Going to see Chester Arnold

My trip to the Museum of art in Reno was a new but great trip for me. It was something that I never experienced before. I liked it a lot .I especially enjoyed the main artist that we went to see. Chester Arnold . Some of his pieces were a little strange to me but I still had a great time looking at his work.


But before I get into all of that lets get into some history on the man himself. Chester Arnold was born in the USA but was raised in post war Germany in Sonoma California. He was also an art student at Marin in Kentfield California. He went to grad school in the great city of San Francisco and he finished school in1987. Then with little or no break at all he instantly went into teaching at his old collage Marin in Kentfield.

He was inspired by artist like Max Beckman, and he got that inspiration at the early age of 16.Now it is said that his work has a lot to do with politics & social responsibilities. He began painting over 3 decades ago. Chester Arnold was quoted as saying “my paintings are a big conversation I’m having with world”. Now if u ask me he is talking to the world because his outlook on things deal a lot with what’s going on in the world right now and in the past.

The title of his art show was On Earth as It Is in Heaven the title alone could pretty much give you some type of idea of what to expect from his art. But the piece that seems to grab me was this piece called “Turning Earth”. It was a piece that depicts an unnamed man straining to dig a hole in the ground with a shovel. His heroic posture bears resemblance to the two figures in the 19th century French artist Gustave Courbet’s famous painting The Stonebreakers. While one could surmise that the subject in Arnold’s painting is simply partaking in on going course related to the up keep of his home landscaping it also allude to the task of digging a grave for human burial, foreshadowing the mortality theme that recurs in Arnold’s later work.

I took to painting because it reminded me of the good old days when men worked hard on there land or at work. It showed the heart of how our people use to be as whole. It showed a certin type of wok ethic. I took to that piece because it brought back old things that my grandparents tried to instill in me work hard and nothing you try to accomplish won’t happen for you. Now it might not happen over night but just keep on digging and you will get there. That is what I took from the whole Chester Arnold art show.

Now in my closing, my trip with my class was awesome. I learned a lot and I am waiting till the time come and we get to do something like that again. It was really helpful to a person who does not no a lot about that type of stuff….you no ART………..