Donald J. Cronkhite
American, born 1966Twilight of Grandeur, 2016
Not on view
Oil on linen
Dimensions52 1/2 × 74 1/2 in. (133.4 × 189.2 cm)
Gift of Donald J. Cronkhite, 2019.267
According to the artist, “The Romantics sought to seize each moment and explode it to its epic potential. In the same way I have tried to use my painting to capture cloudscapes when they’ve reached their peak volume–the immediate prelude to the violence and release of storms, with all the emotion that lies therein. At the same time, I have tried to convey that sense of tension and expectation using colors, contrasts, and forms associated with realism and at a size and scale that brings the viewer into the storm, looking at it so closely that it becomes abstract and Expressionistic, directing the eyes to the exaggerated shapes and vibrant, saturated hues.”
Donald Cronkhite received his BFA from Wayne State University. He began his painting career after spending several summers exploring the galleries and museums of Europe. Since 2005 he has exhibited his works at the Gruen Galleries in Chicago’s North Gallery District, and since early 2016 in galleries and shows around Michigan.
