Murray Hill View North

Artist / Maker John Preston ((American, b. 1953))

Date1993

OriginUSA

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions27 x 28 in. (68.6 x 71.1 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of the family and friends and in memory of Ruth Smith. In the permanent collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University.

Object numberum94.9

Status

Not on view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextThe Loess Hills of western Iowa are the largest natural loess land formations in the world, and much of it remains in a virgin state. The loess hills rose from the flood plain in the last Ice Age as glaciers ground rocks into dust that became wind-blown and thus formed the hills. The hills are fragile and easily eroded through natural and human impacts. From the paintings high vantage point presented, the viewer looks towards a distant Sioux City and the Missouri River tributaries which have been channelized. Remnants of the once grand and wide-meandering giant river are now reduced, and only the isolated ox-bow bends remain visible. “Murry Hill View North” by John Preston 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.

MarkingsNo signature

Published ReferencesLand of the Fragile Giants, University of Iowa Press, 1994

Locations