Elton Bennett (1910-1974) of Hoquiam, Washington
Offered is a reproduction offset lithograph print of The Sea Birds Cry ( #1 version). Razor Clam digging is a passionate pursuit for those of us living on the Washington coast. We are fortunate to have the ability to harvest many wild and wonderful foods from our beaches and forests. Razor clams are simply the most delectable shellfish in the world! They live in the sand and have the startling ability to travel quickly downwards when you are digging for them. This often ends with a mighty struggle, sometimes ending with the slippery escape of the wily razor clam, sometimes ending with victory for the clam digger. The print is mounted with archival framing tape into acid free archival hand cut double mats which measure 12" X 16" and presented in an archival clear protective sleeve. This is a standard ready made frame size. The image size of the print is 8" X 11" My father was the artist who truly captured the Pacific Northwest. His silkscreen work can be described as 'expressionistic realism'. He was born into a working class family in a town that sits on the very edge of the west coast of the continental United States. It is an area with unsurpassed natural beauty, home of the Olympic National Park. Elton Bennett
(1910-1974) attended the Portland Art Museum School of Fine Art immediately
following World War II. His first attempt at studying art had been derailed by
the onset of the Great Depression, and there were long, hard years of manual
labor before a glimmer of the dream could be rekindled. But those years
provided the context for his silkscreen work- scenes of the working riverfront,
the bustle of the commerce of the wharves, and his unflagging dedication to
providing artwork to people of every economic class. His tenure at The Portland Art Museum School opened new vistas and, most importantly, introduced him to the Silkscreen /Serigraph printing process. Finally he had found the way to create unique and constantly evolving artwork while maintaining his absolute belief in providing affordable artwork. Hi silkscreen art portrays his beloved Pacific Northwest. His signature style of expressionistic realism speaks to those who relish the fog and mists of our beaches, the glory days of the 4 mast lumber schooners, and the tranquility of the forests. Elton Bennett shunned the
elitism of the establishment art world, deliberately placing his art in
locations where people would never expect to find exquisite art; hardware
stores, tackle shops, paint stores, stationery shops. Even occasionally at the
local sandwich lunch counter. |