Tuesday Art ATTACK- Dong Kingman “Day of the Iguana”

Dong Kingman was born in Oakland, California in 1911 to Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong. When he was only five years old his family moved back to Hong Kong. There Kingman studied calligraphy and watercolor at the Chan Sun Wen School. In 1929 he moved back to America and continued to study art at the Fox Morgan Art School in Oakland. He choose to work in the medium of watercolor and mixed both Chinese and European styles. His work is part of the California Watercolor movement and he would prove to be one its most popular artists. His big break came in 1936 when he had a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Art Association. His work is know for its interplay between bright and dull colors in his unique style. He characterized his work by saying "I am Chinese when I paint trees and landscapes, but Western when I paint buildings, ships or three-dimensional subjects with sunlight and shadow.". Dong Kingman passed away in 2000 at his home in New York. This great work is titled "Day of the Iguana". Kingman had this to say about the painting "One time we were invited to watch the filming of a Hollywood western in Spain. It was in a town named Chinchon, not far from Madrid.The paper dragon in the center of the picture has nothing to do with the movie- I just put it in the scene to add fun and fantasy." Make sure to watch the movie below "The World of Dong Kingman" by James Wong Howe which was made in 1953. It will show you his process and tell you more about his great life.