Karl Dempwolf at Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA

949-248-2048

http://www.missionsjc.com

Karl Dempwolf

Mission San Juan Capistrano will host an exhibition of California coastal and landscapes by German impressionist artist Karl Dempwolf June 1-July 12, 1997 in the Mission's Rancho Room. Dempwolf is a member of the California Art Club, whose work has won awards from such prestigious organizations as the National Park Academy of the Arts, the Oil Painters of America, Art of California agazine and the 11th Annual Assembly of the Arts, sponsored by the Ventura County Museum of History and Art. Dempwolf's work can be found in prominent fine arts galleries throughout the state.

"Dempwolf is yet another terrific artist from the California Art Club coming to the Mission to display his work," remarked Jerry Miller, Administrator of the Mission. Dempwolf was born in Germany in 1939 and came to the U.S. in 1954.

He has degrees from Cal State Northridge and USC, and studied at the Art Center of Los Angeles in 1969. He has made a career out of painting California's hills, valleys, trees, shrubs and coastline, describing his work as representational and impressionistic. His purpose, he explains, is to "bring to the viewer the spiritual qualities of what I'm painting. . .what the landscape painter wants to render is not the natural landscape but the state of feeling which the landscape produces in himself." He adds, "I'm not interested in painting some fabulous sunset. I just want to create something honest."

Dempwolf has taken as his mentor and soul mate William Wendt (1865-1946), who founded the California Art Club in 1909. His work is reminiscent of the famous French painter Paul Cezanne (1835-1906), whom Dempwolf believes shares common traits with Wendt. Dempwolf is also a professional photographer and maker of instructional films. He received a master's degree in education from USC in 1974, and for 10 years taught the handicapped.

Images courtesy of Karl Dempwolf.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. It is funded solely by gate admissions and private donations. It receives no funding from any church or government entity.

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This page was originally published in 1997 in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information.