At a time when the Great Depression was nearing its end, World War II was about to begin, and global conflict, strife, and uncertainty was all-consuming, Louise LaBauve, a future wife, mother, and accomplished artist, was born. Despite the state of the world, a mere few hours away, The Dallas Nine, an influential group of Texas Regionalist artists (active between 1928 – 1945) — painters, printmakers, and sculptors — had just exhibited in Dallas at the 1936 Centennial Exposition, an event that would catapult them into the national spotlight. This band of abstract artists would, in the fullness of time, reveal one woman’s legacy.
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Back in Austin, Louise’s parents, Lois and Telly LaBauve, one a UT Cum Laude graduate in 1929, the other an industrious businessman, were heartened by her musical acuity in piano and clarinet and imparted onto their daughter the value of education, hard work, intellectual curiosity, and creativity. They recognized her natural ability to draw at a young age and encouraged her to observe and explore the ever-changing world around her. Louise had a deep affection for animals and found comfort in them.
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When Ms. LaBauve’s formal education commenced at the University of Texas, the Midcentury Texas art scene was already in its transformative period, seeing the departure of artistic conservatism and the emergence of Texas Modernism. She studied under and was influenced by her then-professors, most notably, William Lester of “The Dallas Nine,” Everett Spruce, Charles Umlauf , Michael Frary , John William Guerin , and others, all of whom contributed to the movement. Conventional imagery of Texas and the traditional bluebonnet was being replaced with abstract and contemporary surrealism, a type of personal expression that Louise not only grasped but would go on to master. Her sabbatical to Mexico in 1958 had her immersed in exploring the vibrancy of color, Hispanic culture, and architecture; and a tuition scholarship to Banff, Canada a year later each earned her recognition and solidified her emergence as a burgeoning talent.
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It was the 1950s, a time when female artists juxtaposed with their male counterparts revealed a cultural stigma in the art world. With inspirational trailblazers such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Frida Kahlo, and despite Louise exhibiting her work in museums and galleries nationwide, having sold over 350 of her pieces, she felt her talent was, nevertheless, overlooked and under-appreciated, a sentiment shared by many women artists of the time.
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Her tryptic, “ORIGINS,” introduced her later-life style she called “Meditative Transitions,” and series titled “Working with Water,” “Sedimental Journey,” and “Ebbs and Flows” reflect her use of acrylic and watercolor. This abstract form conveyed the context of memory and time, just as sediments settle quietly to the bottom, one layer at a time. She presented a complex and mature perspective on life through these multi-layered and multi-textured compositions. Each piece uniquely exemplifies life’s complicated experiences and the ability to maturely identify boundaries with masterful layering in the art itself. Her use of loose strokes and muted color instead of hard lines offers inflection and introspection, resonating with the viewer at the deepest level.
Ms. LaBauve’s art reveals what she chose to say through images instead of through words, and just as one might expect, life’s beatitude and tumult found its way onto her canvas, a place where the weight of responsibility and heavy burden softened into beautiful expressions of resolve.
View Ms. LaBauve’s meaningful legacy at www.Style208.com
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