Works by Myrta Pulliam

Myrta Pulliam has been painting and making images from her early days attending Saturday school at the Herron School of Art through her decades as a photojournalist at The Indianapolis Star. She was formerly the chairwoman and now serves as prize chair of the Indianapolis Prize and is a long-time supporter of the Indianapolis Zoo and the art museum. This collection is based on her numerous trips to Africa and her commitment to endangered species.

She has re-applied herself to painting to document and complement her ongoing commitment to nature and global animal conservation in recent years. This is her first public exhibition. Even at their smallest, Pulliam's images demonstrate a solid grasp of compositional fundamentals, presenting their subjects with straightforward pictorial dynamics. This reflects well-honed photo-journalistic practice: letting the image convey its meaning directly. 

Elephants and Mt. Kenya 2019.

Oil on canvas.

24”x36”

At their strongest - in images such as the panoramic view of elephants with Mt. Kenya in the distance, the diagonal visual drama of an Alaskan fjord, or the simple elegance of a lone secretary bird - Pulliam's work achieves a balance of spontaneity, selectivity and a sense of the beauty, sometimes majesty, of her subjects. Myrta’s work will be on display in the Hank & Dolly’s Gallery through April 29th.