R. B. (Roger) Sprague (September 12, 1937 – July 28, 2010) was an American Contemporary Realist artist.

Biography

Sprague was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in south Arkansas, graduating from El Dorado High School. He attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

and graduated with a BA in Fine Arts, with majors in

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

, and finally, in painting. Sprague resided in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and worked as booking agent and shipboard companion for United States Lines. He lived for a year on

Swan's Island, Maine Swan's Island is an island town in Hancock County, Maine. It is named after Colonel James Swan of Fife, Scotland, who purchased the island and some surrounding areas and organized their colonization in the eighteenth century. The population was ...

, where his father's family started life in the U.S. His conviction to make art his life and his living came to fruition in 1975 when he moved to

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, working briefly in Bosque Farms in a plant nursery, then moving to a one-room arrangement in Santa Fe in 1979 where he dedicated his life to his art. In 2010, Patricia Rovzar Gallery said:

R.B. Sprague is driven by his never-ending exploration of scale and light.
Painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
in oil on linen the majority of Sprague's work focuses on interior spaces and the relationships of the objects he places within those spaces. He defines his compositions with common objects like tables and chairs but always leaves ample room for the viewer to create their own interpretation.

In 1987, R.B. Sprague said in Southwest Art:

I paint what I see, and what attracts me is light and the
geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...
it illuminates. When I see light on a surface at a particular moment. I think it will follow me for the rest of my life.

Exhibitions

*1995 J. Cacciola Galleries NYC *1994 "Realists", Jay Fletcher Gallery Santa Fe, NM *1994 J. Cacciola Galleries NYC *1993 Fletcher Gallery Santa Fe, NM *1992 J. Cacciola Galleries NYC *1992 "Small Paintings", J. Cacciola Galleries NYC *1992 "Summer Invitational Exhibition", J. Cacciola Galleries NYC *1990 Santa Fe East Santa Fe, NM *1990 Western Images Gallery NYC *1989 Santa Fe East Santa Fe, NM *1988 Western Images Gallery NYC *1987 "New Mexico Old and New", Santa Fe East Santa Fe, NM *1987 "Santa Fe Opera Annual Holiday Invitational", Santa Fe, NM *1986 "Quiet Realities II", Santa Fe East Santa Fe, NM *1986 "Inspirations: Churches of New Mexico", Museum of Fine Arts Santa Fe, NM *1986 "Arts at First Plymouth Ninth Annual", Englewood, CO *1985 "Artists of Santa Fe", Oklahoma City, OK *1981 Robert Nichols Gallery Santa Fe, NM *1980 South Arkansas Art Center El Dorado, AR

Selected major collections

* Museum of Fine Art *

References

External links

R.B. Sprague. In addition to his series of interiors, the artist has been painting more and more exteriors often incorporating landscapes.RB Sprague studio workVentana Fine Art: R.B. Sprague - PaintingsR.B. Sprague Fine Art Auctions upcoming for R.B. Sprague
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague, R. B. 1937 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters Painters from New York City Artists from Santa Fe, New Mexico American realist painters American modern artists El Dorado High School (Arkansas) alumni 20th-century American male artists