Acrylic Paint

Blue, yellow, and orange ethereal abstract painting by Ralph Ernest White Jr. from 1979.

Ralph Ernest White Jr. grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From 1939 to 1942, he attended the Minneapolis School of Art, where he received recognition for his talent. After graduation, White enrolled at the University of Minnesota. His education was interrupted because he was inducted into the Army and served as an instructor on the B-24 bombers. By the end of the war he was a test pilot for the next generation of bombers. Even during these difficult war years White found a way to continue his artistic endeavors by assisting Julius Woeltz who was painting a mural at one of the bases where White was stationed. Woeltz introduced his young friend to colleagues at the University of Texas, Department of Fine Arts, where Woeltz taught. Ward Lockwood, who had founded the fine art department only a few years earlier, encouraged White to continue his artistic pursuits and to consider joining the faculty at the University of Texas "when and if this war is over." After the war, White declined an offer to fly for an airline and took advantage of a scholarship prize (the Van Derlip Fellowship) he had won in 1942 and enrolled in the Pratt Institute in New York City. Upon graduation from Pratt in 1946, White accepted an offer to teach at the University of Texas, where he became one of the youngest art faculty members. He served on the faculty for the next 36 years. Ralph White was named by the Texas Legislature as the Texas State artist for the year 2003, an honor to recognize his important contribution to the artistic heritage of the state.

H 48 in. x W 48 in. x D 2 in.