In 1990, I was commissioned to paint "Four Seasons" for Tower Place, a retail mall in Cincinnati, OH. As happens from time to time, Tower Place changed its function, the murals were no longer needed and returned to me.
Each of the four paintings on canvas is 9 x 27 feet, designed to fill the enormous atrium space they were commissioned for. They were painted in oil and acrylic on canvas, with gold, silver, and copper leaf, and glitter. Depicting flowers and plants emblematic of the four seasons, they represent: Tulips, Geraniums, Chrysanthemums and Evergreens.
“Spring” was packed off to MUMOK Vienna this year, and, just recently, “Fall” and “Winter” have arrived at my alma mater, the University of California, San Diego, where they have been installed in the Great Hall.
Unboxing them is to appreciate the details.
These paintings were a very clear transition in my studio development. After many years of painting with acrylic paint on unstretched cotton fabric, I began to switch over to oil on canvas in 1988. After several years of experimentation with smaller compositions, there were a few larger paintings, and then “Four Seasons” occurred. They represent a unique turn in my work toward an acceptance of the conventions of painting on canvas, as well as a rich exploration into the expressive possibilities of oil paint. Nearly all of my subsequent work is the result of the discoveries that occurred working on these pieces.
Watching the installation of "Fall" and "Winter" is to appreciate the choreography of precision that an artwork measuring 9’ x 27’ requires. These are the largest works on canvas I have done and I am quite sure I will not work at this scale again. When seen directly, there is a very strong sensation created by the sheer panoramic scale of the painting in relation to the viewer. I executed these paintings in a series of steps: small proposal sketches on paper, a scale model 24” x 72” for each of the four compositions, from which I scaled up to the full size. Once blown up, I painted the flowers free hand with a good deal of change and improvisation. It was important to me that I executed all the paintings personally.
Robert Kushner, “Fall,” 1991, 9’ x 27’, oil, acrylic, copper leaf, 22 karat gold leaf. Installed at UC San Diego’s Great Hall, 2021.
When thinking about iconic flowers for Fall, the chrysanthemum leaps to mind. Mum plants, winter hardy and almost indestructible, wait, and wait, and wait. Finally when their flashier cousins are petered out, the mums come into their own in October and November. What a show they provide. I have always loved spider mums with their long sinuous petals. One huge spider mum became the central image for Fall and the opportunity to let my brush cut loose on a grand scale.
Robert Kushner, “Winter,” 1991, 9’ x 27’, oil, acrylic, copper leaf, 22 karat gold leaf. Installed at UC San Diego’s Great Hall, 2021.
Winter is a very tough time for a flower painter. But there is something comforting about evergreens. They are polite. They don't show off. They survive. A branch of pine and another of spruce became the representatives of Winter, holding a quiet, serene space all their own.
The donation was made in recognition of Pauline Oliveros, a former Professor at UC San Diego. Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) was a noted composer, performer, writer, educator and a powerful mentor to me. She was Professor of Music at UCSD from 1967-1981, and served as a force of nature for many students and colleagues. I met her my very first week of college and we remained friends and sometimes collaborators until her death. The most indelible course I took from her was entitled: Independent Studies in Cultural Traditions. In reality it was a weekly deep dive into Indian Cooking, Tarot card reading, a little Kabbalah and meditation. In many ways Pauline taught me and so many others how to be creative, honest, responsible human beings in this world of change.
A special thanks to Mathieu Gregoire and Russell King for allowing me to use their photos of the UCSD installation.
