In a first-ever ‘virtual’ competition, two paintings by Cedar Rapids, Iowa artist Paul Marlow have been selected for the 2020 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts exhibition. The painting "Fanfare for the Mailman" was accepted in the adult oil painting category, and "Zoey’s Pizzeria, July 5, 7:16 pm", was chosen in the acrylic painting category.
Fanfare for the Mailman (W 56th & 9th Ave, NYC), 2020, Oil on Canvas, 30 in. x 40 in.
"Fanfare for the Mailman" features a New York City postal worker, pushing a cart full of packages across 9th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Regarding the work, Marlow said, “In any major city, there is always something interesting to see nearly everywhere you look. I was in New York, coming from an Andy Warhol exhibit at the Whitney. As my taxi crossed 9th Ave, I saw this man pushing a cart overflowing with packages. I captured several photos of him as we passed.
I knew at that moment I would paint this man and this scene. He was like a hero out of Greek mythology—a twenty-first century Sisyphean man, condemned to push a boulder up a mountain for all eternity. After the pandemic erupted, his story took on added significance.
This work is an elegy, a fanfare for the common man and essential worker. He seemingly forges on with his burden, going from lightness/order, to darkness and chaos. He is an American allegory. I wonder what has become of him.”
Zoey’s Pizzeria, July 5, 7:16 pm. 2019. Acrylic on Canvas. 30 in. x 40 in.
The second accepted entry, “Zoey’s Pizzeria, July 5, 7:16 pm” features a popular restaurant in Marion, Iowa. It is located in an old auto parts store on the corner of Marion Square. Marlow said, “There is something very American about this subject—a balance of beautiful light, small town architecture and cultural nostalgia.”
The scene reminded Marlow of a work by one of the artist’s favorite American Realist painters. “The north-facing wall of Zoey’s is painted a deep red, reminiscent of “Early Sunday Morning”, by Edward Hopper. The place has a very special vibe. I fell in love with the long, cool shadows on the century-old buildings—playing off the warmth of that golden hour light.”
It took Marlow months to get the look he wanted. He said, “I had been trying since early March, 2018 to get a reference shot of Zoey’s when the light was just right. By the July 4th weekend, I finally got what I wanted. While my brother Patric was inside, picking up a large Chicago-style pizza, I was across the street, photographing the scene.” The painting is now in the collection of Mary Kay and Pat McGrath of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 Iowa State Fair due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Fair board of directors allowed the 2020 Fine Arts competition to go on, since the Fine Art entries were submitted and juried digitally. The judges will gather to choose award winners from the juried submissions, and a virtual exhibit is planned.
In a statement, fair officials said, “Even though fairgoers won’t be gathering in Des Moines, we are developing a virtual opportunity to showcase the beautiful submissions we have received. This will also include a People’s Choice vote.”
2020 marks the sixth year in a row Marlow’s work has been selected for the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. Marlow won 2nd and 3rd place in the 2019 Fine Arts competition in oil painting. Marlow won first place in the 2018 exhibition for an oil painting entitled “Tornado Watch, Fall”, and second place in the 2017 and 2016 exhibitions.
The Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Salon has a rich and vibrant history, going back to 1854. Many of Iowa's finest artists have won prizes at the state fair, including renown regional artist Grant Wood. Beginning in 1929, Wood won prizes in oil painting four years in a row at the Iowa State Fair. In 1930, Grant Wood went on to paint his iconic masterpiece, "American Gothic", one of the most familiar images in 20th-century American art, and considered to be the most recognized portrait in the world, after “The Mona Lisa”.
This is the first time since World War II that the Iowa State Fair has been cancelled. During recent years, over 1 million visitors attend the Iowa State Fair. As of this writing, the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit is scheduled once again to be open to the public August 12, 2021 through August 22, 2021 at the Patty & Jim Cownie Cultural Center, on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.