"Alaska's Dancing Night Lights"
Introduction: A Painting
Sometime between 1932 and the mid 1950's, Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt Lambert painted the 'Aurora and Dogteam' highlighting the Alaska Northern Lights through a real-life observation. His personal experiences as a Freight Carrier and Musher was an inspiration for most of his completed art work. He was born and raised in Chicago and artistically trained at the Art Institute of Chicago before he moved to Alaska in 1925; then moved back to the lower-48 for Art Training. In 1932, upon moving back to Alaska and arriving in Fairbanks where he lived for 20 years painting the physical lifestyles by utilizing his skilled perception on the moody lands and all who traveled it; the natures grand vistas and delicate trails.
Ted painted many popular visual arts. Mr. Lambert's early Alaskan-era paintings stemmed from his inspiration of the impressive people of Alaska, trappers and miners traveling the land night or day, whose outdoor lifestyle he knew well.
Art Elements:
Through Theodore's creativity he controlled his freehand painting to create a diverse, two-dimensional painting of the Aurora Borealis lighting the way for the musher, who by nature is traveling at the speed of light to safely land at his next overnight location.
In rural Alaska, electricity was not present at the time of this completed painting. The musher skillfully used the Northern Lights as a form of light to lead his way. This was a imperative technique. Though the Aurora danced up in the sky following the Musher, Roosevelt rhythmically colored the sky and dark tree line to give you the feel of the crisp, cold ride through the woods. With still an obvious distance to travel.
Skimming through the woods stepping on the brakes when he needed, through the opaque painting you can imagine the music playing in his mind with determination to safely make it to the next stop, for help is nowhere near. The cool, dull colors give you perception that during this Era there was only so many colors and styles of paint that was available, for it was a time when Alaska remained, mostly, undeveloped.
The tone of the artwork gives you a sense that the Musher still has a long way to travel given the time of the night; traveling through the distanced, repetitive tree lines shadowing darkness that is timely approaching. While racing with the Northern Lights to get to a warm and safe stopping point. A lifestyle that I merely have seen here and there throughout my own life, growing up in Alaska. I got to experience the Aurora Borealis with deep respect as a child and still today; the light in the dark has even brought me home from hunts or wood hauling, many times.
With the use of Roosevelt's man-made brush strokes, this coarse painting represents a lifestyle that is still present in many rural areas of Alaska. A lifestyle that many still enjoy and prize given the modernization that we have come to live in. For centuries Northern Lights provide light in the dark for many, and has brought many home safely. Even while witnessing the rhythmical dance moves of every natural streaked pattern. Vivid with colors of every hue in sight.
I would certainly and respectively hang this painting in my own home; a new dream of mine. I hope that you have enjoyed viewing and reading this interesting blog post about the old Alaskan days.
Citations:
Roosevelt Lambert, Theodore. "Aurora and Dogteam [Unfinished]." Date Unknown. Fairbanks, Alaska or Alaska Bristol Bay. https://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/fineart/collection/collection-highlights/alaska-classics/
Comments