Alexandre Hogue (1898-1994) influenced plein air painters with his depiction of the Southwest landscape and the dire Dust Bowl conditions of the 1930s. His style was a mix of realism and stylized elements that placed him squarely in the category of Regionalism — a label he purportedly disliked. The Dallas Art Museum is hosting an exhibition of the painter’s work this winter.
“End of the Trail,” by Alexandre Hogue, 1936, lithograph. Collection the Dallas Museum of Art, Lawrence S. Pollock Purchase Prize, Eighth Annual Dallas Allied Arts Exhibition, 1937
“Alexandre Hogue’s deep concern for environmental issues was a catalyst for the creation of a body of works that spanned the entirety of his career,” reads the DMA’s material on the event. “The land-management failures that spawned the devastation of the dust-bowl decade of the 1930s became the impetus for some of the artist’s most powerful imagery — the Erosion series.”
“Study for Drouth-Stricken Area,” by Alexandre Hogue, 1932, pencil on paper. Collection Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Eleanor and C. Thomas May, Jr.
“Drouth-Stricken Area,” by Alexandre Hogue, 1934, oil on canvas, 30 x 42 1/4. Collection Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase.
“Alexandre Hogue: The Erosion Series” will be on view at the DMA from February 16 through June 15, 2013. Visit the museum’s website for more information, and look for coverage of this show in an upcoming issue of PleinAir magazine.
