Fire and Ice: Paintings of the Mississippi River by John Anderson-Bricker

Concentrating on those extremes of the Midwestern climate – the boiling humidity of summer and the deep freeze of winter – this collection of colorful and expressive acrylic riverscapes by Dubuque sculptor and painter John Anderson-Bricker features paintings created over this 20 year period.

Some of the earliest celebrated American artists from the Hudson River School were best known for the spiritual inspiration they found in the forests and mountains along the Hudson River in the Northeastern United States. For Anderson-Bricker, finding inspiration along the Mississippi continues this tradition. His journey to visually explore the man-made versus the natural environments of the river during extreme seasonal cycles evolved to mirror his personal journey through unexpected physical setbacks and discovering his own resiliency to persist and adapt.

With his focus on river and climate, Anderson-Bricker visualizes the sensory experiences of extreme weather conditions along the local backwaters and banks of the mighty Mississippi. According to the artist, “The height of the summer and winter seasons forces [me] to convey an uncontrollable aspect of the natural world. Uncomfortable environmental conditions of heat, humidity, frigidity, and snow afford access to light, color, and textures of desiccation, vapor, reflected light, water, and ice. While the hottest days of summer reveal the manic, overabundant fertility of the season, the ice of winter suggests the absence of living things.” [...]

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website