Kelly Fearing (American/Texas, 1918-2011) , "Recapitulations from an Earlier Theme: Songs Without Words, No. 3", 1976, mixed media on illustration board, signed and dated lower right, label with artist, title and date on backing, 20 in. x 15 in., framed Note: Born in Arkansas in 1918, Kelly Fearing was raised in Louisiana and studied at Louisiana Tech University and Columbia University, where he earned a master’s degree in 1950. Fearing first came to Fort Worth, Texas in 1943, and he would eventually be considered one of the most influential and notable artists in the state. Fearing was a member of the Fort Worth Circle, the first group of Texas artists to embrace modernism and leave behind realism, agrarian subjects and southern regionalism. He explored almost all traditional media, excelling in oil paint and collage, such as the work offered here from 1976. Fearing’s subject matter also served as a vehicle for exploration, particularly of his spirituality. His work often includes images of animals, saints, stones and water, as even his fields of color and abstracted shapes speak to his ongoing search for the mystical. In addition to his own artist success, Fearing was a pioneer in the field of art education, as he taught at the University of Texas at Austin from 1947 to 1987. He was presented the College of Fine Arts‘ E. William Doty Award in 2007, the college’s highest honor, recognizing him as an individual of distinction in his field. Fearing influenced thousands of students during his teaching career, as he stayed on the vanguard of Texas art for almost seven decades. Ref.: Tether, Russell. The Quiet Surrealist. Russell Tether Fine Arts. July 29, 2013. www.russelltetherfinearts.wordpress.com. Accessed Mar. 27, 2020