Cummer Museum of Art shows Joseph Jeffers Dodge

Wednesday, 03 October 2007 02:38

Jacksonville, FL - The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens presents Joseph Jeffers Dodge: A Passion for Art on October 9. The exhibition, on view through February 2008, features several original works drawn from the museum’s own collection of Dodge’s work. The exhibition will feature some of Dodge’s early photographic creations along with works that celebrate his wide-ranging interests and talents.

“The Cummer is excited about the exhibition because it will be an exploration of his artwork,” said Museum Associate Curator Holly Keris. “He was an important man in the cultural circle of Jacksonville that produced a fantastic body of work that has been shown in numerous places outside of Jacksonville.”

This exhibition will provide insights about Dodge’s development as a painter and the passion that inspired him- jazz (particularly the music of Duke Ellington and his orchestra), the female figure, still life, landscape and travel. The Cummer has selected certain paintings for the exhibition that will best exemplify Dodge’s preferred subjects. The most prominent artwork in the exhibition comes from the jazz, the female figure, and the still life subjects.

The artist hoped that a viewer’s response to the jazz paintings would be the same as a listener’s response to the aural stimulation of the music. Double Self-Portrait shows Dodge’s immersion into the jazz scene combined with Surrealism and magic realism. It’s been said that Dodge paints this way because he demonstrates an altered reality in his jazz paintings. Dodge is well known for his images that celebrated the woman’s figure. Appropriately titled, The Artist and Muse, Dodge claimed that his female model, Jeanne Klempf, was the ideal beauty. Not only was Jeanne his model but she was also a friend that he shared his triumphs and tribulations with as years passed. Dodge’s earlier still lifes, Dancing Pairs I and II, show his brilliant use of negative space. This became a distinctive characteristic that Dodge would use in his later still life pieces. The blue background and the glowing color of the pear show that the artist pays great attention to colors, and the white paper surrounding the objects moves and points in such a way to give the impression that the pears are dancing.

Dodge was an important figure in the history of art and culture in Jacksonville. As Director of The Cummer from 1962 to 1972, he made significant acquisitions for the museum’s collection, instituted a vibrant exhibition program and established the institution as an educational resource. “It’s important to note that Dodge influenced a path that made The Cummer what it is today,” said Keris. This special exhibition focuses on his achievements as a painter and celebrates the impact he made on the museum.

Members’ Opening Celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. Members are admitted free and non-members and guests are $25. The celebration will include art demonstrations with live music and performances by the American Jazz Trio. Special programs and events for visitors throughout the exhibition include Art Adventures on Saturdays, Especially for Seniors Talks & Tea, Lecture and Discussion given by University of North Florida’s Dr. Debra Murphy, Family Day, and Figurative Drawing Workshop with Jim Draper.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is located at 829 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville, Florida, just minutes from I-95. The Museum and its award-winning education center, Art Connections occupy adjacent buildings overlooking the three acres of The Cummer Gardens. The entire museum campus is situated on the banks of the St. Johns River.

Visit The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens at : www.cummer.org/ The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville