Exhibit highlights the first American abstract painter -- an engineer
The first American artist to paint an abstract painting was civil engineer Manierre Dawson (1887-1969). His profession, far from a deterrent to his creativity, was his primary source of inspiration, especially during the formative years of his career. "Manierre Dawson: Engineer/Artist," an exhibit, traces the evolution of his work and shows how elements of his paintings leading up to and including his first abstractions and his conception of abstract art itself are directly related to his civil engineering training. The exhibit is the result of 10 years of research by Penn State alumnus Randy Ploog and is on display through Jan. 8, in the Diversity Studies Room at 109 Pattee Library. (more)