Image: Philip Latimer Dike, Nice, France, 1931, watercolor on paper, Gift of the Dike Family Trust, Scripps College
Scripps College starts off this year’s exhibitions with Chasing Daylight: Philip Latimer Dike, 1927 –1943, which runs from August 31 through October 13, 2013. The opening reception, with live music and light refreshments, will be held on September 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery.
Dike contributed greatly to the California art scene of the 1930s and 1940s through his work in what would later become known as the “California Style” of watercolor painting. As the 1920s drew to a close and throughout the 1930s, Dike began to master the art of translating the effects of light and color into watercolor. In those early years, his fascination with this work led the rather shy and private artist on a journey into Europe and the southwestern United States.
With more than 50 paintings, the exhibition tells the story of these years in detail. Visitors will view Dike’s impressions of life in New York in the late 1920s and his studies at the Art Students League of New York; his work in Europe, including his time at the American Academy of Art at Fountainbleau; and his travels afterwards. Paintings created after his return from his trip overseas will also be on display, as Dike continued his exploration of light and color by recording street scenes, architecture and landscapes in Southern California and the Southwest.
The exhibition is generously supported by the Jean and Arthur Ames Endowment. Lenders to the exhibition include: Gerald Buck; Lance and Elena Calvert; E. Gene Crain; Woody and Judie Dike; Mark and Janet Hilbert; Jim and Catherine Moule; Mike and Susan Verbal. Works from the Scripps permanent collection will also be displayed.