University of St. Thomas

The Lyricism of Line: Drawings and Watercolors of Marian-Ortolf Bagley

The Lyricism of Line: Drawings and Watercolors by Marian-Ortolf Bagley will feature a selection of works on paper representing themes that have fascinated this Minnesota artist for over two decades. Thematic groupings include marsh and fieldscapes, floral images and afterimages, Minnesota maize and Mediterranean townscapes. All of the works reflect the artist's interest in serial imagery as well as her study of color perception and color balance.

The drawings will provide an enjoyable respite for visitors as Minnesota enters the winter season. Closely observed depictions of flowers and plants and light-filled landscapes reflect the eye of a perceptive colorist and the artist's love of travel. A series of delicate quince branches evokes the tender colors of spring, while towering corn plants recall hot summer days.

The artist works from live flowers in each series, noting their individual cycle of growth, bloom and decay. The visual images from her travels are wide-ranging including townscapes from Turkey, southern France and Holland. Other landscapes capture the desaturated hues of Minnesota marshland and the brilliant colors of lavender fields in Provence.

Marian-Ortolf Bagley is Professor Emeritus of Design from the University of Minnesota, where she taught color theory and design from 1974-1995. She received a B.F.A. from Wayne State University and an M.A.T. from Indiana University. A recipient of seventeen awards for her work in juried national and regional exhibitions, she is represented in public, corporate and private collections including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Weisman Art Museum. She has participated in 20 solo shows and in 2002 was commissioned to create an image of a ladyslipper to represent the 20th Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.