Former UConn art professor Alexey von Schlippe observed the world around him and transformed it into portraits, landscapes, and still lifes of a unique and unmistakable style. His classical European training and Russian and German roots were evident. But more prominent was a fascination for experimentation with color, perspective, scale, and detail. He seemed to be constantly striving for the “correct” combination of elements in his paintings.
Alexey – for whom the Gallery of Art at Avery Point is named – was so prolific that he painted on anything he could get his hands on, from canvas to leaves of a table, often using both sides. I never had the privilege of knowing him, but I grew to feel a strong connection with him through his amazing art – some 500 paintings, which remained with us and became the basis of the gallery.
As we begin our 20th year, I can’t help but look back on our humble beginnings, when the gallery was created with the assistance of my colleague and Alexey’s longtime friend, then UConn physics professor David Madacsi. Showing regional artists at first, the gallery seemed to take on a life of its own overnight, and we began building national and international programs and audiences.
It is Alexey’s spirit of diverse subject matter, varied materials, and passion for art that is found in the gallery today. When I consider artists for the gallery, somewhere in my mind I am pondering if Alexey would have liked my choices or what he would have said about a particular artist’s work. We tend to show a good deal of innovative art, artists pushing the limits of their creativity. I feel this is what Alexey did in his own work. He was driven to go one step beyond what he had already accomplished.
We have shown the work of many artists who I feel do exactly that.
Mark McKee is one such artist. Trained classically, he has taken that knowledge and gone fearlessly into new realms with his art, combining classical figures with raw, gutsy materials and subjects in his striking mixed media pieces. And like Alexey, Mark is also a dynamic teacher.
We continue to push the envelope as Alexey did, with installations like “The Question” by Pamela Pike Gordinier, which begged of the public: “What one question would you ask?” Thousands of responses poured in and became the basis for Pamela’s incredibly beautiful and powerful labyrinth exhibit.
To learn more about Alexey von Schlippe, the AvS Gallery of Art, exhibitions, and events, please go to averypointarts.uconn.edu.
Julia M. Pavone is curator and director of the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art.
