The Hudson River School and Jon Bandish
In 1825, Thomas Cole moved to New York City. Several years later he would come to be known as the founder of the Hudson River School, widely regarded as the first American artist’s guild. They followed in the footsteps of the Romantic painters in Europe, capturing the wildness and immensity of landscapes across the Americas which had, until now, remained mostly unacknowledged in the world of fine art. They explored themes of the sublime, and the contrast between the enormity of nature and the relative insignificance of humans by comparison.
Jon Bandish works this same subject matter into his own art. He has long been captivated by the awesome power of the natural world, and he illustrates this in his oil paintings by juxtaposing elaborate landscapes with to-scale human figures.
Nature is massive in a way that is difficult to comprehend. It is all too easy to get caught up in our own small lives and forget that we are just one small piece of the puzzle. On the flip side, we may get caught up in the many unbreachable issues that plague our modern society and the world may seem cramped and overcrowded.
But it does not take much to reconnect with nature. Lie beneath the stars and you will see how the sky reaches around the edges of the earth. Stand on the top of the highest hill and follow the ridgeline as it fades into the distance. Walk deep into a forest and watch the many layers of trees shift as you pass. And notice, in each of these situations, how every inch is steeped in details. Air particles fill the space between you and the edge of the atmosphere.
Nowhere is the vastness of nature more apparent than in the ocean. The ocean makes up more than two thirds of the earth’s surface. Workers on night boats cannot see a foot past the gunwale before the beam from their flashlight is swallowed by the impenetrable darkness.
It is understandable, then, that the ocean would serve as great inspiration to an artist like Jon. Indeed, it is his special focus. He moved to Delaware to be closer to the beach, and he often depicts scenes from beaches in Hawaii. This is where his love for bright colors shines through. Sunsets, tropical waves, and sunny sands distinguish his work from the masters who preceded him. Where the Hudson River painters were dark and moody, Jon is playful and fanciful. His paintings bring light to even the darkest East coast winter days.
Jon seeks to immerse his viewers in his work. He wants to convey the majesty of the ocean even to someone who has never been to a beach in their lives. Details are vital to this pursuit. Jon uses the smallest brushes available, with little more than 5 hairs each, to enhance the tiniest features on even his largest paintings.
Written by Gwenn Meyers Independent Writer