Shepherdstown
The Shepherdstown Series began in November of 1973 and marks an earlier, more direct period of work, characterized by its distinct formal qualities and a restrained palette. The shapes are usually related to the width of the brush that applied them. The compositions are horizontal, with angular forms offset by occasional vertical shapes. White is used as a central color, accented by pure blues and creamy grays. A unique aspect of this series is the elevated perspecitve. Often the artist would climb atop the town's rooftops to add a dramatic angle to the streetscapes, which are typically portrayed at street-level. Shortly before painting the Shepherdstown series, the artist had returned from from Europe, bringing with him an interest in the Fauvist painters. He was particularly drawn to those artists on the periphery of Fauvism—such as Marquet, Manguin, Puy, Friesz, and Camion—whose color arrangements appealed to him. The pronounced textures in the works of Vlaminck and Derain also made a significant impression. The Shepherdstown Series treats white as an active color, not merely as an additive or a negative space, much as in the works of Maurice Utrillo.
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