Texas just got a little more art-savvy with the recent unveiling of the "Public Works: Art by Elizabeth Olds" exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. The show, which kicked off this February, offers a retrospective on the life's work of Elizabeth Olds, an American printmaker and children's book illustrator, who has painted a stark picture of yesteryear's American labor scene and beyond.
The Ransom Center is now home to over 100 pieces of Olds' gritty prints, drawings, and illustrations, a collection that not only delves deep into the hustle and bustle of the 1920s to the 1960s but also aims to distinctly highlight the artist's enduring legacy. In fact, according to a recent statement by Ransom Center Director Stephen Enniss, her art is "noteworthy for its engagement with the world and for the dignity of the lives she captured on paper and canvas." as reported by UT News.
The exhibition is not just a walk down memory lane; it is a serious dive into Olds' career-long tryst with various mediums and forms. The late artist was always one to trailblaze, quickly identifying printmaking as an underused but supremely powerful democratic tool. As per the Ransom Center's curator of art, Tracy Bonfitto, "Olds was determined that American art should reflect contemporary American life, and that art could be mobilized as a powerful democratic tool," as per UT New.
A significant portion of the exhibit also looks into her post-WPA life, when Olds turned her eye to children's literature, authoring and illustrating six books from 1945 to 1963. These pieces are set to provide insight into her creative processes, allowing visitors to see how her advocacy for accessible and affordable art seamlessly transitioned into storytelling. Once again, Bonfitto sheds light on this aspect and says "Until very recently, the achievements and contributions of women WPA printmakers like Elizabeth Olds have been underrecognized," according to UT News.
