Kali Blanchard - Symposium Abstract

Plein Air Painting

The subject of my senior research is plein air painting, or painting in the open air.  Plein air painting has become a prominent artistic form for creating, fundraising, and decorating over the last ten years.  Painters from across the country have begun to bring their easel, paint tubes, and canvases out into the landscapes and streetscapes to capture the light, colors, mood, and beauty of a location. I first became aware of the plein air art market when I interned in the summer of 2008 for the host of the Telluride Plein Air event, the Sheridan Arts Foundation in Telluride, Colorado.  Such events take place typically in tourist destinations and attract hundreds of customers, making them highly competitive and well-regarded by organizations, participating artists, and hosting towns.  Telluride Plein Air, like most other plein air events, is a week-long event consisting of thirty-two artists painting local landscapes and streetscapes to sell at the end of the week.  Plein air events are a popular way for arts organizations and artists to make money and gain publicity.  

One of the central goals of my paper is to explore the commercial market for plein air painting. The plein air art market is one that resides outside of high art and other art markets.  Plein air paintings are affordable and relatable artworks that can be easily incorporated into homes and offices.  I also consider how the space where the sale occurs is critical to the sale.  Most plein air painting sales take place outdoors, making the outdoors an arena for their sale and the source of inspiration.  Plein air paintings can be painted and sold in many informal settings such as on easels and on display boards in open outdoor spaces, and the purchasing and exchange for them can be very informal as well.  

Plein air paintings are created to be consumed, so the painters are painting landscapes, streetscapes, and cityscapes that will connect with people in a way to make them want to purchase the painting.  Tourists make up a dominant group that purchases plein air paintings.  Plein air events, like Telluride Plein Air, are often in places where tourists visit.  These people want to remember the experiences and beauty of the places they visited, and one way to do so would be to purchase a beautiful painting to display in the home to be a reminder and an indication of places visited.  Plein air paintings are an easy purchase for consumers because of their availability, affordability, and immediacy.   

My thesis has identified that there is a lack of critical and academic discourse on the subject of plein air painting.  Text on plein air painting and artists is limited to popular magazines.  Southwest Art magazine is the main publication dealing with plein air art, but their text is limited to short artist spotlights, artist interviews, and advertisements for plein air events.  Pages dedicated to plein air painting advertise the paintings rather than giving detailed information or credibility to the artist.  Limiting the discourse on this painting genre has marginalized artists into being informal and everyday artists that lack the credibility that artists whose well-known works are displayed in galleries and museums have achieved.  Through my artist interviews that I have conducted with artists from Telluride Plein Air and with local Licking County plein air artists I have learned that plein air painters do not think of themselves as marginalized.  Their art market is aimed at middle-income consumers who are visiting beautiful areas and would like to take a piece of professional artwork home with them.  For instance, many artists are featured in Southwest Art magazine, whose target readers are retired people in their 60’s.  These are the people who learn about the artists and events and are able to travel to areas where they can purchase this art.

Plein air paintings are almost always in gold frames, perhaps to exalt the painting and make it seem more precious.  The gold coloring also compliments the emphasis on natural light and the aesthetically appealing bright colors that are usually in these paintings.  The light of the day can present a beautiful scene for an artist to paint and can influence colors, shadows, and the overall mood of the painting.  Good weather and the right lighting can present a landscape in a way that inspires the painter to create their interpretation of the view.  Lighting and use of colors work to depict the view and gaze seen by the artist, whether it is realistic or not.  Plein air paintings are meant to give moods of peacefulness, happiness, and relaxation.

I believe that plein air painting has become one of the most widely seen and consumed artistic mediums.  Plein air events have helped the paintings become available to people of all economic backgrounds across the country.  This emerging plein air art market is accessible for it allows consumers to bypass galleries to enjoy or purchase artwork that can be bought to display in their homes.  While critical discourse on this art form is lacking, it is accorded attention in advertisements displaying plein air paintings in popular magazines.  These articles and advertisements work to endorse plein air events, encourage the artists, and promote the consumption of their artwork.  The plein air art market has emerged as an informal art market of production and consumption for tourists and everyday consumers alike.