A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

A Life in Art:

ROBERT ROGAN August 5 - 27, 2016

P resen ted by: W i l l i am Reaves | Sarah Fol tz Fi ne A r t

William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art • 2143 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77098 Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm • 713.521.7500

A LIFE IN ART: ROBERT ROGAN Robert Rogan is an American Midcentury Modernist. Aside from his own brilliant output, Rogan forged an impressive academic career, teaching throughout the Mid-West and Texas. His greatest contributions coming once he arrived at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1922, Rogan received his Bachelor of Art degree in 1948 from Washburn University. He then went on to earn his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa in 1950. In 1950 he started his academic career at Fort Dodge Junior College in Iowa as an instructor. He moved to become an Instructor at the University of Nebraska in Omaha from 1951 to 1954. In 1954 Rogan assumed a professorship at Central Missouri State University, working there until 1959. He returned to Kansas in 1959 to become an Instructor at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where he taught there until 1961. In 1964 Rogan earned his Doctorate degree in Education at the University of Kansas.

Rogan served as a professor of fine art at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas for almost thirty years, from 1961 until 1990. For nineteen years, he served as the chairman of the Art Department at Lamar, and was instrumental in shifting the department’s commercial focus to one of fine art. Rogan assisted in the incorporation of figure drawing courses into the curriculum, which was viewed as an achievement in elevating the program’s art education to more classical modes of artistic training. Outside of Lamar University, he worked to promote art education in Southeast Texas, with Beaumont artist Lorene David and several other artists and teachers.

After arriving in Texas in 1961, Rogan was inspired by the natural and industrial landscape of Southeast Texas with its ports, refineries, and rice farms along the Gulf Coast. Throughout his oeuvre, Rogan repeatedly revisited subjects characteristic of the region and his everyday surroundings, working primarily in abstraction with a bright, bold color palette. Over his almost forty-year career as an artist, he experimented with many different styles and media. Beginning as a Regionalist artist, Rogan later moved into abstraction with his own version of Abstract Expressionist painting, blended with “Texas Cubism” which was popular at mid-century. The abstract paintings from his Texas period are recognizable as distinctively “Rogan”. His high caliber and consistent engagement with abstraction, plus the clear influence of Southeast Texas, makes his work a valuable addition to the development of Post-War Modern art in Texas. Rogan retired from his teaching position at Lamar University in 1990, and continues to reside in Beaumont, Texas.

-William Reaves, Sarah Foltz & Mary Margaret Albritton William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art

ROBERT ROGAN (American, b. 1922) Selected Biographical and Career Highlights 1922

Born in Topeka, Kansas

1948

B.A., Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas

1950

M.F.A., University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

1950

Instructor, Fort Dodge Junior College, Fort Dodge, Iowa

1951-1954

Instructor, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska

1954-1959

Professor of Art, Central Missouri State University, Warrenburg, Missouri

1959-1961

Instructor, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

1961-1990

Professor of Art; Head of Art Department, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas

1964

PhD, in Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

1990

Retired from teaching, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas

2016

Currently resides in Beaumont, Texas

Selected Exhibitions 1950

University of Iowa

1954

The Midwest Exhibition: The Third Biennial Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture and Graphic Arts

1959-61

University of Kansas, Various Group Exhibitions

1963

The Second Annual Coastal Art Exhibit

1964-48

The Beaumont Art Museum Annual Exhibition

1965

The Texas Fine Arts Association Citation Exhibition

1966-67

The Texas Fine Arts Association Circuit Exhibition

1968

Museum Directors Prize

1971

The Beaumont Art Museum Annual Exhibition

EXHIBITION CHECKLIST Artist Title Date Medium Size (in.)

