The Paintings of William J. Havlicek & Micheal S. Ryan

The Paintings

William J. Havlicek & Michael S. Ryan

ARTISTS

William Havlicek and Michael Ryan have been

friends for almost 40 years and are graduates of the

University of Iowa‘s acclaimed Graduate School of

Painting. While studying and painting together, a close

association grew out of their shared interests and

inspiration. This flourished into a lifelong admiration

and collaboration through their artistic borrowings

and influences. As each artist pursued their own personal

characteristics and leanings—one on the West Coast

and one in the Midwest—their immersion in nature

has yielded strong color affinities and painterly

parallels.

RATIONALE

It has often been demonstrated in the history of art

that common sources of inspiration have engendered

strong friendships among artists. However, little light

has been shed on the collaborative reality of artistic

life. Recently, several important museum exhibitions

have been devoted to illuminating this collaborative

phenomenon; for example, in the past decade, the

works of Braque and Picasso, Pissarro and Cezanne,

and Van Gogh and Gauguin have been shown sideby-

side. These shows demonstrate the importance

of artistic dialog. Simply put, Sojourn in Sunlight and

Shadow showcases such a phenomenon, resulting

in this unique selection of paintings.

Sojourn in Sunlight & Shadow

The Paintings of 

William J. Havlicek & Michael S. Ryan

Lowe Art Center • Marion, Iowa • 

August 15–October 7, 2011  

Reception: August 18, 2011 • 6:30–8:30 p.m.