Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature

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Rory McEwen

This January, the Gibbes Museum of Art will be the inaugural United States venue for the international exhibition Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature. Presented in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London) and Oak Spring Garden Foundation, an estate of the late Rachel Lambert Mellon (Virginia), the exhibition and its related programming will highlight the vibrant and varied career of the renowned Scottish artist, Rory McEwen.

“In a city known for its gardens and botanical art history, I cannot think of a more appropriate venue to launch the United States tour of Rory McEwen’s outstanding and unique body of work,” says Angela Mack, President, and CEO of the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Renowned artist and accomplished folk musician, Rory McEwen, born in 1932, left an indelible mark on both the music and art worlds and is acclaimed as the 20th century’s greatest botanical painter. McEwen began his creative journey in the culturally rich environment of Scotland, and initially pursued a career in music. McEwen toured the United States in 1956, playing throughout the country, even appearing on the Ed Sullivan show years prior to the Beatles. In Britain, McEwen was a key figure in the British Folk movement and hosted his own national television show influencing a new generation of musicians. However, McEwen’s gift for painting surpassed even these remarkable accomplishments in the music industry.

Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature is focused on McEwen’s hyper-realistic watercolor paintings of plants. Bringing a modern sensibility to botanical art, McEwen developed a distinctive style, painting on vellum and using large empty backgrounds on which his plant portraits seem to float. Executed in exact, minutely accurate detail, he recorded the imperfect and the unique, as well as the flawless. McEwen’s work is shown alongside the works of master botanical artists from the 18^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries. This exhibition includes works on loan from the artist’s family as well as works drawn from numerous private collections, most of which have never been seen by the American public. The Library at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation is lending works from its collections of the many well-known botanical artists who inspired McEwen such as Robert, Redouté, Ehret and Aubriet. The exhibition also includes the works of numerous contemporary artists who in turn continue McEwen’s artistic legacy, on loan from the extensive collections of Dr. Shirley Sherwood.

“The exhibition will not only introduce new audiences to Rory McEwen and his work, but also to the great botanical artists that came before him and provided inspiration for his art,” says Sir Peter Crane, president of Oak Spring Garden Foundation.

The exhibition is curated by Ruth L. A. Stiff of International Exhibitions Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London) and accompanied by a full-color catalogue produced by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation with a Preface by Professor Sir Peter Crane, Foreword by Ruth L. A. Stiff, and an essay by Dr. Martyn Rix.

The Exhibition, Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, is presented by the Gibbes Museum of Art in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London) and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (Virginia) with generous support from the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation and tour management by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA. Generous supporting sponsors of the exhibition include Gibbes lead individual sponsors Cindy and Ben Lenhardt; and corporate and foundation sponsors BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and the Jane Smith Turner Foundation.

In conjunction with Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, the Gibbes Museum of Art will be holding exhibition-related programming throughout the show’s time on view. Please see below for additional information on these special events.

New Perspectives on Rory McEwen: A Symposium, Friday, Jan. 26, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Join Sir Peter Crane, president of Oak Springs Garden Foundation, Richard Deverell, director of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, exhibition curator Ruth Stiff and Christabel and Flora McEwen for a morning of lively discussions exploring Rory McEwen’s distinctive contemporary style and his life and impact on the botanical art scene on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Gibbes Goes Green Family Day, Sunday, Feb. 25, 1 – 5 p.m.

Join the Gibbes and community partners working with plants and the Lowcountry environment as we celebrate all things botanical. Inspired by Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, families of all ages will have the opportunity to experience exhibitions and other ongoing special events.

Harvard Glass Flowers, Thursday, April 25, 11 a.m.

Inspired by the exhibition Rory McEwen, which features the artist’s extraordinary large scale, botanical paintings, the Gibbes welcomes Jennifer Brown, the collections manager of Harvard’s iconic Blaschka Glass Flowers Collection. This unique collection was made by Leopold (1822-1895) and Rudolf Blaschka (1857-1939), a father and son team of Czech glass artists. Brown will discuss the collection’s significance, origins, and one-of-a-kind specimens for Charleston audiences.

For more information about Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, visit https://bit.ly/41iRUH2.