Label
John R. Peterson
c. 1949 - 2008
Crossing the River
1999 | ink drawing
Notes: John Peterson was a "free spirit" who often spent time creating art in Saugatuck. He was formally trained at the Chicago Institute of Art and was an accomplished draftsman, sculptor, and muralist.
Peterson, who loved to camp while he was in Saugatuck, drew in a style reminiscent of the San Francisco "hippie" sensibility. His beautifully executed works are created by juxtaposing tight patterns against negative space, creating illusions of depth and shading. The works are filled with whimsey, surprise, and playfulness, but are not intended to be "fluff". There is a deep side to his works that holds the eye like the fascination and horror experienced when viewing tragedy.
This drawing is a strange throwback to the sentimentality that typified vacation photography at the turn of the last century. One vacationer shows off her Saugatuck pennant. The patrons, mostly women, ride the Chain Ferry that connects the two banks of the Kalamazoo River in Saugatuck. They are unchaperoned with an air of freedom about them. One wonders why the the pair in the canoe is posing with the riders! The negative space is masterfully used, much as if this were a fine Japanese print.
Collection: Saugatuck Douglas History Center
Gift of: Judy Oberholtzer
