On Nov. 12, the Wright Museum of Art will be hosting a reception for an exhibition titled “Everyday Heaven.” The South Gallery will display a collection of two artists: photographer Charles Van Schaick and oil painter Rafael Francisco Salas. The uniting theme between these two artists is a fascination with rural Wisconsin. Their work often captures a gothic and morbid tone. This gallery is a unique display of the fragile, ghostly beauty of the more obscure parts of the American midwest. Christa Story, academic curator at the Wright Museum and instructor in the field of art history, provided valuable information on this exhibition upon request.
Schaick’s work was featured prominently in the 1973 work “Wisconsin Death Trip” by Michael Lesy. The end of Schaick’s active period predates Lesy’s book by about three decades, as Schaick served as the town photographer of Black River Falls, Wisconsin from 1885 to 1940. Black River Falls is a city in Jackson County that was selected as the subject of Lesy’s book because of the challenging lives of locals during the late nineteenth century. Schaick’s work ranges from scenes of the mundane to post-mortem photography.
Salas is a Wisconsin-based oil painter who focuses on rural subjects. Salas’ paintings are solid examples of surrealism, as there are clear influences from historical realities, but fantastical and bizarre imagery is a prominent focus. Salas’ work, while very diverse, tends to focus on a single figure or small group of people. Carnival-like settings are common in this specific selection of his, with some paintings being completely devoted to depicting the rural American fair. Squares of a single pure color are also a common feature, creating an almost pixelated effect. A portion of the gallery is abstract paintings that are entirely composed of square grids with varied earthy tones.
“Everyday Heaven” has been exhibited in other galleries. The Portrait Society Gallery Of Contemporary hosted a collection of Salas and Schaick early last year, including different pieces from Beloit’s exhibition. This particular combination of painter and photographer seems to consistently provide an interesting gallery experience. Thursday’s reception hopefully will be a warm welcome to Wright’s latest display.
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