The Demuth Museum hosts Eva Stina Bender’s 'Swedish Sojourns'

Written by Mallory Hane Thursday, 15 April 2010 21:33

Lancaster, PA – The Demuth Museum’s exhibition features the watercolors of Eva Stina Bender.   For the first time in many years, Bender spent last winter in her native Sweden . The impetus for the trip was family, but the body of work that emerged while she was there is unique.   Bender, who works primarily in watercolor that has its underpinnings in pencil drawings, took the stark light and raw winter landscape and created very fresh and contemporary works.   Using smaller format paper, which was given to her by a friend, these winter landscapes are minimalist and form a new contemporary aspect to her work. On view through 1 May.

For those familiar with Bender’s lush representations of the flora and fauna of the Mt. Gretna area, these never-before-exhibited works will provide an insightful contrast to those works, and help to unlock the artist’s methodology.  

The second portion of the exhibit will focus on Bender’s summer travels to Sweden.   This portion of the exhibit will contrast to the winter scenes in that sparse scenes are infused with green blades of grass, bright spots of colorful wild flowers and unexpected details such as a branch full of leaves, a red mushroom or a few ripples in the water, allowing the viewer to sense the vastness of the sea, the calm of a meadow, a quiet front porch, or the coolness of a rock.     

Bender studied painting but found herself working in the field of journalism because she thought it was "safer." After studying as an exchange student in the US, Bender married and continued to live here.   She is self-taught in watercolor and employs the traditional techniques; yet the artist allows herself freedom to explore the medium in new ways.   As a teacher, she affords her students this freedom as well.   Bender believes letting the watercolor bloom or leaving the work in what others would consider an “unfinished” state is an important experience for her as an artist as well as a teacher.

The Demuth Museum, established in 1981, is dedicated to developing awareness, understanding and appreciation of the artwork and legacy of Charles Demuth (1883-1935). As a leader of the American Modernist movement, Demuth is best known as a pioneer of the precisionist style and a master watercolorist. Located in the artist’s former home and studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Demuth Museum has a permanent collection of over 30 Demuth works, along with an extensive archive and library. The Demuth Tobacco Shop, the oldest operating shop of its kind in America, and other historic buildings surround the museum; all are open to the public. All exhibits are supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts. The Demuth Museum is also supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Demuth Museum , 120 E. King Street, Lancaster, PA   17602
www.demuth.org