Show o b p exhibit C. C C. C Christensen's art 1 eight eight- U tin tn in New NewIal Newa Ial a Mor- Mor loneer p pioneer neer n wUl y at atthe the cio r ro 4 to o the bea e e. e 30 ve plo plo- tm I 1111 ill SaltI Salt be tf the Arts 1 tine Fine ver- ver rama rama ramar r hris- hris in ine e ex- ex Dr of IT wilI wilIE E again mother lother on- on gers tt P ions fe R I rand and anda ar a ld the theun gun gun- un- un otier itier ana a. a r once nce on onI I Lid a a. at ik t 30 fl F Fearn earn earn or cl and ass ase 1 the well ell ellIne Ine i la f ond d dt g t our r fW th ms yip MD r R I gt- gt m- m the Elf rn the the i Brigham Young University College College College Col Col- lege of Fine Arts and Com Corn F. F E E. E Sanguinetti ettl etti director of ot the Utah Museum of Fine Arts University University University sity of ot Utah will be In charge of the October October-N October November show show- ing The October 3 opening at the University of Utah will coincide with the semi-annual semi General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter Saints for the convenience of state out-of-state conference visitors visitors visitors visit visit- ors and local residents The showing will continue through November 8 Wilburn West director of the Utah State Institute of Fine Arts members of the Church Information Committee and David W. W Evans who represented represented represented the Church Information Committee in the Christensen Whitney Panorama-Whitney M Mus Museum u s e u m showings in New York are serving on the special committee committee committee com com- in charge of the Utah showing According to Mr Evans the Whitney Museum showing of the Christensen Panorama was a significant break for Utah visual arts F For or decades It was pointed point point- ed out Utah has won fame for forthe forthe forthe the Tabernacle Choir Utah Symphony Orchestra University University University sity theatre and ballet but the talent of Utah artists present and past has largely been unknown unknown un unknown un- un known outside of our own state The recent rediscovery of or orthe the Christensen Panorama will give broader exposure to the works of other Utah artists Art critics in the main have praised the Panorama A recent preliminary search for paintings of Utah artists of the pioneer period has brought to light a wealth of or material that has virtually been unknown to the public Some of the finer pieces have seldom 1 If ever been seen by any but a afew afew afew few privileged These paintings are of both the primitive primitive primitive primi primi- tive telling story-telling type like the Christensen Panorama and art of a more classical type Among the states state's telling story-telling painters were George M M. M Ottinger ottinger Ot- Ot Dan Major William Wllliam Werner Charles Eisele Eisele Eisele Eis- Eis ele Henry Moser Reuben Kirkham Kirkham Kirkham Kirk- Kirk ham Lorus Pratt and Schuyler Remington Our more sophisticated sophisticated sophisticated artists of the century century century cen cen- tury Included John W. W Clawson J J. J B B. B Fairbanks John Hafen H. H L L. L A. A Culmer J. J T. T Harwood Alfred Lambourne Mahonri Young and many more not to mention some artists of a more t recent date The works of a he number of these will be shown nom along with the Christensen Panr Pan Pan- r had ur orama tall The Panorama depicted in Its gera original form 24 historical TP p scenes all connected with the out a Mormon Church prior to the thee tie e arrival of the first Immigrants c to Utah in 1847 Each scene was 1 painted separately on a piece of ate canvas or other substitute i if material measuring approximately approximately approximately ten by seven feet The paintings were then sewn together to together together to- to r gether to form a scroll for rolling on wooden poles hanging on a rustic tripod frame The Thet t I scrolls were operated by a hand handI I crank as each of the scenes I 11 was exposed while the artist lh h who also served as lecturer 1 told the Mormon story Most ll l of the paintings depicted the r r hardships and persecutions the ther j r Mormons endured during their colonization periods in Missouri Missouri Missouri Miss Miss- ouri and Illinois Work on the paintings began in 1877 in Ephraim completed by 1890 and were shown In many communities of the intermountain states during the lifetime of the artist There is valid evidence that Christensen painted a second panorama of the same size and number of scenes but of different different differ differ- ent subjects However Its present whereabouts are un un- un known A third panorama of seven paintings also Is thought to have been produced Last known recorded date of the showing of the third panorama was In Independence now called called called call call- ed Thornton Idaho In 1935 Efforts to locate both of these scrolls are under way Art critics who saw the Christensen showing in New NewYork NewYork York generally have been com com- Alfred Frankenstein Frankenstein Frankenstein Franken Franken- stein art editor of San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco Chronicle who was at the Whitney opening said There Chere is a strong folkloric quality in Christensen's paintings al though he was not strictly speaking a folk artist He had had some academic training In Denmark and his work shows it H especially in his handling of perspective But the naive quality of his figure draftsmanship draftsmanship draftsmanship drafts drafts- manship Is fortunately far from professional Like an unalloyed painter In the folk tradition he paints not perception perception perception per per- but memory Mrs Jean Lipman editor of Art In America calls the Panorama The American art discovery of 1970 and Mr John