Fall 2015 MA Thesis Exhibition
Sally Hazelet Drummond is the first female to graduate from the Hite Art Institute, earning a master’s in painting in 1952. During her study at the University of Louisville she explored Abstract Expressionism, a mid-century American movement characterized by gestural brushwork and color-field painting. Abstract Expressionism was the first American painterly style to gain international prominence, shifting the capital of the international art world from Europe to the United States. In 1953 Drummond joined the epicenter of the movement in New York City as a member of the Tanager Gallery, one of the leading Tenth Street artists’ co-ops. In the midst of figures such as Willem De Kooning, Ad Reinhardt and Mark Rothko, Drummond refined her work into a simplified, uniquely personal, contemplative style that she continued to develop over the course of her life.
Drummond described Abstract Expressionism as a kind of iconoclastic fervor. While history remembers the style as being characterized largely by wall sized canvases covered with gestural marks of the artists or huge fields of color, Sullivan’s re-assessment in this exhibition suggests a larger perspective that encompasses the avant-gardism of the movement. Drummond continued the iconoclasm of the early abstract expressionists by rejecting these methods of working and creating her own definitive iteration.
Drummond’s artistic career – from her graduate days to the present has been a deepening exploration into her personal understanding of abstract expressionist practice. Her views on spirituality and community serve as a foil to much of the machismo and individualist psychology of her male counterparts. Drummond’s use of easel scale, unrestrained use of color and deliberate art making process offer a reframing of the accepted tenets of Abstract Expressionism. Drummond’s art and her journey into abstraction is also deserving of her description of the movement as an iconoclastic fervor.
Gallery Hours:
Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sat - Sun: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Meet Fall 2015 MA Candidate Hillary SullivanTell me about your exhibit and your work.
Sally Hazelet Drummond is the first female to graduate from the Hite Art Institute, earning a master’s in painting in 1952. During her study at the University of Louisville she explored Abstract Expressionism. In 1953 Drummond joined the Tanager Gallery, one of the Tenth Street artists’ co-ops. In the midst of Willem De Kooning, Ad Reinhardt and Mark Rothko, Drummond refined her work into a simplified, contemplative style that she continued to develop over the course of her life. Drummond described Abstract Expressionism as a kind of iconoclastic fervor. While history has remembered the style as being characterized largely by wall sized canvases swabbed with gestural marks of the artists or huge fields of color, re-assessment today allows for a much larger perspective that encompasses the avant-gardism of the movement. Drummond continued the iconoclasm of the early abstract expressionists by rejecting these methods of working, creating her own definitive iteration.
Did you have a key professor or mentor? Tell me about that person and how they helped you.
Peter Morrin and John Begley were my advisors. They were integral in providing insights about the project from its conception throughout its realization.
What are your plans after you graduate?
I am moving with my spouse to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. We are expecting our first child in February. I plan on spending some time at home before reentering the work force.
