WORTHINGTON - A painting either works, or it doesn’t.
That’s the philosophy artist Kevin Dumdei has painted on for nearly 50 years.
The Sioux Falls, S.D. artist has created plenty that work, and they’ll be displayed Sept. 10 through Oct. 27 at the Nobles County Art Center in the lower level of the Nobles County Library in Worthington. An opening reception, which will include a Q&A with Dumei, will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Nobles County Art Center.
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“This has been fun for me,” Dumdei said. “And I haven’t done a show in a while.”
Dumdei said his exhibit at the Nobles County Art Center, a one-man show, will be his largest. The exhibit will feature about 30 unique paintings created during various stages of his career.
“A lot of shows want newer stuff,” he said. “This has been interesting for me to see new paintings side-by-side with older.”
Since about 1970, Dumdei and a friend, Steve Brummond, have roamed the Sioux Falls area looking for something to catch their eyes. They set up an easel and let their hands get to work.
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“The bulk is done outside on-site and in a relatively short amount of time - sometimes in three to three and a half hours,” Dumdei said.
For the remainder of the paintings, the finished product is what Dumdei calls a hybrid - partially painted on-site and partially in his basement studio.
The creation style fits the remainder of his philosophy, “A piece that works is not always immediately obvious, but one that doesn’t is known right away.”
“When I’m stuck I throw away the little brushes and it seems to work,” he said.
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That philosophy has produced one of Dumdei’s favorite pieces.
He was struggling on-site and brought it back to his studio, where he threw away the small brushes and accomplished the remainder in 15 minutes.
“I was ready to scrap it, but I farted around in the studio with it,” he said.
This and other Dumdei paintings can be viewed during the exhibit period weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. or by appointment at the Nobles County Art Center.
