Beyond the Surface: Life Works in Painting and Assemblage

Lewis Buck’s Beyond the Surface: Life Works in Painting and Assemblage at the Fine Art Museum, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee through Dec. 15.

To finally see the work of an unsung hero featured in his own retrospective is such a rich experience. You might recall my mention of Frank Lobdell and his retrospective in a previous post, well, right here in Western North Carolina, I find Lewis Buck being similarly celebrated for his dedication to art making.


“Little Known Bird of the Inner Aisle,” assemblage, Lewis Buck, 1978.

Buck has been painting, without pause, since the 1940s. Viewing this deeply thoughtful selection of Buck’s work gave me clear insight into recent art history, Buck’s sharply intelligent mind, and his curious soul.

Buck is a master of assemblage or the “glued and screwed” approach to painting. He uses anything at hand, old Adirondack chairs, roofing shingles, aprons, lace trim, burlap, saw blades, wood pieces, netting, etc. Nothing escapes his sharp eyes. I would suggest that Buck has taken inspiration from Picasso, Braque, Klee, Burri, Diebenkorn and Kenzo. Make no mistake, these are not homages to aforementioned artists; Buck’s work carries his own sophisticated vision.

Many artists find it difficult to title work, I hear it all the time. In fact, many times, I’ve done it too; artists have long and laborious discussion over a work’s title. Not so with Buck, this man loves word play. Could it be the echoes of that English Lit degree? I would love to hear him discuss his title choices.

Buck, now 83, and his wife, Porge, currently reside in Black Mountain (what is it about Black Mountain?). They moved to Asheville in 1983 and immediately began to shake things up in their Montford home. Since galleries were hard to find, they opened one, --in their own home. This gallery provided a place to showcase their work and the work of other local artists. The Buck’s worked for many years as fomenters of change; their neighborhood’s growing pains could find no relief.

See this show: Fall hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed during holidays included on WCU’s academic calendar. For more information, contact Martin DeWitt, founding director, at (828) 227-2553 or mdewitt@email.wcu.edu; or Hillary Brett, assistant curator, at (828) 227-3591 or hbrett@email.cwcu.edu.

Further reading on this enriching experience:
The Asheville Citizen Times

Mountain Xpress