Our 3rd artist in the countdown…
Pushing a naturalistic color palette to its vivid range, Amana artist, Gordon Kellenberger, portrays the Iowa landscape at its pastoral liveliest. With the satisfaction of a native Iowan, Gordon remarked to me that all that he had to do was “walk out his front door” to enjoy the qualities of the landscape that are lovingly rendered in his pastel work.
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Gordon was my middle school art teacher. When I was 12 and listening to hard edged rock music and drawing super heroes, I never quite “got” the glowing pastel landscapes that Mr. K worked on during class. Thankfully, I happened to see his work again recently for the first time in years, and it all clicked into place. Having spent years in the same area that Gordon has, I can finally understand the feelings he puts into his art. This past year, thanks in part to the devestating flood in Cedar Rapids, I’ve developed a strong feeling of attachment to the area and the rolling hills and feilds that make it up; I really feel like this same sentiment shows through in Gordon’s work, as he lovingly recreates some of the beautiful rural scenes that anyone driving through Iowa is bound to see first hand, in a style and pallete that is striking and cheerful while creating a comfortable, warm, calming atmosphere.
Gordon’s worked has developed consistently and gracefully since he has been able to work on it on a full-time basis. That discipline coupled with his love of landscape and his artistic heroes (among them Grant Wood and Wendel Mohr) foster the work that we’ve exhibited here at the gallery.
It shouldn’t be surprising that Gordon’s devotion to the landscape has also manifested itself in an on-going commitment to the community of the Amanas. He works tirelessly for his hometown through the Amana Art Guild.