Aerial Disturbance

Artist Louise Jansson Nobili (American, 1917 - 2004)

Daten.d.

MediumWatercolor collage

Dimensions28 x 40 in.

ClassificationsPainting / Collage

Object numberUAC2544

DescriptionLouise Jansson Nobili wasn’t concerned with her art being imitation, but rather her art being a showcase for her passions. She was born in Detroit in 1917 to a German father and a Swedish mother. From a young age, her and her siblings participated in weekly familial activities having to do with art and music. She attended Wayne State University, graduating with her B.F.A. in 1939 and later with her M.F.A. in 1941. From 1944 to 1983, she was a professor at Wayne State University and also one of the key figures in establishing a department wide interest in watercolor. With the help of fellow professor Mary Jane Bigler, she helped found the Michigan Water Color Society.

Aerial Disturbance is an example of Nobili’s interest in merging painting and sculpture. While working on her watercolors, Nobili was fascinated with the way that the pages in books and magazines seemed to fly open with force. Tediously and methodically, Nobili translated her interest into watercolor collages. Her works usually took around three months to complete, as none of the paper sculptures were placed arbitrarily on the canvas. Her watercolor collages usually depict different aerial scenes, such as birds flying and vast landscapes. Nobili described her love for art as an “obsession” and focused much on the art of the artistic process.

Nobili retired from teaching at Wayne State University to focus on her art. In 1976, she won the Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts Award. Later in 1994, she received the Arts Achievement Award at the annual Wayne State University alumni Ovation Awards. Her work has been shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

This piece was donated to the Wayne State University Art Collection by the estate of Marco Nobili.

-Written by Marissa N. Gannascoli-