Lois Dodd: Natural Order

For nearly eight decades, Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927) has produced a compelling body of work grounded in direct observation of her immediate surroundings. Working from her homes and studios on New York’s Lower East Side; Blairstown, New Jersey, near the Delaware Water Gap; and Midcoast Maine, Dodd continually draws inspiration from everyday life. Her subjects include verdant landscapes, detailed close-ups of flowers, nocturnal skies, dense woods, windows, clotheslines, weather-worn clapboard barns, and urban views entirely devoid of people. Painting en plein air, or outdoors, Dodd returns to familiar subjects repeatedly over the course of years or decades, working quickly to capture subtle changes in light, weather, and atmosphere at different seasons or times of day.

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Dodd enrolled at The Cooper Union in the late 1940s, where she studied art and textile design. In 1952 she served as one of five founding members of the legendary Tanager Gallery, one of the first artist-run cooperative galleries in New York. Although she is often associated with the deadpan realism of her contemporaries Alex Katz, Fairfield Porter, and Neil Welliver, Dodd forged her own distinctive path during an era otherwise dominated by Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism. Her direct yet unassuming pictures reflect an acutely observational approach to painting, often oscillating between representation and abstraction.

Featuring almost eighty paintings spanning nearly the entirety of her artistic production, from the mid-1950s to 2021, this exhibition is the largest survey of Dodd’s career to date. Taking its title from a work in the exhibition, Lois Dodd: Natural Order refers both to the artist’s enduring interest in nature and to the underlying geometry that structures her work. In compositions distilled to their very essence, Dodd offers a closely observed yet deeply personal view of the world that reflects the interiority of her artistic vision. “Painters are lucky that they see things—not everyone has this ability,” Dodd has said. “I can see things, and that’s where it starts.”

All text for this exhibition will be available in both English and Spanish. (Todo los textos de esta exposición estaran disponibles en Inglés y en Español).

Lois Dodd: Natural Order is presented in partnership with the Hall Art Foundation and Alexandre Gallery, New York.

Lois Dodd: Natural Order is generously underwritten by:

The Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund

Edward John Noble Foundation, Inc.

S & L Marx Foundation

Committee of Honor and Co-Chairs: Kathy Epstein, Kathy and Bill Georgas, Jerome Heisler, Felicity Kostakis, Julia Balaeskoul Nusseibeh, Nicole Reynolds, Betsey Ruprecht, and Deborah Simon

Leader: Kathy C. Epstein, Jerome S. Heisler in honor of Rebecca A. Gillan, and Pamela J. Hoiles

Master: Nicole Reynolds, and Betsey Ruprecht

Champion: Mitzi and Bernard Armstrong, Carolyn and Maurice Cunniffe, Vicki and Bill Fitzgerald, Kathy and Bill Georgas, Hall Art Foundation, Felicity Kostakis and Timothy Yanoti, Susan E. Lynch, Joanna Pisani and Cary Brody, and Deborah Simon

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Natural Order, 1978

Oil on linen, 50 x 38 in.

Hall Collection. Courtesy Hall Art Foundation

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Night Sky Loft, 1973

Oil on linen, 66 x 64 in.

Hall Collection. Courtesy Hall Art Foundation

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Road and Hillside in Headlights, 1992

Oil on linen, 36 x 50 in.

Hall Collection. Courtesy Hall Art Foundation

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Cow Parsnip, 1996

Oil on linen, 38 x 80 in.

Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME, Gift of Alex Katz, 2005.008

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Pond, 1962

Oil on linen, 58 x 65 in.

Cordelia Nicholas LLC, courtesy Alexandre Gallery, New York

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Red Gladioli, 2005

Oil on linen, 50 x 26 in.

Courtesy of the artist and Alexandre Gallery, New York

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Men's Shelter, March, #2, 1968

Oil on linen, 33-1/2 x 29-1/4 in.

Hall Collection

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

8 Nudes in the Garden, 2009-10

Oil on linen, 25 x 80 in.

Courtesy of the artist and Alexandre Gallery, New York

Lois Dodd (American, b. 1927)

Winter Sunset, Blair Pond, 2008

Oil on linen, 48 x 52 in.

Courtesy Private Collection, Holyoke, Massachusetts

Bruce Inspires: Adult Watercolor Workshop Series

Dates: April 22, 29, 2023 and May 5, 12, 2023

Time: 11:00 AM–1:00 PM

Audience: Adults (18 and up)

Cost: $280 for non-members, and $250 for members

Instructor: Nancy McTague-Stock

This workshop series, appropriate for watercolor artists in all stages of their practice, will focus on exploring different mediums and subjects for painting, using both contemporary and historical examples of watercolor and work currently on view at the Bruce Museum for inspiration. In these workshops students will have the chance to work one-on-one with Nancy, who will provide an open, positive, upbeat atmosphere for students of all skill levels. Classes will be held in person at the Bruce Museum on Saturdays in April and May from 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

Bruce Inspires: Adult Watercolor Workshop Series

Teen Workshop

Date: April 28 and April 29, 2023

Time: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM

Audience: Teens

Cost: Free with admission

Description: Experiment, create, explore and so much more with the Junior Docent team. Free for teens!

Teen Afternoons: Lois Dodd Inspired Art Workshop

Art Adventures: En Plein Air

Date: May 27 and May 28, 2023

Time: 1:00 PM–3:00 PM

Audience: Families/Intergenerational (5 and up)

Cost: Free with admission

Description: A drop-in program designed for children aged 5 and up and their families. In this program, participants will have the opportunity to craft fun and creative works of art inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions. This program is free with general admission and no advance registration is required.

Art Adventures: En Plein Air

Community Day: Summer Block Party

Date: June 10 and June 11, 2023

Time: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Audience: All

Cost: Free

Community Day: Summer Block Party

Teens @ Bruce

Date: June 24, 2023

Time 5:00 PM–8:00 PM

Audience: Teens

Cost: Free