Bill Rutherfoord: Allegory of No Region Opening August 10 at Piedmont Arts

An exhibit of large-scale allegorical paintings by Bill Rutherfoord, one of  Southwest Virginia’s most respected artists, will be on display August 11 – October 13, 2018 at Piedmont Arts.

Bill Rutherfoord: Allegory of No Region presents the culmination of eight years of concentrated labor producing a massive painting and sculptural project. Eleven large-scale, colorful, and densely populated paintings invite the viewer into a complex interweaving of narrative, symbol, and form. Inspiration is drawn from artistic and literary figures as divergent as Jean Cocteau, Jasper Johns, and Joel Chandler Harris while historical references extend from Jamestown to Fort Sumter to the BP Gulf oil disaster. The reclaimed character Brer Rabbit leads the viewer on an epic journey across three centuries of heroism and trickery, both comic and tragic, ultimately creating historical and contemporary allegories and conundrums that lead to an investigation of the very nature of identity, culture and history – personal and public, regional and national, high and low.

At the heart of the exhibition is an investigation of the splintering of long held beliefs regarding country and culture, particularly the fragmentation of the art world once centered in New York and built around the influential New York School. Rutherfoord's exploration of the often carefully manufactured and seemingly unrelated histories of Southern culture and modern art leads to what the artist describes as a "blowing up of the myth of regionalism" while contradicting "the model that separated artists into groupings of backward-glancing fiddling rustics and forward thinkers for whom a New York address conferred legitimacy." For Rutherfoord the "ravages of unfettered capitalism on the country and culture have led to an increasing disconnect between the art market and the places and ways in which art is actually made." Specifically in the work, Rutherfoord questions the "official histories" of art, nation, and region. His paintings highlight issues such as the environment and human exploitation to studies of personal identity while also depicting wide ranging, even international notions of regionalism, cultural reclamation, and artistic integrity.

The scion of a storied Virginia family, Rutherfoord was born in New York City in 1950. He spent his earliest years in Mt. Kisco, New York, before his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. This was followed by a series of relocations as his father, an Episcopal clergyman (and former professional illustrator) presided over numerous parishes across the Southern United States. Rutherfoord earned a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rutherfoord first exhibited in New York in 1984 and over the years has been included in gallery and traveling exhibitions alongside artists such as Rodney Allan Greenblat, Keiko Bonk, Raymond Pettibon, William Eggleston, and William Christenberry. His work is represented in numerous public and private collections throughout the country including the Taubman Museum of Art. Rutherfoord lives in Roanoke with his wife, the painter Beth Shively.

Bill Rutherfoord: Allegory of No Region has been organized by the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.

Works by Chris Frazier will be on display in the Lynwood Artists Gallery. Frazier uses recycled and reclaimed materials to create functional works of art. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a Master’s degree in education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Frazier teaches art at Rich Acres Elementary School. 

In honor of these exhibits, Piedmont Arts will host a Members-Only Reception on Friday, August 10, 2018 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the museum. Piedmont Arts members, prospective members, artists and guests are invited to attend. This reception is sponsored by Martinsville Eyecare, Nancy and Henry Moore, Chris and Jim O’Brien, Esther and Buz Schilbe, Barbara and Guy Stanley and Lynwood Artists. Please RSVP attendance to 276.632.3221 or online at PiedmontArts.org.