THOMAS PARKER: Professor of Art and Art History: Drury University: Springfield, MO

Any superficial comparison of David Bushman’s paintings and those of Karen Gunderson would suggest that they had little in common, and yet; I know that not to be true.  I the following remarks I will attempt to show some links, in the face of the obvious dissimilarity between Wisconsin winter scapes (Bushman) and the royal family portraits by Gunderson.

Both artists are Wisconsin natives who came f age during the turbulent 60s, studied at Whitewater and, in fact, had the same painting teacher.  One might then, logically ask why the paint so differently.  My answer to that would, ironically, invoke another similarity.  Both of these artists are fiercely independent and both have consistently avoided climbing into stylistic bandwagons.  If, as their teacher, I had anything to do with that, I am so proud, although I suspect I didn’t’.  Perhaps I can rightfully claim to have done no harm as the doctors say.

Whitewater’s Art Department during the middle and late 60s was a once in a lifetime phenomenon.  The trustees at the time expressed such a hope on numerous occasions, as the numbers in the department grew at an alarming rate, from six majors in 1962 to over 200 in 1968.  The faculty increased from two to twenty-two during that same short span.  The art scene at Whitewater today, while highly credible and of remarkable quality, bears only a partial resemblance to the red hot poker which seared all of those participants (faculty and students alike) in the 60s version.

The Viet Nam War was certainly part of the fuel that drove it.   The Art Department became the center for “the movement” on campus, and the spirit of rebellion transformed the creative process into something resembling a live fore. During that short, window, Dylan went electric, Rock’N Roll became the language of the young, the Whitewater College of Fine Arts was launched and Gunderson and Bushman, along with an astoundingly large percentage of those of us who were there, began lifelong commitments to art making and became participants in the cultural subversion that is inherent in creative activity.  Given that radical milieu as a training ground, I would be shocked if their paintings had any obvious affinities at all.