Darell Koons
Encyclopedia
Darrell John Koons an American
painter
, was for forty years a member of the art faculty at Bob Jones University
.
, Koons earned an undergraduate degree in art from BJU in 1951 and a master of arts degree in art education from Western Michigan University
(1955).
In 2010 Koons had more than 45 one-man exhibitions
, including exhibitions at University of South Carolina, Wake Forest University, the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, Columbus Museum, Columbus, GA, and the Washington County Museum of Art, Hagerstown, MD; and he has participated in at least that many group exhibitions throughout the United States. Koons’ paintings are in hundreds of public and private collections including the Gibbes Gallery, Charleston, SC; the Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC; the South Carolina State Art Collection; the Governor’s Mansion, Columbia, SC; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Eastern Michigan University; Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Central Wesleyan College, Central, SC; the W. Clement Stone Collection, Chicago; and the Indonesian Embassy. Koons’ paintings have been published in Contemporary Artists of South Carolina, Artist/U.S.A., and three editions of Prizewinning Art.
Art critics have called his distinctive style “magic realistic,” because the viewer tends to read into the picture more than actually appears. Koon’s deceptively simple paintings, mostly in watercolor or polymer, give the viewer an impression of extreme detail in old buildings such as barns, cotton gins, and mills. In a 2010 interview, Koons told a reporter, "Bob Jones, Sr.
once said you can't get the sand out the country boy's ears. That's true with me. An artist must know something about his subject or he will surely have difficulty painting it. My experience as a child and youth in rural Michigan has given me knowledge of my subjects, thus the opportunity to record this passing history of Americana."
In a 1972 interview, Koons noted that he enjoyed playing with space, especially in a building opening. He virtually never included figures in his painting but he often teased the viewer with open doors that "give the impression of recent activity." Koons’ work has been compared to that of Andrew Wyeth
, although Koons himself believed the greatest influences on his art were the shadows and simplicity of Edward Hopper
and the straight lines of Mondrian
.
Koons made a hobby of giving religious “chalk talks” to church groups especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons. In 1970, Koons joined two other BJU faculty members, Emery Bopp
and Carl Blair
, to found Hampton III Gallery, one of the first commercial galleries in Upstate South Carolina.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, was for forty years a member of the art faculty at Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
.
Biography
Born in Albion, MichiganAlbion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Koons earned an undergraduate degree in art from BJU in 1951 and a master of arts degree in art education from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
(1955).
In 2010 Koons had more than 45 one-man exhibitions
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
, including exhibitions at University of South Carolina, Wake Forest University, the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC, Columbus Museum, Columbus, GA, and the Washington County Museum of Art, Hagerstown, MD; and he has participated in at least that many group exhibitions throughout the United States. Koons’ paintings are in hundreds of public and private collections including the Gibbes Gallery, Charleston, SC; the Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC; the South Carolina State Art Collection; the Governor’s Mansion, Columbia, SC; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Eastern Michigan University; Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC; Central Wesleyan College, Central, SC; the W. Clement Stone Collection, Chicago; and the Indonesian Embassy. Koons’ paintings have been published in Contemporary Artists of South Carolina, Artist/U.S.A., and three editions of Prizewinning Art.
Art critics have called his distinctive style “magic realistic,” because the viewer tends to read into the picture more than actually appears. Koon’s deceptively simple paintings, mostly in watercolor or polymer, give the viewer an impression of extreme detail in old buildings such as barns, cotton gins, and mills. In a 2010 interview, Koons told a reporter, "Bob Jones, Sr.
Bob Jones, Sr.
Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. was an American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.-Early years:...
once said you can't get the sand out the country boy's ears. That's true with me. An artist must know something about his subject or he will surely have difficulty painting it. My experience as a child and youth in rural Michigan has given me knowledge of my subjects, thus the opportunity to record this passing history of Americana."
In a 1972 interview, Koons noted that he enjoyed playing with space, especially in a building opening. He virtually never included figures in his painting but he often teased the viewer with open doors that "give the impression of recent activity." Koons’ work has been compared to that of Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
, although Koons himself believed the greatest influences on his art were the shadows and simplicity of Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
and the straight lines of Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
.
Koons made a hobby of giving religious “chalk talks” to church groups especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons. In 1970, Koons joined two other BJU faculty members, Emery Bopp
Emery Bopp
Emery Bopp was an artist and long-time chairman of the Division of Art, Bob Jones University.-Early life and education:...
and Carl Blair
Carl Blair
Carl Blair is an artist and was for more than forty years a member of the art faculty at Bob Jones University.-Biography:...
, to found Hampton III Gallery, one of the first commercial galleries in Upstate South Carolina.