From the Renaissance to the early 20^th century, painting was marked by a series of advances from the discovery of linear perspective to atmospheric perspective, lost and found edges, and the brilliant broken color of the impressionists The level of training and skill of a Sargent or a Monet is apparent to anyone who views their work; they speak a universal language.

Then in 1913 at the Armory Show in New York City, art took a sudden left turn away from the advances of the past 400 years. DuChamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase” ushered in abstraction and “Modern Art”.  A group of critics, academics, and dealers began to relentlessly proselytize for the new style.  Their propositions? …that representational art was dead and only the “new” and shocking was truly worthwhile. (And, of course, since abstract art does not speak a universal language, you need a critic to explain it, an academic to validate it, and above all, a “prestigious” dealer to help you collect it.) Amazingly, they won!

But now the pendulum is swinging back. Through OPA’s national and regional shows, educational programs, scholarships, and efforts to reach out to the media, OPA is a driving force in the new Renaissance. But major public museums and university art departments are still firmly in the hands of the modernists. Our ultimate goal is the re-awakening of an appreciation for realistic art by such institutions, the media, and especially collectors.

For more information, please call OPA at 815-356-5987
or by email at mail@oilpaintersofamerica.com

Oil Painters of America
P.O. Box 2488
Crystal Lake, IL 60039
Phone: 815-356-5987

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