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Roland Poska

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American painter

Roland Poska
Born1938
Scotland
DiedFebruary 2, 2017 (aged 78–79)
Rockford, Illinois, US
NationalityAmerican
Education
Known for
Notable work
  • "The Great Human Race"
  • "From Blue to Blue"
Websiterolandposka.com

Roland Poska (1938 – February 2, 2017) was an American artist who was notable for pioneering papermaking in modern art, for printmaking, and for frequently combining the two into completed works of art. He was also a teacher at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a co-founder of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and founder of the lithography studio the Fishy Whale Press.

Biography

Poska was born to Lithuanian parents in Scotland in 1938. At age 10, he and his parents immigrated to the United States, and settled in Rockford, Illinois. After receiving degrees from Rockford College and Cranbrook Academy of Art, he became an instructor at Rockford College, then in 1963, moved to Milwaukee, where he taught at the Layton School of Art. When Layton closed, he co-founded the Milwaukee School of Art and Design and taught there.

In 1963, while attending Cranbrook, Poska was introduced to papermaking by Laurence Barker, the dean of the school's graphics department. In 1967, he purchased his first "beater", a machine that grinds rags and pulp in the initial step of producing handmade paper, and established his lithography studio the Fishy Whale Press. At the time, his lithography press was among the largest in the United States, using 600 pounds (270 kg) blocks of stone. Under the Fishy Whale imprint, Poska and artist John Doyle produced The Great Human Race, a series of prints designed by Doyle that appear in the collections of a number of American museums. Poska continued to develop The Great Human Race as a perpetual art and philosophy project for over 30 years. He would go on to be recognized as a pioneer in the artistic medium of papermaking.

By 1984, Poska was a nationally known artist. That year, he received a commission to produce a 270-foot (82 m) long painting From Blue to Blue, which was displayed on Main Street in Rockford before its installation in Milwaukee's Henry S. Reuss Federal Plaza Building. This piece was produced in sections 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) high and 12 to 16 feet (3.7 to 4.9 m) long, and then assembled to complete the full installation.

His works are included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In his later years, Poska became an outspoken activist for equality and common human rights, and was a frequent speaker at Rockford town hall meetings. He died on February 2, 2017, in Rockford.

References

  1. ^ Haas, Kevin (February 6, 2017). "'Stupid' man kicks the bucket". Rockford Star. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  2. "Ethnic Heritage Museum's Polish Gallery profiles Roland Poska". The Rock River Times. September 22–28, 2010. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  3. ^ Gilman, Mack (Winter 1987). "Roland Poska". Lituanus. 33 (4). LITUANUS Foundation, Inc. ISSN 0024-5089.
  4. The Cutting Edge: New Directions in Handmade Paper. The Institute. 1988. ISBN 0933742142.
  5. "The art of Roland Poska and music from Keith Grace's iPod this First Friday @ J.R. Kortman". JRKortman. March 29, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  6. "Collections Spotlight: North American Hand Papermaking 1976, Richard Minsky, et al". The Center For Book Arts. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  7. ^ Associated Press (July 28, 2010). "Rockford artist envisions day without prejudice". The Times. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  8. "Poska, Roland The Art Institute of Chicago". The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  9. "Prints of the Fishy Whale". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1968. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  10. Haas, Kevin (August 15, 2016). "Man banned from Rockford City Hall for one month after golf club incident". Rockford Star. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
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