Book Recommendation: The Art of Dahlov Ipcar
One of the opening pages of Carl Little’s The Art of Dahlov Ipcar strikes the mood of the folktale world, tinged with the energy, magic, and power: a fox turns back its head, teeth bared, as partridges rise in gorgeous brown haste to fly in all directions (Fox Moon). This is one mood of Dahlov Ipcar. Other works in this book show zebras galloping across a series of whispering lines, or Caribbean animals of the sea arranged in a segmented mandala, and whisper the influence of Rousseau, another mood.
Little has written a comprehensive biography of Ipcar’s art, exploring her childhood, the influences of parents William and Marguerite Zorach, the summers and then full-time life she experienced in rural Maine by the sea and on a farm, and the toys, rugs, and stained glass that have shared a place in her large collection of work. He highlights the influence of many other great artists, but it is clear that Ipcar has her own stamp. The paintings are bursting with living creatures, most in rapid trot, run, or sprint; colors that seem heir to fruit displays in exotic marketplaces; and sharp triangles, misty swashes of color, and hard lines creating backgrounds that thrust the subject forth.
My one complaint about this beautiful volume is that there is no index of paintings in the back, which makes it difficult to find any one work that Little refers to if it is not on a nearby page. But this volume is a pleasure to delve into, so much so that a hunt for a particular painting will only draw the reader into an exploration of many others.
Recommended by Diane Magras.
