Artwork copyright dick ibach. Photo courtesy of the artist.

"Amanda's Puppet" after Rousseau, 1990

dick ibach
(American | German, born 1940, died 2021)

Location: Hamblen Elementary, Spokane

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

'"Amanda’s Puppet" After Rousseau' by dick ibach is part of a series inspired by the “primitive” style of painting. It directly references a 1903 painting by the well-known French artist Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) of a young child holding a marionette puppet. Rousseau was a self-taught artist, and his paintings feature a distinct style, with colorful and simple shapes. ibach notes that for Rousseau and other so-called "primitive" artists, “Attempts at space and proportion are ‘incorrect’ which adds to the charm and richness of their decisions.” ibach imitates this style, ignoring geometry and perspective on purpose, but he creates depth with overlapping forms, textures, and warm and cool colors. The tree imagery in the painting was borrowed from his daughter’s childhood drawings, and the title references her.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Spokane School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Spokane, Eastern Washington-based artist dick ibach (1940-2021) created paintings that combine figurative imagery with expressive forms, symbolism, and intense patterning. His art is humorous and often based on his memories: "It is my intention to speak of the contradictions of the human condition: to address both the nobility and stupidity of it all." He believes that the viewer must develop a “visual literacy” and not expect explanations, because “Artists are visual and their imagery is visual… Words are for poets.”

ibach was born and grew up in Yakima, Central Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seattle University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, in 1972. He taught art at Spokane Falls Community College for over fifteen years. In addition to teaching, he was a Jesuit brother for ten years during the 1960s and he worked many odd jobs such as a hospital orderly, sod buster, cattle brander, grave digger, and cabinet maker. These experiences shaped his point of view as an artist.