Plain Views: Pastel and Photography

Brother and sister duo Kathleen Lohr and Rick Rasmussen present a unique view of Central Nebraska through portraiture and picture in Plain Views: Pastel and Photography. Based on the homestead photographs of Solomon Butcher, Lohr’s portraits of women and children seek to portray the stark existence of early Nebraska settlers as well as reveal the deep-rooted character traits that allowed them to persevere under such harsh conditions. The stories of these Nebraska settlers are echoed in the enduring novels of Willa Cather. Cather observed in O Pioneers!, “We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while.” By using the names of Cather’s characters as the titles of her paintings, the unnamed faces of Butcher’s photographs are remembered anew. Through his nature and wildlife photography, Rasmussen captures the spirit of Central Nebraska that these settlers once called home.

View the digital gallery here!

About the Artists

Kathleen Lohr and Rick Rasmussen grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, alongside the Platte River and beneath the shadows of the migrating Sandhill Cranes. It is from these perspectives that they draw inspiration for their painting and photography.