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Lost Man Blues
Jon Schueler—Art and War

at Turtle Bay Exploration Park
January 31 - April 26, 2020

Lost Man Blues: Jon Schueler - Art and War is a landmark exhibition that presents one of the persistent motifs that Abstract Expressionist artist Jon Schueler infused into his paintings and wove into his writings—his experiences during World War II when he served as a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps. His war memories and undiagnosed PTSD haunted him and continually found expression in his post-war work.

Lost Man Blues will, for the first time, feature a collective group of fifteen paintings that reflect Jon Schueler’s war experiences. Adopting a perspective from the skies, these oils, painted in NY from 1979 – 1989, form a powerful and cohesive visual testament to his post-war struggles and the battle for memory and creative expression. The quieter mystery and beauty of nature are the focus of 11 additional paintings, which capture the radiance of the sun, the subtleties of reflected light and shadows, and the challenge of looking into infinity.

Lost Man Blues takes its title from the painting in the exhibition commemorating the disappearance of a plane belonging to his squadron, one that did not return to England after a bombing mission over Germany. A selection of passages from “The Sound of Sleat: A Painter’s Life”, Jon Schueler’s memoir, will accompany the paintings in the exhibition, reflecting both his harrowing war recollections and ruminations on his creative process.

The exhibition Lost Man Blues: Jon Schueler—Art and War was curated by Marissa Roth and was inspired by her on-going dedication to addressing the consequences of war. Roth feels that Schueler’s breathtaking output as an artist, and his unyielding quest for truth, offer valuable insight into the way he came to terms with his lingering war trauma through his own creative powers. 

Lost Man Blues will be at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA from January 31 - April 26, 2020. Access to the exhibition will be included with paid Park admission. Opening hours on January 31 will be from 4pm- 9pm during the Redding Cultural Cruise. This exhibition at Turtle Bay is supported by Dan and Julia Cronin and the Dicker Family. 

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