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Artwork copyright Mel McCuddin. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.
Piper, 1989
Mel McCuddin
American (born 1933, died 2022)
Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia
About the Artwork
Piper is a painting by artist Mel McCuddin, composed using a warm, subtle under-painting to make the colors of the image glow. This piece is part of the artist's body of work in which the composition of a solitary figure develops spontaneously. McCuddin found the resulting figure reminiscent of the Pied Piper of Hamlin, a folktale he remembers from childhood.
This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.
About the Artist
Spokane, Eastern Washington-based artist Mel McCuddin (1933-2022) created expressive, figurative paintings. In his own words: “I begin a painting with no idea in mind, and at a certain point in the process of putting paint on the canvas, an idea will suggest itself. Many of these ideas change and many are rejected until one seems strong enough to accept. My paintings are essentially a record of the evolution of an idea... What I’ve been after for a long time is something that you feel more than see, paintings with a strong presence.”McCuddin was born and raised on a dairy farm on Spokane’s North Side. He loved art as a child and made art all through high school. He worked as a truck driver for dairies, took art classes when he could, and painted at night until retirement allowed him to create art full time.
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