Alexandre Hogue, born in Memphis, Missouri, 1898, was an American painter most commonly known for his depiction of the dust bowl. Driven by his concern with environmental issues and the way humans interacted with the environment, he was able to paint very accurate pictures of what was happening with the land during the depression. He created a collection on the subject called the Erosion series. He had first hand experience on the subject because he had lived with his brother-in-law in his farm where he saw the dust bowl in action. He tried (and failed) to continue the series by sending an application asking for a partnership with the Guggenheim Foundation. He says “I may have chosen an unpleasant subject, but after all the drouth is most unpleasant. To record its beautiful moments without its tragedy would be false indeed. At one and the same time the drouth is beautiful in its effects and terrifying in its results. The former shows peace on the surface but the latter reveals tragedy underneath. Tragedy as I have used it is simply visual psychology, which is beautiful in a terrifying way.”[7] It clear to see that he was very passionate about the subject of the droughts though his experience with the subject first hand. Hough died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1994.
The Artist: