January 29, 1905 – July 4, 1970) was an American painter. He has been critically regarded as one of the major figures of abstract expressionism, and one of the foremost color field painters. His paintings explore the sense ...

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter. A major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, Pollock was widely noticed for his "Drip painting, drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household ...

, and

Ad Reinhardt Adolph Friedrich Reinhardt (December 24, 1913 – August 30, 1967) was an American abstract painter and art theorist active in New York City for more than three decades. As a theorist he wrote and lectured extensively on art and was a ...

. Schueler's first solo exhibition was held at the

Stable Gallery The Stable Gallery, originally located on West 58th Street in New York City, was founded in 1953 by Eleanor Ward. The Stable Gallery hosted early solo New York exhibitions for artists including Marisol Escobar, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol. His ...

in 1954. A second solo show at the legendary

Leo Castelli Gallery Leo Castelli ( Krausz; September 4, 1907 – August 21, 1999) was an Italian-American art dealer who originated the contemporary art gallery system. His gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the movements which Castelli sh ...

in 1957 drew favorable reviews in the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' and ''

Life Magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...

''. In September 1957, Schueler discovered the remote fishing village of Mallaig, Scotland. Inspired by the dramatic skies over the

, he completed 45 paintings by March 1958 before traveling to Italy and France. In January 1959 Schueler returned to New York and exhibited at

and at the Stable Gallery in 1961 and 1963."Exhibitions." ''Jon Schueler Estate''
Web.
/ref> During the 1960s he was an instructor at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

's Norfolk Summer School (1960, 1961), a visiting artist at both

Yale University School of Art The Yale School of Art is the art school of Yale University. Founded in 1869 as the first professional fine arts school in the United States, it grants Masters of Fine Arts degrees to students completing a two-year course in graphic design, painti ...

(1960-62) and the Maryland Institute (1963-67), and then Head of Graduate and Undergraduate Painting and Sculpture at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

(1968-69). In 1970 he returned to Mallaig to live and periodically to accompany local fishermen out to sea. This experience brought into focus images of death, associated with the sea and sky, which had haunted him since the war. In 1971 he was interviewed by Films of Scotland for the film ''Jon Schueler: An Artist and His Vision'' (1972). He also developed friendships with poet

Alastair Reid Alastair Reid may refer to: * Alastair Reid (poet) (1926–2014), Scottish poet and scholar of South American literature * Alastair Reid (director) Alastair Reid (21 July 1939 – 17 August 2011) was a Scottish television and film director, ...

, artist Kenneth Dingwall, and art historian Magda Salvesen, who became "his muse and companion". In 1975 Schueler and Salvesen returned to New York for his solo exhibition at the

and joint exhibition with

and

Milton Avery Milton Clark Avery (; March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965Haskell, B. (2003). "Avery, Milton". Grove Art Online.) was an American Modern art, modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City. He wa ...

at the

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Located in the Wade Park District of University Circle, the museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian art, Asian and Art of anc ...

. In 1976 he married Salvesen and remained in New York but continued to return to Mallaig to paint for three months each year. In 1981 Schueler painted in situ for six weeks during his solo exhibition ''The Search'' at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...

’s Talbot Rice Art Centre. Solo exhibitions of his work were also held in Edinburgh, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago and, in New York, at the Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery in 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1991. On August 5, 1992, Schueler died in New York City. Since his death, Schueler's work continues to be exhibited in public and private galleries in Scotland, Australia, and America. Schueler's memoir, edited by Magda Salvesen and Diane Cousineau, was published as ''The Sound of Sleat: A Painter’s Life'' by Picador USA in 1999. The monograph ''Jon Schueler: To the North'' with essays by Gerald Nordland and Richard Ingleby, was published by Merrell in 2002. SchuelerEstate-I think of the Open Sea

Style development

Schueler's early painting, exhibited at his 1954

solo show, evoked nature's atmospheric and rhythmic force. By the time of Schueler's 1957

exhibition, however "glimmers of fantasy sea and sky, storm and fog, sun and land," set his work apart from mainstream Abstract Expressionism.Schueler, Jon. ''The Sound of Sleat: A Painter’s Life.'' 1999, p. 63. Print. Like other artists searching "for the uniqueness of their souls on the canvas," Schueler traveled to Europe where he discovered his imagined landscapes in Mallaig, Scotland. Back in New York in 1959, his memories of Mallaig took on mystical significance as "dimly recognizable forms of real landscapes with glimpses of the horizon and receding distances." Writer B. H. Friedman recalled that his work, now painted with brushes rather than palette knives, "contained a luminosity and a glow of radiant light not found previously." In 1970 Schueler wrote that his painting "must be a search and a requiem" and his work began to reflect a "less tempestuous awareness of natural elements." Art reviewer Janet McKenzie noted the influence of

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbu ...

and a "more poetic and elemental meaning" in his work as his wartime memories receded. In 1975

director John I. H. Baur praised Schueler's work: "They strike a more precarious balance between observation and abstract form than do most paintings that try to wed the two...." Schueler himself commented in 1984: "The abstract is real and the real is abstract." The palette in his later work varied from subtle and pale tones to vibrant, almost aggressive red, yellow, and black, which took on the fluidity or restlessness of ambient light. By the late 1980s, his paintings were rendered with increasingly loose brushstrokes, which at times recalled his early work. SchuelerEstate-GreyRain Over Silver Black

SchuelerEstate-GreyRain Over Silver Black

Legacy

In 1999, Schueler's widow and curator of the Jon Schueler Estate, Magda Salvesen, oversaw the publication of his memoirs, ''The Sound of Sleat: A Painter's Life'' (Picador USA). Compiled by Salvesen and Diane Cousineau from his diaries and correspondence, the book was described in ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 ...

'' as: "It may be the best thing ever written about the workings of a painter's mind and eye.""Reviews." ''Jon Schueler Estate.'
Web.
/ref> That year the DVD ''Jon Schueler: A Life in Painting'', with excerpts from the 1972 Films of Scotland production, was also released. In 2012 Sabhal Mòr Ostaig,

University of the Highlands and Islands The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) () is an integrated, tertiary institution encompassing both further and higher education. It is composed of 10 colleges and research institutions spread around Inverness, the Highlands and Isl ...

established the Jon Schueler Visual Artist in Residence Scholarship. Each year the college hosts an artist for three months selected from some 1,400 international applications. In May 2016 Sabhal Mòr Ostaig presented the Jon Schueler Centenary Symposium ''An Linne: The Sound of Sleat: Echoes, Reflections, and Transfigurations'' and accompanying exhibition."Jon Schueler Centenary Symposium and Exhibition." ''Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the Highlands and Islands.'
Web.
/ref> Organized by Schueler scholar Lindsay Blair, the three-day symposium also featured speakers art historians Mary Ann Caw, and Duncan Macmillan, who curated Schueler's 1981 Talbot Rice Art Centre exhibition, as well as gallerist

Richard Demarco Richard Demarco CBE (born 9 July 1930 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish artist and promoter of the visual and performing arts. Early life He was born at 9 Grosvenor Street in Edinburgh on 9 July 1930 the son of Carmino Demarco and his wife Elizabe ...

, artist Kenneth Dingwall, and fisherman-artist Will Maclean.

Collections

His work is in many public collections including the

(Edinburgh), Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow),

Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1884 in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with a sculpture court added in 1905. In 1900, it received the art ...

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and gallery on Castle Wynd in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland. There is no entry charge. The collection and facilities are managed by High Life Highland on behalf of Highland Council. Foreru ...

, City Art Centre (Edinburgh), The

McManus Galleries The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum is a Gothic Revival-style building, located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. The building houses a museum and art gallery with a collection of fine and decorative art as well as a natural history co ...

Art Gallery and Museum (Dundee), Mallaig Heritage Centre, Paisley Museum and Art Galleries, and at the

(Canberra). In the United States his work is in the

(New York),

Addison Gallery of American Art Addison may refer to: Places Canada * Addison, Ontario, a community United States * Addison, Alabama, a town * Addison, Illinois, a village * Addison, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Addison, Maine, a town * Addison, Michigan, a vil ...

(Andover MA),

Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of modern art, ...

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum and nonprofit organization located in San Francisco, California. SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art ...

Berkeley Art Museum The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA, formerly abbreviated as BAM/PFA) are a combined art museum, repertory movie theater, and film archive associated with the University of California, Berkeley. Lawrence Rinder was Director ...

Crocker Art Museum The Crocker Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Western United States, located in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1885, the museum holds one of the premier collections of Californian art. The collection includes American works dating f ...

(Sacramento CA),

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...

Minneapolis Institute of Arts The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is an arts museum located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Home to more than 90,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United Stat ...

, Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis MN),

Harwood Museum of Art The Harwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, NM, Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 by the Harwood Foundation, it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Ta ...

(Taos NM),

National Academy Museum and School The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

(New York), and

Ringling Museum of Art The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State Uni ...

(Sarasota FL). His work is also included in the art collections of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

and

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals; ) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by a royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airth ...

in Scotland, and in

(New Haven CT),

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

(Schenectady NY),

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

(Laramie WY),

Neuberger Museum of Art The Neuberger Museum of Art (the NEU) is located at the centre of the Purchase College campus in Purchase, New York. With a collection of nearly 7,000 works of modern, contemporary and African art, it is one of the nation's largest academic mus ...

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

(Purchase NY), and

Colby College Museum of Art The Colby College Museum of Art is an art museum on the campus of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1959 and now comprising five wings, nearly 8,000 works and more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Colby College Museu ...

(Waterville ME) in the United States."Collections." ''Jon Schueler Estate.'
Web.
/ref>

References

External links