I. I H. H Baur Whitney Museum director said Weare We Weare Ve are delighted with the pan pan- orama the quality of the work is excellent and the paintings paintings paintings paint paint- ings have great historical value John Gruen art editor of New York Magazine wrote This Chis e extraordinary series of paintings Illustrating the trials and tribulations of the Mor Mor- mons Is of historic significance significance significance cance on several counts There Is no question but that Christensen was an artist who could tell a powerful and poignant poignant poignant nant story In the best century century century cen cen- tury genre tradition StylisticAlly Stylistically Stylistic Stylistic- Ally lIly the mixture of the primitive primitive primi prImi- U tive ve and the romantic produces an odd and bittersweet logic and an altogether endearing sense of fervor For the most part the scenes are very crowded Lush landscapes restless skies ana ano hundreds of figures populate the canvases Despite the ness busy-ness ChrIstensen Christensen Christensen Chris ChrIs- Imbued his work with remarkable order Additional comments of crItics critics critics cri crI- tics Include the following Willaim Benton publisher and chairman of wrote to Art In America America America Am Am- erica I want you to know how Interesting I found your mater mater- ial about the Mormons This was all new to me Harpers Harper's Bazaar said of them Hung publicly for the first time In a hundred years they have an unexpected lIghtness lightness lightness light lIght- ness of palette a touching almost naive optimism Christian Science Monitor The two examples here illustrate Illustrate illustrate Illus illus- linked closely Incidents In Inthe Inthe inthe the long trek westward from the settlement of They show too Christensen's Christensen's Christensen's Chris Chris- keen eye for relevant narrative detail and in CrossIng Crossing Cross ing lug the River especially his grasp of dramatic size and movement Don McDonagh In London England Financial Times The Che paintings are strongly naturalistic and charged with action Christensen was not nota a great artist but his panorama has a life of inflamed religious conviction His palette of colours shifts from the hot warm colours of contention to the cooler greens and blues of contentment as the wandering Mormon settlers finally reached reach reach- ed the promised land of Utah where they flourished Barry Leo Delaney In Staten Island New York Advance Being a trained artist he Christensen was able to do at least competent work with a feeling for scale perspective and composition It has an undeniable decorative character character character char char- acter In any event and somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what resembles great French scenic wallpapers that were popular during the Empire and Victorian periods Carl Carmer in Art In America America America Am Am- erica The Che bright colors the vitality of the human figures the strength of the compositions compositions compositions give them a unique ity J. J Roman Andrus professor of art Brigham Young University University University sity said The Che Mormon Panorama Panorama Panorama Pan Pan- orama is direct in statement and has a range of detail that makes It seem to be from the hand of a primitive but when the body of work Is closely studied it becomes apparent that the paintings are imbued with depth and the vigorous concern of a noble spirit They are conceived and planned by a disciplined and facile mind and executed by a hand that could be sensitive and subtle quick and powerful The organization of the canvases Is often complicated complicated complicated com com- yet Informally balanced balanced balanced bal bal- with such varied elements as architectural forms en encircled encircled encircled en- en circled with masses of figures and present ever-present trees for dramatic relief and textural detail Of all the visual forces the color attests most elo elo- Moods of desolation desolation desolation desola desola- tion and grief reside in the greens and smoky grays blue-grays while spiritual outpouring is seen in the reds and yellows and terror is felt In the yel yel- low-browns low as the face death in the swollen river which is brightened by white cartoon- cartoon like lighting Rediscovery of ot the Christen Christen- sen paintings was made In the late by the noted poet ian-poet Carl Carmer of New York While In Utah doing re research research research re- re search for a book he had been commissioned to write for Doubleday publishers Carmer learned of the Mormon Panorama Pan Pan- orama He obtained colored copies of the paintings which had been in possession of the Brigham You Young n g University since 1953 after reposing in various Christensen family homes In Ephraim Utah since the death of their creator In 1912 Carmer later obtained color transparencies for the book he Intended to write Years later in the fall of 1969 after the Carmer book had been finally finally finally fin fin- ally approved for publication without reproductions of the paintings Carmer showed them to Art in America Editors of the magazine arranged through Church Information Information Information tion Service to reproduce the paintings in a special spring 1970 Issue Story text for this number was done by Mr Carmer Mahonri Sharp Young a son of the late famed Utah artist Mahonri Young and Kimball Young Owners of the Mormon Panorama expect it will be shown In many art museums throughout the nation f t jt r y r r 7 ii 4 I 1 c cr r- r s r r j j 1 w h il w w. w. w I This scene from the Mormon Panorama rec- rec Indians from the Book of Mormon which he the Prophet Joseph Smith teaching the declared was the history of their people j |