Open Skies - New Works by Bly and Rowan Pope

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Open Skies New Works by Bly and Rowan Pope

Opens Friday, December 9th 5-8pm On view December 9, 2022 through January 28, 2023

Open Skies – New Works by Bly and Rowan Pope features hyper-realistic drawings of majestic landscapes and cloudscapes in an effort to connect the viewer to natural spaces often overlooked.

Our hyper-realistic landscape drawings are done in charcoal or pencil, and depict "places of memory" throughout the United States in which we have grown, learned, and changed. The works in this exhibit embody our belief that the mundane is miraculous, the ordinary is extraordinary, and the commonplace is singular and sublime. The landscapes are empty of human presence, and are meant to celebrate the majesty and grandeur of a country filled with the natural beauty we often overlook in our routine, insulated daily lives. Our wish is to show that the open outdoor places of the world, in their stillness and quiet peace, are an important part of who we are. These places deserve our veneration and awe, our heartfelt introspection, and our humble gratitude. Honoring these places is a way for us to cultivate hope and optimism, and a way for us to move toward greater health, happiness and personal meaning. – Bly and Rowan Pope, 2022

About the Artists

Bly Pope is an artist with a profound dedication and experience with hyperrealism and the classic fine art traditions. He graduated from Stanford University and received his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Minnesota.

His work has been shown in many national and international exhibitions. His drawing, “Maryanna,” was selected to be a part of the National Portrait Competition Exhibition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2013-2014. Public collections include The Cafesjian Museum of Fine Art, Armenia and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN.

Rowan Pope is an artist whose work explores the human condition by telling visual narratives. Many of his drawings and paintings are inspired by great stories from literature, particularly the surreal work of Franz Kafka. Rowan also draws and paints landscapes, which are meant to celebrate the vast beauty and quiet peace of nature, and humanity’s humble place within it. Rowan has worked extensively with genocide and Holocaust survivors, and some of his art derives from the devastating real-life stories told by those survivors. While his drawn landscapes derive from single photographs, he also works in an imaginative style of hyperrealism called “composite hyper-realism,” in which he integrates photographs into digital collages and transforms those collages into meticulous drawings.

Rowan graduated from Stanford University and received his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Minnesota. In 2013 he created an illustrated book based on the stories of Holocaust survivor Joe Grosnacht, for which he received a Major Arts Grant from Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Council. He recently received a Faculty Development Grant to travel to Prague, Czech Republic, to create drawings about the life of Franz Kafka.

His artwork has been shown in many national and international exhibitions Public collections include The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN, and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

Rowan

Bly Pope Southwest Clouds, 2022 graphite on paper Drawing: 13.5 x 9.75 inches Frame: 17.5 x 15.25 inches $2,600

Bly Pope Wisconsin Corn Field, 2021 graphite on paper Drawing: 9.25 x 12.5 inches Frame: 13.5 x 17.5 inches SOLD

Rowan Pope

Badlands, 2022 charcoal on paper Drawing: 19.25 x 24.25 inches Frame: 26 x 30.5 inches SOLD

Bly Pope Wisconsin Farm Field, 2021 graphite on paper Drawing: 12.75 x 9.75 inches Frame: 20.5 x 17.5 inches SOLD

Bly

Pope Bryce Canyon, 2022 charcoal on paper Drawing: 24 x 18 inches Frame: 30.25 x 24.25 inches $3,000