PAINTINGS 1 Robert Rogan Untitled Abstract 1950 duco on board 18 x 24 2 Robert Rogan Landscape 1956 oil on canvas 24 x 30 3 Robert Rogan Refinery c. 1960 oil on canvas 44 x 50 4 Robert Rogan Trees 1962 duco on board 24 x 45 5 Robert Rogan Shapes of the City 1962 acrylic on board 18 x 24 6 Robert Rogan Yellow Abstract c. 1962 oil on canvas 20 x 16 7 Robert Rogan Red Abstract c. 1962 oil on canvas 18 x 14 8 Robert Rogan Cathedral c. 1962 acrylic on board 23.5 x 30 9 Robert Rogan Cubist Nude c. 1965 oil on canvas 24 x 30 10 Robert Rogan Garden c. 1965 duco on board 30 x 48 11 Robert Rogan Panhandle Fields c. 1965 oil on canvas 30 x 36 12 Robert Rogan Red Roof 1967 oil on canvas 24 x 38 13 Robert Rogan River Forms 1970 oil on canvas 36 x 40 WATERCOLORS 14 Robert Rogan Untitled #2 (Railroad) 1946 watercolor 15 x 19.5 15 Robert Rogan Untitled #3 (Railroad) c. 1946 watercolor 15.5 x 20.25 16 Robert Rogan Untitled #4 (Railroad) 1947 watercolor 15.5 x 22.5 PRINTS & WORKS ON PAPER 17 Robert Rogan Barn 1946 lithograph 10 x 14 18 Robert Rogan Untitled #8 (Railroad, N. Topeka) 1946 lithograph 9.5 x 12.5 19 Robert Rogan Crow 1947 lithograph 11 x 18 20 Robert Rogan Methodist Church, Topeka 1947 lithograph 12 x 15.25 21 Robert Rogan Untitled #7 (Train Station) 1947 lithograph 12 x 15.25 22 Robert Rogan Untitled #6 (Barn) c. 1947 lithograph 12.5 x 15 23 Robert Rogan North Forty (Rt. 6, Topeka, Kansas) 1948 lithograph 7.75 x 6 24 Robert Rogan 21st St. Market, Topeka, KS 1948 lithograph 10.25 x 13.5 25 Robert Rogan Button Road Home Place 1948 lithograph 4.75 x 6.5 26 Robert Rogan Self-Portrait c. 1955 mixed media 13 x 9 27 Robert Rogan Untitled #5 (Boy on Bike) 1959 woodblock 22.25 x 11.75 28 Robert Rogan Untitled #1 c. 1960 mixed media 18 x 23

A Life in Art:

ROBERT ROGAN

Paintings

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

1. Robert Rogan, Untitled Abstract, 1950, duco on board, 18 x 24 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

2. Robert Rogan, Landscape, 1956, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

3. Robert Rogan, Refinery, c. 1960, oil on canvas, 44 x 50 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

4. Robert Rogan, Trees, 1962, duco on board, 24 x 45 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

5. Robert Rogan, Shapes of the City, 1962, acrylic on board, 18 x 24 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

6. Robert Rogan, Yellow Abstract, c. 1962, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

7. Robert Rogan, Red Abstract, c. 1962, oil on canvas, 18 x 14 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

8. Robert Rogan, Cathedral, c. 1962, acrylic on board, 23.5 x 30 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

9. Robert Rogan, Cubist Nude, c. 1965, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

10. Robert Rogan, Garden, c. 1965, duco on board, 30 x 48 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

11. Robert Rogan, Panhandle Fields, c. 1965, oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

12. Robert Rogan, Red Roof, 1967, oil on canvas, 24 x 38 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

13. Robert Rogan, River Forms, 1970, oil on canvas, 36 x 40 inches

Watercolors

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

14. Robert Rogan, Untitled #2, 1946, watercolor, 15 x 19.5 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

15. Robert Rogan, Untitled #3, c. 1946, watercolor, 15.5 x 20.25 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

16. Robert Rogan, Untitled #4, 1947, watercolor, 15.5 x 22.5 inches

Prints and Works on Paper

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

17. Robert Rogan, Barn, 1946, lithograph, 10 x 14 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

18. Robert Rogan, Untitled #8 (Railroad, N. Topeka), 1946, lithograph, 9.5 x 12.5 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

