Skirting the Hills
Object NamePainting
Artist / Maker
Gary Bowling
((American, b. 1948))
Date1994
OriginUSA
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions30 x 42 in. (76.2 x 106.7 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LinePurchased with funds from Helen and Robert Roe. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object numberU95.65
Status
On viewCultureAmerican
Label Text“Skirting the Hills” by Gary Bowling was commissioned in 1993 for the exhibition “Land of the Fragile Giants, Landscapes, Environments, and Peoples of the Loess Hills.” Commissioning for this exhibition was the single largest commissioning of visual, literary and performing arts in the history of Iowa. Select works of art were on touring exhibition in the Capitol, Washington, D.C. and in the U.S. Embassies in Asia and Africa.
The Loess Hills of western Iowa are a unique landform and environment. They are formed entirely of windblown deposits of loose soil. Centuries of wind, erosion, and human use created the landscape seen today. Loess soil is common and is found throughout the world. Large hill formations of loess soil, however, occur in only a few places, nestled abreast some of the world’s grandest rivers, such as the Rhine, Yellow, and Missouri. The dramatic ridges, valleys, and peaks of the landscape are visually spectacular. Punctuated by natural and man-made environment, the Loess Hills offer an intriguing juxtaposition of nature and humanity.
MarkingsSigned in purple paint in the lower left corner signed, “Gary Bowling".
PeriodAmerican Impressionism
Published ReferencesLand of the Fragile Giants, Edited by Cornelia F. Mutel and Mary Swander, University of Iowa Press, 1994.
Locations
- (not entered) Iowa State University, Beardshear Hall, President's Office
