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Ning Hou

American (born China), 1957

SALT OF THE EARTH

1996-97

Oil on linen, 58" x 84"

Crocker Art Museum, lent by the Artist

ARTIST:  Born in Shanghai, China, Ning Hou earned his B.A. degree from the Shanghai Art Institute.  He pursued further training from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, where he earned his M.F.A. in 1983. Although Hou maintains studios in other parts of the country, his primary residence is in Locke, a town located in the Sacramento river Delta about twenty-five miles south of Sacramento.  Working in both Impressionist and Photo-Realist styles, the artist aims to capture Locke’s people, produce, and "unique golden sunlight."

SUBJECT:  In this painting, Hou has created a modern interpretation of a theme popularized by French artists in the mid-nineteenth century - the laborer working in nature.  Here, the artist depicts two farm workers riding on the back of a grape harvester, a common sight around the artist’s home in Locke.  According to the artist, this painting is meant to honor these workers who, with their backs to the viewer, remain anonymous.  The artist has further reinforced his respect for their labors through a carefully chosen title, The Salt of the Earth, inscribed at the lower left.