Roy Exum
Two artists, equally incredible but with vastly different talents, will weave Chattanooga into a wondrous Appalachian web this weekend when painter Alan Shruptrine and author Sharyn McCrum will announce that the much-anticipated Serpentine Chain Collection project will indeed become a reality. A reading, a viewing, and a storytelling, will be held at the UTC auditorium on Monday at 6 p.m.
The last serpentine chain I saw had a dangle that read, “I love Ronnie” but, no, this is about a wonderful mineral, dark green in color, that runs the length of the Appalachian mountain range all the way to Nova Scotia. Now, in a surely dazzling feat that may well be a sequel to the heralded “Jericho,” the can’t-miss effort will be officially launched at several much-anticipated events this weekend.
Alan’s famous father, Hubert, teamed with the world-renowned James Dickey in 1976 to produce a dazzling coffee-table wonder called “Jericho: The South Beheld.” Now, 40 years later, Alan will blend about 60 of his finest works with the words of New York Times’ best-selling writer Sharyn in hopes of doing for the Appalachia chain what the two earlier masters did for their beloved South.
Actually, Shruptrine and McCrumb have been working on the project for over three years and it was McCrumb who told of the rich vein of mineral that is only found, even more ironically, on or near the legendary Appalachian Trail. The trail, the most famous of its kind in perhaps the world, stretches from Springer Mountain, Georgia – which is near the town of Helen – to Mount Katahdin, Maine. (It is within 30 miles of the Laguardia airport but the smog keeps it hidden from above.)
Shruptrine has taken his easel to various locations on the trail – which stretches about 2, 200 miles – while McCrumb, whose deep fascination and love for Appalachia is why her home is in the Jefferson Mountains near the Virginia-West Virginia line, has chronicled the fiddles, the quilts, and the whiskey that have been made since the European settlers arrived to set a new standard in the early 1800s.
It is estimated that over 2 million people do at least a two-day hike on the AT every year and the folklore, the lure of the journey and the challenge of the Green Mountains is legendary. It has even gotten to the point park rangers are now requiring hikers to make reservations for the finish at Mount Katahdin.
So with the trail’s serpentine call, the partnership between the artist and the author became so compelling they hatched their plan and have steadily in the past several years built it into what will be a successful project. Yesterday morning I got a sneak preview of four of the pieces of art that Alan will weave into Sharyn’s story and each was breathtaking.
For example, my personal favorite of the handful I saw was “Just Before Dawn,” which originated somewhere in Maryland. There are only 40 miles of the trail in the state but, so help me, I thought I was looking at a photograph. It appears the glory of dawn is shown in black and white but Alan, a longtime friend, told me there were actually 11 colors in the painting, including orange, green and purple. “And there is no black paint anywhere!”
I’ll be the first to admit that the rogues in “the arts” caused my indifference to most “art” long ago. Too much of what those poor souls with poorer taste have cluttered our sidewalks and green spaces with, I am assured, is a way to get their buddies some ill-earned cash and, when anyone with ‘walking-around sense’ adds the haughty phonies – there are too many real-life and unkind truths out there – my level of respect for those people is barely weak fumes.
Conversely, even my untrained eye can see brilliance in a painting, a sculpture, or the printed word so the news that the paintings, the book, and a documentary will debut at the Tennessee State Museum of History comes as no surprise at all. Alan’s paintings are marvelous and I adore them. To again be honest, if I didn’t I would be so excited about the Serpentine Chain Collection.
I’ve still got a copy of “Jericho” signed by the two men who created it and it is every bit as delicious today as it was when first released. Alan talks about how greatly he was influenced by his father’s God-given gifts but the truth is the good Lord gave all the Shruptrine children a healthy dose; Randall is now making films while Stephanie is prized for her paintings of children and their pets.
Monday night the two artists will be introduced by Lois Riggins-Ezzell, who just announced her retirement after years of service to the Tennessee State Museum. Laurie Melnik, the Director for the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts, will moderate a discussion between the artist and the author. The session is open to the general public.
Alan’s work can be viewed at the Shruptine Gallery on South Broad Street during the week.
royexum@aol.com