Robert Kipniss: The Whispering Light

This exhibition features recent work by veteran American artist Robert Kipniss, a painter and printmaker for over 60 years whose subjects often include austere limbs of trees; spare, modest houses with simple shapes, and shadowy interior scenes. Although his scenes hint at the presence of human life, the absence of figures speaks to his interest in the poetry of our surroundings and the grace inherent to the unspoken atmosphere.

“If someone looks at my paintings and sees only trees and houses then they don’t see what I’m doing,” Kipniss has said. “I may be painting trees and houses but when I look at them – that’s not what I see. I see an atmosphere, a moment, a quickly passing experience that I’m trying to capture. My art is of intensity, of delving, of exploring the soul.”

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art recently acquired the archives of this preeminent American artist, an award-winning figure popular in the New York gallery world in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. His work is collected by major institutions worldwide, including The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The British Museum.

December 1: Curator’s Tour, 12:15-1pm
President & CEO and Chief Curator Charles Shepard will take you on a gallery tour of this exhibition. From his specialized and personal point of view, Shepard offers a unique perspective as the visionary for all exhibitions at FWMoA. Tours are free with gallery admission.