19. Robert Rogan, Crow, 1947, lithograph, 11 x 18 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

20. Robert Rogan, Methodist Church, Topeka, 1947, lithograph, 12 x 15.25 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

21. Robert Rogan, Untitled #7 (Train Station), 1947, lithograph, 12 x 15.25 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

22. Robert Rogan, Untitled #6 (Barn), c. 1947, lithograph, 12.5 x 15 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

23. Robert Rogan, North Forty (Rt. 6, Topeka, Kansas), 1948, lithograph, 7.75 x 6 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

24. Robert Rogan, 21st St. Market, Topeka, KS, 1948, lithograph, 10.25 x 13.5 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

25. Robert Rogan, Button Road Home place, 1948, lithograph, 4.75 x 6.5 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

26. Robert Rogan, Self-Portrait, c. 1955, mixed media on paper, 13 x 9 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

27. Robert Rogan, Untitled #5 (Boy on Bike), 1959, woodblock print, 22.25 x 11.75 inches

A Life in Art: Robert Rogan

28. Robert Rogan, Untitled #1, c. 1960, mixed media on paper, 18 x 23 inches

HOUSTON’S GALLERY FOR HISTORIC TEXAS ART William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art, established in 2006 in Houston, Texas, is dedicated to the promotion of premier Texas artists of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, focusing particularly on historically significant artists active in the state between 1900 and 1975. Now in its ninth year, the gallery showcases many of the state’s most accomplished and recognized talents, all of whom have significant connection to Texas and have evidenced the highest standards of quality in their work, training, and professionalism in the field. Through its dynamic, mission-centered exhibition program centered around the three pillars of the state’s art history—Early, Modern, and Contemporary Texas Art—William Reaves Fine Art attempts to convey the chronological progression and on-going evolutions within the visual arts of the state. The gallery continuously exhibits stunning examples by artists of these disparate stylistic groupings in order to fully depict the wide-ranging styles, subjects, and media that encompass Texas Art. HISTORIC EARLY TEXAS ART William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art consistently offers a stunning selection of historic Early Texas Art by prominent artists active in the state prior to 1945.

These genres include Texas Impressionism, Texas Regionalism, Early Modernism, and others.

TEXAS MODERN ART William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art is the foremost provider of post-war Texas Modern, including mid-century masters of the state and pioneering expressionists working in Texas. While remaining true to regional subject and theme, these artists actively embraced interesting new modes of abstraction, ranging from forms of cubism to expressionism. The gallery places emphasis on the rediscovery and presentation of early and mid-century works by Houston and South Texas artists, especially the Houston Founders group of prominent artists working in Houston from 1945 to 1975.

CONTEMPORARY TEXAS REGIONALISTS Consistent with the gallery’s historical focus, William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art represents a dynamic group of contemporary artists, known as the Contemporary Texas Regionalists, who paint a style or subject matter directly inspired by earlier Texas masters. Hailing from parts all across Texas, their works reflect the state’s geographic diversity. While all captures some particular combination of beauty, richness, and determined independence that is uniquely Texan, their subjects range from historical Texas events to panoramic landscapes and from photorealistic urban scenes to native Texas wildlife.

The gallery actively shows their works in annual gallery exhibitions as well as traveling exhibitions throughout the state.

PROMOTING TEXAS ART In addition to exhibiting historic Texas art and assisting collectors and institutions in building Texas Art collections, the gallery has been instrumental in the formation and support of non-profit entities promoting Texas art and art history, such as the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA). The gallery also works regularly with regional museums to jointly sponsor and organize exhibitions and symposia including the following: Tyler Museum of Art, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Art Museum of South Texas, Nave Museum, Haley Memorial Library, Houston Public Library, Heritage Society of Houston, and University of Houston, Downtown. In order to promote interest and broaden knowledge of earlier Texas art, the gallery supports gallery talks, community events, scholarly research, and publications related to its subjects, artists, and periods. Recently, the gallery was named “Houston’s Best Art Gallery for 2013” by The Houston Press.

2143 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas 77098 713.521.7500 www.reavesart.com