Dale Kennington
Encyclopedia
Dale Kennington is a Contemporary Artist
working in the style of New American Realism
. Her imagery is often of anonymous, passive individuals engaged in the banal, idle activities of everyday life
: riding the subway, people watching or sitting at a bar. Kennington refers to these repetitive moments as rituals that contribute to the shared condition of humanity
, ultimately elevating them to the status of myths. The settings of her paintings appear as sober theatrical stages into which anyone could recognize herself.
Kennington's work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
, Montgomery, Alabama
, the Columbus Museum of Art
, Columbus, Georgia
, the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, Alabama
, and the Hilliard Museum at the University of Louisiana
, Lafayette, Louisiana
.
and has lived most of her life in Dothan, Alabama. She received a B.A. in Art History and Design in 1956 from the University of Alabama
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
. In her early 40's she began painting portraits of children, moving to studio work in the mid-80's. She has received numerous accolades and awards for her work. In 2009 she was recognized by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel as one of Alabama
's "Master Artists".
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
working in the style of New American Realism
American realism
300px|thumb|[[Ashcan School]] artists & friends at [[John French Sloan]]'s Philadelphia Studio, 1898American realism was an early 20th century idea in art, music and literature that showed through these different types of work, reflections of the time period...
. Her imagery is often of anonymous, passive individuals engaged in the banal, idle activities of everyday life
Everyday Life
Everyday Life is the first solo album made by Life MC of the British Hip Hop group Phi Life Cypher....
: riding the subway, people watching or sitting at a bar. Kennington refers to these repetitive moments as rituals that contribute to the shared condition of humanity
Humanity
Humanity may refer to:* The human species**The total world population* Human nature, psychological characteristics that all normal humans have in common**Compassion**Empathy**Altruism**Aggression**Fear...
, ultimately elevating them to the status of myths. The settings of her paintings appear as sober theatrical stages into which anyone could recognize herself.
Kennington's work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is a museum located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, featuring several art collections. For seventy years, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has been a showcase for the visual arts in Central Alabama...
, Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, the Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus Museum of Art
The Columbus Museum of Art is an art museum located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio.-Building:...
, Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, and the Hilliard Museum at the University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana may refer to:* University of Louisiana System, public multi-campus university system** Northwestern State University of Louisiana...
, Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.
Background
Dale Kennington was born in Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and has lived most of her life in Dothan, Alabama. She received a B.A. in Art History and Design in 1956 from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. In her early 40's she began painting portraits of children, moving to studio work in the mid-80's. She has received numerous accolades and awards for her work. In 2009 she was recognized by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel as one of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
's "Master Artists".