29 explorers, fur trappers, gold rush migrants, and Mormon settlers. Powell’s survey expedition of discovery began a modern development of the Green and Colorado Rivers. The Kolb brothers next partici- pated in the commercial development of the region, which in turn saw a backlash movement to protect and conserve the Green’s rich landscape. The 21st century sees a combined view of continuing environmental conservation with recreation, protection of Native lands, and national demographic shifts in a moment of climate change and drought. The artists described here, Foster—Hyde, the Kolbs, and Dellenbaugh— offer up-close optimistic views of the complexities of their time. Their dedication to discovery and rediscovery on the Green River is a benefit to all. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mark Klett, Regents Professor of Art, Arizona State University, for his organizational advice Eileen Howard and Anne Baxter, Co-Directors of The Foster Museum, and their team for providing images and information David Leland Hyde for sharing archival information on his father Kristin Poole, Artistic Director, The Foster Museum and Artistic Director, Sun Valley Museum of Art, for the encouragement and needed information Linda Ballinger, my wife, who again shared her advice and editing skills Tony Foster, for allowing me to interrupt valuable studio time drawing board and started drawing—rather hesitant and not very good to start.” Writing in his tent at the end of each day over a five-day period, the artist describes his feelings about the work, pro and con, battling the conditions to concentrate on his painting and finally how, he states, “gets bogged down in detail” while completing the face of the rock. The painting becomes a tour de force. The descriptions in Foster’s diary almost all relate to the creative act. This is important to understand, as the act of thoughtful daily writing is an arduous task. Most likely it is so because it may be a continuation of the painting process. Many psychologists and educators believe the act of writing solidifies memory, increases comprehension, aids planning, and improves one’s problem-solving ability—all complexities that Foster describes as he struggles to create a successful picture, such as Steamboat Rock. When he finishes each picture, he adds the diary entries in pencil, visually demon- strating the personal importance of his diary entries to his practice. For the viewer, the success of a Foster artwork is the effort of the expertly painted landscape, the layering of the behind-the-scenes narrative, the inclusion of map fragments and other souvenirs to challenge one’s senses, and a wish that the wild place depicted will remain just that—wild and isolated— to feed the human soul. The Green River remains one of America’s most important unheralded rivers. With its headwaters in the Wyoming Wind River Mountain range, its 730-mile length makes it the Colorado’s primary tributary by over 300 miles, thus a major water contributor to the hydrology of the Southwest, serving the agriculture and population of seven states. It has a complicated history that includes Indigenous peoples, Spanish Lakes, the Gates of Lodore, Steamboat Rock, and the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers seen from Island in the Sky, he understands the importance of saving these delicate wilderness locations. Vicariously, viewers who cannot access these remote natural areas but who connect with the artistic aesthetic will share his belief. Tony Foster’s approach to each painting is similar to that of most of his peers. To create a successful work of art, he makes a series of choices. He decides on a set of problems to be solved, and he knows to balance his own biases, strengths, and weaknesses. Gaining a glimpse of the artist’s diary pages, his unpar- alleled commitment and personal insights stand out. His sensitive entries record atmospheric color and environmental observations, and describe the difficul- ties of selecting his easel placement, thus the most effective viewpoint. This contrasts significantly with his predecessors Dellenbaugh, the Kolbs, and Hyde. When reflecting in his writing on the site selection for Steamboat Rock, beginning on April 28, 2018, Foster notes the strenuous climb and hike to gain an elevated view. After seeing no footprints for 40 minutes, he arrives at the wrong rim area, leaving him without his intended view: “the nose end of Steamboat Rock.” Ultimately he arrives at an “ideal spot sheltered from the cold wind by a tree, a flat spot with precipitous drop. Providing a view of the oxbow around Steamboat, the Green and the Yampa mingling, the campsite and distant very complex geology. Set up the OPPOSITE Philip Hyde, Steamboat Rock, Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, 1951. Courtesy of the Estate of Philip Hyde OVERLEAF Tony Foster, Steamboat Rock Looking SW, 2018 (detail, p. 51)
