The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is one of the world’s most prestigious art museums. It is home to works from Monet, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, and Picasso. The Met showcases art from the best of the best, and it has paintings and sculptures from Wyoming and inspired by Wyoming.


 

Jackson Pollock (Cody, WY) - Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)

The most notable artist from Wyoming is Jackson Pollock. He was born in Cody, Wyoming. He was made famous from his dip or splash style of painting. Inspired by Picasso, he pushed the boundaries in the abstract art movement. Even though Pollock is from Wyoming, you can not find any of his art galleries in the state. The Met does have a plethora of his paintings.

If you want to make your own splatter paintings without the mess, and you are on a computer (it requires Flash), try this website jacksonpollock.org. Just drag your mouse around the screen and click to change colors.

 


 

Ansel Adams (Inspiration from Yellowstone) – Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Ansel Adams is known for his stunning black and white nature photography. Although he is from California, he has captured the beauty of Wyoming. He has photos of the Tetons and the, Snake River, and Old Faithful at The Met.

 


 

From an early age Harry Jackson loved to ride and draw horses. In 1938 he ran away from his home in Chicago to be a cowboy at the Pitchfork Finch in Meeteetse. To Jackson Wyoming has always been his spiritual home.His art meanders from abstract expressionism to realistic western. Just as his muse travels across many lands and and styles, he and his art always comes back to Wyoming. He has his studio in Cody.

 


 

Albert Bierstadt (Inspired by Lander, WY) – The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak

In this day and age of the smart phone, it is easy to forget that the camera was not always available. Take this painting for example - yes, this is a painting. Albert Bierstadt was sent with the US Survey Team led by Fredrick W. Lander. Bierstadt was there to document the trip. Now this hyper realist painting adores the walls at the Met. This style is often called luminism where the painter uses light and dark to make the painting appear as though it is lit from above. This is one mans perspective of what we now call Lander's Peak.

The Met also has some of Bierstadt's Studies of Indian Chiefs Made at Fort Laramie.

 


 

David Hare (Jackson, WY) - The Swan's Dream of Leda

David Hare was part of the surrealist and abstract expressionist movement. He developed a photo technique called “heatage” where a photo negative is exposed to heat to make the image distort. He is mostly known for his sculptures some of which are at The Met. Hare passed away in his Jackson home.

 

More From 104.7 KISS-FM