Shadows of Augusta

Last weekend was an early playing of the PGA Championship – golf season’s final major.   Usually played in mid-August – the Olympics changed that schedule in 2016.

This year’s PGA was played at legendary Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. Last year it was at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin.  It rotates venues every year. Such is the case with both the US and British “Opens” as well.  There is logic behind this model as every course has its own unique geographic qualities and challenges for the world’s top players. However, the season’s first major The Masters, stands apart in that it’s played at the same course every year. 

 

There is deep history in all golf’s great courses and “major” tournaments. However, the uniqueness of the Masters lends itself to a more straightforward comparison of all players of all eras.  

The Masters was founded by co-course designer Bobby Jones in 1934. Jones (1902 - 1971) http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/bobby_jones.htmBobby Jones was golf’s greatest player prior to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Jones was able to attract the world’s best players and media attention to Augusta in the early years. Over time memories and traditions were formed, such as the winner being presented with the famed “green jacket” (sport coat) by the previous year’s champion. http://www.augusta.com/masters/history Masters History  They can only wear this jacket at Augusta National. There’s also a “champions” dinner wherein the previous year’s champion hosts former champions on Tuesday of the tournament.

“Shadows of Augusta” is inspired by my love of golf history. At the forefront of this piece is one of today’s elite players, Rory McElroy. Rory has won all three other majors including the PGA twice, but has yet to win the Masters. I chose him almost at random to help compare/contrast today with the past. I super imposed images of previous Masters Champions in the backdrop – layers of paint glazes help conceal scenes from the past – buried in the white sand and green surroundings.  Look closely and you can see Jones, six-time winner Jack Nicklaus, four-time winners Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods, three-time winners Sam Snead, Gary Player, Phil Mickelson alongside other champions like Ben Hogan and Seve Ballesteros. You can even see an image from the 1958 Champions dinner.

    

Mixed Medium:  Acrylic paint, colored pencil, wax, image transfer technique.  It’s 36”x 24”on stretched canvas.