James Mesple--MUSE Catalog by James Mesple

MUSE AN E XHIBI TI ON OF COLLAG ES BY JAMES M C NEI LL M ESPLÉ P R I N T WO R K S G A L L E RY S E P T E M B E R 5 – O C TO B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 4

MUSE

hese new collages are painted with watersoluble media, including watercolor, gouache, ink, casein, and acrylic on acid-free museum board. I have created 33 works in this series over the last year. I hope this brief introduction to the Nine Muses will increase your enjoyment and understanding of the exhibition.

Everyone knows of the Muses and their ability to inspire, but few know their names and attributes. At the turn of the century (1999– 2000) I decided to dedicate to the Nine Muses an octagonshaped room behind my studio. This is an environment to house the art I have acquired or more often have traded with other artists. Our word museum, of course, comes from, the temple of the Muses, where offerings were left in thanks to the Muses for their inspiration. When we collect, we create our own museum. Artist friends who visit my small collection always ask the same question, Where is the Muse for the visual arts? Actually, this role is filled by others: both Hermes and Hephaestus (Mercury and Vulcan) are the gods of “arts and techne,” and, of course, Aphrodite (Venus) is the

goddess of love and beauty. The other arts are the purview of the Nine Muses. Clio is the Muse of History (her symbol is the scroll). Calliopé is the Muse of Epic Song and Poetry (wax tablet and stylus). Euterpé is the Muse of Music (double flute). Terpsichoré is the Muse of Dance (large lyre, often dancing). Urania is the Muse of Astronomy (celestial globe). Polyhymnia is the Muse of Sacred Song (usually veiled). Thalia is the Muse of Comedy (comic mask). Melpomené is the Muse of Tragedy (tragic mask). Erato is the Muse of Erotic Poetry (small lyre). The parents of the Nine Muses are Zeus and Mnemosyné. Mnemosyné’s name lives today when we talk about a mnemonic device. She is not only the mother of the Muses, but is also a goddess herself – the Goddess of Memory. The butterflies that appear in several pieces recall my first solo exhibition at Printworks, “Psyche’s Mirror.” The butterfly is an ancient symbol of the Psyche. The many symbols that have come down to us from antiquity never really die. Perhaps, as Carl Jung suggested, they are indeed archetypes of our own reality. J.M. MESPLÉ Chicago 2014

Front cover: Mnemosyné Mother of the Nine Muses and goddess of memory. All works are multi-media collages on paper and created 2013–14. Vertical works are 9½ × 7½ in.; horizontal works are 7½ × in. 9½.

C L IO Muse of history

C A L L IOP Ã&#x2030; Muse of epic song and poetry

E U T E RP É Muse of music

T E RP S IC HORÉ Muse of dance

U R A N IA Muse of astronomy

P OLY HYMN IA Muse of sacred song

T HA L IA Muse of comedy

ME L P OME N Ã&#x2030; Muse of tragedy

E R ATO Muse of erotic poetry

J A M E S M C N EI L L M ES P L É

AMES MESPLÉ attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, and studied painting for two years with Fred Shane. Through, Shane he met Thomas Hart Benton, who introduced him to the “mixed technique,” a painting technique that combines egg tempera and oil paint. In 1968, at the age of 19, Mesplé moved to Chicago. After graduating with honors from Northeastern Illinois University in December 1970, he began teaching art at Chicago’s Francis W. Parker School. While teaching at Parker, he returned to his study of painting under Karl Wirsum at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also became a part-time instructor in the SAIC Studios Program. In 1987, Mesplé received critical acclaim for his sets for Chicago!, a ballet commissioned by Maria Tallchief’s Chicago City Ballet to celebrate the 150th birthday of the city of Chicago. The world premier was September 25, 1987 in the Chicago Theatre on State Street. Over the years, Mesplé has taught egg tempera workshops at Midway Studios, University of Chicago; North Central College; the BASIC Program (advanced studies for art teachers) at SAIC; and to Ed Paschke’s graduate students at Northwestern University. Since 1981, he has worked full-time on his paintings, which have been showcased in numerous exhibitions both locally and nationally. His work is in many public and private collections. His art has been included in exhibitions at the following museums and art centers: The Illinois State Museum, Springfield; the Block Museum of Northwestern University; the Shingoethe Museum of Native American Art, Aurora. IL.; Koehnline Museum, Des Plaines, IL.; Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL.; Madden Arts Center, Decatur, IL.; Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; Illinois State Museum galleries in Chicago, Lockport, and Rend Lake; San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA.; Chicago Cultural Center; Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; Brauer Museum, Valparaiso, IN.; Fine Arts Center, Bowling Green State University, OH; Luther Seminary, Minneapolis, MN; MOBIA Museum of Biblical Art, New York City; Queens Museum, New York City. In 2000, he created an illustration for Stephen Schwartz’s new songbook, The Hardest Part of Love. In 2009, he was commissioned by Elise Paschen to create a painting for the cover of her new book of poems, Bestiary, (Red Hen Press), which reflects her Osage heritage.

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