Had a chance this past Sunday afternoon to tour a bit of the Des Moines Art Center. Tucked away on a lonely corner of Grand Ave on the west side of downtown Des Moines, I was impressed with the initial exhibition I toured. There were many exhibits I have yet to explore and wanted to take an immersive approach to the Museum. So I focused on one exhibit today, called Different Realities. This exhibit contrasts and compares American representational art with their European counterparts during the 1920′s and 1930′s.

Most interesting to me personally, were the variations in expressions of art for architectural pieces. As I enjoy drawing structures, see my 6 month project drawing a Spanish Mission, singularly stating a persistence of faith and beauty in the midst of the erosive forces of life:

it was inspiring to see the varied ways in which buildings are represented in different tones in American, German, French, etc artists. Just by style and composition alone, these structures can take on a wide range of feeling, philosophy and the many social issues of their times.

To view the Different Realities Gallery flyer in Adobe pdf, click here.

I was challenged and motivated to bring new elements into the way I draw buildings and structures. I am working on drawing a series of the Gothic churches in and around the Des Moines area and I can’t wait to return to find what other great inspirations will pop up on my next visit to the Des Moines Art Center!