Introduction
The Retrospective Director's Introduction
from Africa & Beyond: The Art & Adventures of Simon Combes

When Simon Combes visited the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in October 2004, he decided his art and the museum were a perfect match for an exhibition. Following his untimely death in Kenya only weeks later, Kat Combes, the artist’s widow, decided to include the Blauvelt as one of the venues in a retrospective tour of Simon Combes’ works.

The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum was established in 1957 by the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation, a legacy of the late Hiram Blauvelt, philanthropist, conservationist and collector. Through the contributions of his private wildlife art and big game collections, he hoped to promote the cultural value of wildlife art and the need for the conservation of its subjects.

Located in an 1893 cedar shingle and turret style carriage house in Oradell, NJ, the museum is one of only five museums in the United States dedicated solely to wildlife art. The Blauvelt’s permanent collection, while focusing on the works of contemporary artists, also includes works from Charles Livingston Bull, Master Painter Carl Rungius and an Audubon Folio.

The entrance to the museum is through a curving stone and slate terrace, framed by large oak trees and other indigenous foliage, which also serves as a natural sculpture garden. A natural history section is housed in a special area on the second floor of the museum. An artist-in-residence program offers demonstrations in wildlife painting, lectures and artist roundtable discussions.

The artistic genius of Simon Combes, evident in his portrayal of the majestic animals and native peoples of Africa as displayed in the galleries of the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, reflect his vision and incomparable talent. The sense of being present in the wilds of his beloved Kenya surrounded by animals which are alive and in motion, is both a beautiful and eerie reality. The viewer is carried into the environment in which each animal dwells, their unique coats and markings blending protectively into the landscape.

Simon Combes’ ability to bring these animals and their personalities to life, helps the museum visitor appreciate the need to protect and preserve these treasures for the benefit of the entire world. Each of Simon Combes’ paintings tells a story whether it’s about an animal hunting its prey, or the habits of one animal aiding another species in its survival, or the indomitable spirit of the humans who live alongside the wild animals (and not always peacefully for either).

Africa & Beyond is indeed a unique experience, which will remain with the exhibition visitor for many years to come.

Marijane Singer
Director
The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum