Dahlov Ipcar
Encyclopedia
Dahlov Ipcar (1917-) is an American
painter
, illustrator
and author
. She is best known for her colorful, kaleidoscopic-styled paintings featuring animals - primarily in either farm
or wild settings. She currently resides in Georgetown, Maine
.
, the youngest of two children, to parents William
and Marguerite Zorach
. She was raised in Greenwich Village, New York City
, and grew up surrounded by bohemian influences. Encouraged by her parents, she started painting at a very young age. She briefly attended Oberlin
, dropping out after only one semester, frustrated with the academic restrictions on her artistic expression.
In 1936, at the age of 19, Dahlov married Adolph Ipcar, a young man hired to tutor her in math for her college tests. They spent that year in New York City, Adolph working as a math tutor while Dahlov taught art two days a week. The following winter, they decided to move into the extra farm house on Dahlov’s parent’s property in Georgetown, Maine
, and started a farm of their own. They became modern-day subsistence farmers: growing their own food, raising animals and their two sons, as well as selling eggs and milk on the side for extra money. Dahlov continued painting throughout her life as both of source of pleasure and income. In addition to painting, she has written four fantasy novels, written and/or illustrated numerous children's books, and crafted three-dimensional cloth sculptures. Her marriage lasted until 2003, when Adolph died at the age of 98 after a brief illness.
Dahlov continues to paint on a daily basis. She also actively attends her gallery openings and book signings.
In the 1940s and '50s, Dahlov's art was influenced by the prevailing style of Social Realism as best illustrated by her paintings of farm workers accompanied by their heavy draft horses and domestic farm animals.
In 1945 she illustrated The Little Fisherman, her first children's book, for author Margaret Wise Brown. Since then Dahlov has gone on to write and illustrate thirty children's books of her own. She has also written four fantasy novels for a slightly older audience, as well as a volume of short stories for adults. While her art in general might be described as wild colors and cheerful, her writings for adults turn to a darker, almost grim intertwining of reality and fantasy. Many of her children's books are being reprinted for a whole new generation to enjoy.
By the '60s and '70s, her work began to take on a new direction. Intricate patterns and geometric designs have become her artistic signature. She has remained outside current art movements to this very day.
Murals
In addition to easel paintings, illustrations, and soft sculptures, Dahlov has also completed ten large-scale mural projects for public buildings, two of them for U.S. Post Offices in LaFollette, Tennessee, and Yukon, Oklahoma. The remaining murals may be seen at several locations in Maine as well; including the children's room at the Patten Free Library in Bath, and a 106-ft. panorama of Maine animals in the Narragansett Elementary School, Gorham. Golden Savanna, a 21-ft. mural of African wildlife, can be seen in the atrium of the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Collected Works
Dahlov's works are now in the permanent collections of museums such as the Metropolitan, Whitney, and Brooklyn in New York. She is also represented in the leading art museums of Maine, as well as in many corporate and private collections throughout the country.
Honorary Degrees
Dahlov has received honorary degrees from the University of Maine, Colby College and Bates College. In April 1998, The University of Minnesota honored Dahlov with The Kerlan Award for Children's literature.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and author
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. She is best known for her colorful, kaleidoscopic-styled paintings featuring animals - primarily in either farm
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
or wild settings. She currently resides in Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home to Reid State Park, the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Biography
Dahlov Ipcar was born November 12, 1917, in Windsor, VermontWindsor, Vermont
Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...
, the youngest of two children, to parents William
William Zorach
William Zorach was a Lithuanian-born American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and writer. He won the Logan Medal of the arts.-Life and career:...
and Marguerite Zorach
Marguerite Zorach
Marguerite Zorach was an American fauvist painter, textile artist, and graphic designer and was an early exponent of modernism in America. She won the 1920 Logan Medal of the Arts.-Life:...
. She was raised in Greenwich Village, New York City
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, and grew up surrounded by bohemian influences. Encouraged by her parents, she started painting at a very young age. She briefly attended Oberlin
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, dropping out after only one semester, frustrated with the academic restrictions on her artistic expression.
In 1936, at the age of 19, Dahlov married Adolph Ipcar, a young man hired to tutor her in math for her college tests. They spent that year in New York City, Adolph working as a math tutor while Dahlov taught art two days a week. The following winter, they decided to move into the extra farm house on Dahlov’s parent’s property in Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home to Reid State Park, the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and started a farm of their own. They became modern-day subsistence farmers: growing their own food, raising animals and their two sons, as well as selling eggs and milk on the side for extra money. Dahlov continued painting throughout her life as both of source of pleasure and income. In addition to painting, she has written four fantasy novels, written and/or illustrated numerous children's books, and crafted three-dimensional cloth sculptures. Her marriage lasted until 2003, when Adolph died at the age of 98 after a brief illness.
Dahlov continues to paint on a daily basis. She also actively attends her gallery openings and book signings.
Career
In 1939 at the age of 21, she had her first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, called Creative Growth, the first of many solo shows over the next forty years.In the 1940s and '50s, Dahlov's art was influenced by the prevailing style of Social Realism as best illustrated by her paintings of farm workers accompanied by their heavy draft horses and domestic farm animals.
In 1945 she illustrated The Little Fisherman, her first children's book, for author Margaret Wise Brown. Since then Dahlov has gone on to write and illustrate thirty children's books of her own. She has also written four fantasy novels for a slightly older audience, as well as a volume of short stories for adults. While her art in general might be described as wild colors and cheerful, her writings for adults turn to a darker, almost grim intertwining of reality and fantasy. Many of her children's books are being reprinted for a whole new generation to enjoy.
By the '60s and '70s, her work began to take on a new direction. Intricate patterns and geometric designs have become her artistic signature. She has remained outside current art movements to this very day.
Murals
In addition to easel paintings, illustrations, and soft sculptures, Dahlov has also completed ten large-scale mural projects for public buildings, two of them for U.S. Post Offices in LaFollette, Tennessee, and Yukon, Oklahoma. The remaining murals may be seen at several locations in Maine as well; including the children's room at the Patten Free Library in Bath, and a 106-ft. panorama of Maine animals in the Narragansett Elementary School, Gorham. Golden Savanna, a 21-ft. mural of African wildlife, can be seen in the atrium of the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Collected Works
Dahlov's works are now in the permanent collections of museums such as the Metropolitan, Whitney, and Brooklyn in New York. She is also represented in the leading art museums of Maine, as well as in many corporate and private collections throughout the country.
Honorary Degrees
Dahlov has received honorary degrees from the University of Maine, Colby College and Bates College. In April 1998, The University of Minnesota honored Dahlov with The Kerlan Award for Children's literature.