For Litchfield County resident Craig Cooper, a visit to Monhegan Island in Maine sparks a lifelong passion for the work of American artist James Fitzgerald.
Craig Cooper has given an excellent home to the paintings and prints of James Fitzgerald that he has purchased over the years. Many of these grace the walls of the light filled and loft like office of The Cooper Group, a private mortgage banking division of United Bank in Litchfield County.
Monhegan Island, a rugged idyllic spot, has attracted artists, fisherman and visitors since the turn of the century. The cliffs, distant views and ocean air encourage an appreciation of the simple life and reveal the essence of nature so appealing to both painters and art enthusiasts. It is here that Washington Depot resident Craig Cooper first discovered James Fitzgerald, an enigmatic and powerful artist who chose a reclusive existence to focus on his art.
In the 1930’s, as part of the artistic community of Monterey, CA and Cannery Row, brought to life by John Steinbeck, he became influenced by Oriental philosophy. This prompted him to examine the spirit, rhythms and timelessness of his subject matter. At this same time, he married a stunning dancer and was being recognized as a major artist. The acclaim and standing in the art community in Monterey did not appeal to him as he felt ‘success’ would force him to paint in a particular manner desired by the public.
In 1943, the artist made the move to Monhegan where he found the environment conducive to his evolution as an artist. His paintings of landscapes, working men and animals, all seem to capture the experience and highlight the essential elements. Here is what Fitzgerald thought of detailed realistic art:
“Realism is a blind alley, a form of philosophic ignorance that believes a set reality. If that were so, there would be no reason for painting. Simple realism isn’t enough… pure painting is concerned with timelessness.”
With an office that has more of a vibe of a Greenwich Village gallery, Craig is a very different sort of mortgage banker. He lives with his paintings both in his office and at home and is devoted to cataloging articles and collecting books that reference the artist. His after work hours include reading art journals, listening to Jazz musicians like Coltrane or singer/songwriters James Taylor and Joni Mitchell while enjoying the palette of a complex red Bordeaux. We had the opportunity to sit with Craig in his Washington Depot office, to talk about the artist James Fitzgerald and about his collection.
When did you first develop an interest in art?
I had no formal training and did not study art history in school. I was exposed to art growing up and my father painted as a hobby in Middlebury CT as well as collecting local artist’s works. We had a summer home in Rockport on the Cape Ann Peninsula in MA and I become interested in the art colony there in the early 1900’s that included Edward Hopper and Stuart Davis.
Did this passion for art continue as you grew up?
I remember in my twenties going to NYC quite a bit for work and that I would wander into the midtown galleries. I went into The Kennedy Gallery and saw a John Marin Painting. I was always turned on by Americanism, modernistic abstract style and was never attracted to old world painting. I would read Charles Burchfield books as well as old catalogs and the magazine ‘Art in America’. I loved how the American Artists who represented Coastal Maine and their use of watercolor as a medium. Edward Hopper also painted wonderful works of the Italian section of Gloucester, MA.
How were you first introduced to James Fitzgerald?
In 1991 I went on a trip to Monhegan Island, 16 miles off the coast of Maine. This rugged community with studios all through the hills and trails has a connection with the Rockport art community at the turn of the century. I was staying at the island inn and saw a poster about the Fitzgerald studio on Horn Hill and the visiting hours. There were a couple there, Anne and Edgar Hubert, who had been gifted the estate by the artist upon his death in 1971. They would place paintings on an easel much like the artist had done originally and tell stories about the work. This was followed by a contemplative silence. Something profound happened to me on that day like the day I first saw the John Marin painting in NYC.
How did you come to make your first purchase of a James Fitzgerald work?
After I had sat for the studio hours similar to those Fitzgerald had held in the 1990’s and much as Anne had sat herself in 1958, I wrote her a letter about the experience. I had seen the painting ‘Three Alarm Fire’ and would by chance that painting be for sale? She saw how much it meant to me and that it was not a monetary investment so it became the first in my collection. I also purchased ‘Furling the Sail’ which features fishermen in yellow slickers.
Can you tell us more about your relationship with Anne and Edgar Hubert?
I would visit them in Dover, MA once a year and also go to Monhegan every year. This started a pattern over the years as Anne and Ed realized I was a novice collector and this had the same appeal as when she first sat in the artist’s cottage in 1958. I continued to buy paintings from her during these years and also after Ed’s passing, I would accompany her to shows and exhibits of James Fitzgerald’s works.
What are the special qualities of James Fitzgerald as an artist that you most admire?
James Fitzgerald was self-taught and he would study a location over and over and contemplate the subject. I admire his uniqueness and how he appreciated eastern philosophy and Zen Buddhism.
You have become part of a circle of collectors and admirers of Fitzgerald’s work that are committed to his legacy.
I felt honored that Anne Hubert allowed me into her inner circle. I am on the Kent Fitzgerald Legacy committee and continue to be a benefactor.
How does your study of the artist and your collection bring to your life?
Reading about the artist and enjoying the paintings became like meditation for me. My interest developed as a way to wind down from work. In a way, it has helped me build business as I rarely meet people face to face, unlike realtors, and it gives me the ability to relate to people on a different level than just finance.
To learn more about the artist James Fitzgerald, visit: www.jamesfitzgerald.org
The Cooper Group, a Private Mortgage Banking Division of United Bank is located at 10 Titus Road, Washington, CT 06794.
