An artist’s lifetime search to understand the meaning of life has been compiled by his family and friends and put on display for the students of Bakersfield College.
Former BC art professor Frederick Coon’s paintings can now be viewed in the Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery in an exhibit titled, “A Search for Meaning.” The gallery is located inside the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library.
Coon, who passed away in 2007, was influenced and drawn to the spiritual and mystical natures of religion and philosophy, as well as draw inspiration from locations like the American Southwest and Western Europe, according to his son, Ken Coon, and his life-partner, Michael L. Miller who organized the exhibit.
According to Coon, the art show was an idea presented by Miller as a way to honor the memory and the lifetime of achievements by Coon through his work.
“Since Fred taught here for almost 40 years, I thought that this would be a place that would be great to honor his art career,” said Miller.
Miller knew Coon for about 25 years and observed his explorations and attempts to interpret his findings through his artwork.
“It seemed, in my mind, that the progression of his artwork was that he was really searching for meaning in life, and spirituality and that sort of thing,” he said.
Miller described how Coon’s earlier paintings of Christ and stained glass imageries depicted his interests in religion and spirituality. Miller also discussed how later on in Coon’s life, he and his wife, Joann, would travel to the Southwest canyons and ruins, specifically Taos and Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, to search for meaning and inspiration, which led to him painting those images based on his perceptions.
In the 90s, according to Miller, Coon sought for meaning and understanding through Buddhist philosophies and imagery, which inspired another chapter of Coon’s paintings.
Miller also noted how the color palette choices shifted as Coon sought inspiration in other spiritual philosophies. The exhibit’s design is also meant to illustrate this in the layout of the showroom floor, chronicling his work, beginning with his early pieces.
Miller recalls how Coon generally kept his artwork private, rarely holding public showings.
“He never really showed his work publicly, it was sort of, more or less, his exploration, I think, into the meaning of things and spirituality and basically shared it with his family. He wasn’t necessarily interested or had that ego about exhibiting his work in the gallery scene, or anything like that.
“It was really, more or less, his investigation into the meaning of life and spirituality,” said Miller.
Miller also offered a suggestion for anyone that will be viewing the exhibit.
“If I were to tell someone how to experience this exhibit, I would say just let yourself feel it and not necessarily get too intellectual about the content of it, but just sort of experience it. And I think the color is very strong and powerful in that way too, to give you a feeling of what he was exploring.”
The exhibit’s opening reception was Sept. 9, and will continue to run through Sept. 30.
The gallery’s hours and days of operation are Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.