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Ad Code: 4
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An example of work by John Dana Bashian
Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  The following was written and submitted November 4, 2003 by Helen Dana-Bashian Moore, daughter of the artist.
JOHN NIGOHOSIAN DANA-BASHIAN (aka DANA)
John Dana-Bashian was
born in Armenia in 1897 and immigrated to the United States in
1907. He was an artist and teacher, passionate about his art and
the world of art. When he was a young boy living in Whitinsville,
Massachusetts, he sketched constantly. His father saw his
drawings and encouraged him to attend the Worcester Museum's School of
Art.
In 1916 he enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine
Arts in Boston. He studied there until 1924. He painted
watercolors in Whitinsville, Sutton, Blackstone Valley, Lexington, and
numerous places in Massachusetts. The Fenway, The Arnold
Arboretum, and Nantasket Beach were his favorite places to paint in the
Boston area. From 1929 to 1954 he was known as a post-impressionist
master watercolorist, but in the early 1940's, Dana decided to broaden
his experience and turned to the medium of oils. He continued to
paint in oils until his death in 1975. Many of his works are in private
collections in the United States as well as in Europe.
He was
born Hovannes (John) Danabashian, but his father changed his name to
John Nigohosian. As a result, many of his early works were signed
John Nig, John Nigoshian, or John Nigohosian. At the time of his
marriage, he took his birth name back: John Danabashian. He then
signed his paintings as John Nig Danabashian, John Dana, John Bashian,
or John Danabashian. When he started his family, he changed the
spelling to Dana-Bashian and signed his works as John Dana-Bash, John
Dana Bach, John Dana'Bashian, and John Dana-Bashian. As a teacher he
was known simply as "Dana" so his later works were signed as Dana.
He
was not a studio painter. He painted from life out in the field
capturing the light and conditions of the moment, managing to find
ingenious ways to have supplies on hand wherever he wanted to paint.
In
order to facilitate his painting on cold snowy days, he invented a tent
with a glass window that he pulled on a sled. He had a heater inside
the tent so his watercolors would not freeze. It weighed 150 pounds but
he pulled it to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston and also through the
Blackstone Valley where he painted his snow scenes on the spot.
When
he was in his thirties, he painted watercolors at Nantasket Beach. He
invented a three-foot board to hang from his neck across his chest so
he could walk along the beach and paint whenever and whatever he liked.
He
used a Raleigh bicycle and attached his supplies and canvases to it
before setting out to many places in Massachusetts. He bicycled to
Provincetown, a distance of about 120 miles, to do some painting.
When he was in his early fifties, while on his bicycle, he was hit by a
car and thrown over the front of another car. With nothing more
than bumps and bruises, but a healthy realization of how vulnerable he
was, the decision was made to invest in a car because it was safer and
all of his painting supplies and canvases would fit inside.
During
1929, he painted in Bermuda. In 1930, he married Helen Paddock of
Boston, and returned with her to Bermuda, living and painting there for
a year. He had several shows and exhibits when he returned to
Boston with very favorable reviews.
Dana took on various jobs to
provide an income for himself and his family. He was a
professional photographer with the eminent Portrait Photographer, John
Garo of Boston, in the late 1920's. Yousef Karsh was an apprentice for
three years under Garo at his studio on Boylston Street from 1928 to
1930 while Dana was there. In the 1930's, he worked for the WPA (Works
Progress Administration) for the Federal Art Project, but many of these
works have disappearedpossibly into private collections. He taught Fine
Arts at the New England School of Art in Boston from 1948 to 1959 where
he was known as "Dana". Even when working at jobs, he was always in the
field managing to paint mornings, afternoons, and weekends.
In
1958, he went to Jamaica, West Indies, for a month to paint. When he
returned to Boston, he and his wife decided that if he could paint and
live in Jamaica for two years without any family responsibilities, he
would be able to get ten years of work into that two-year span. He
arrived in Jamaica in October, 1959. He gave private art lessons to
students in their homes in the Kingston area, teaching afternoons and
Sundays. Again, he was known as "Dana." His Jamaican students had
an exhibition of their work at The Art Institute of Jamaica in
1973. The show was declared open by Mrs. Edna Manley, the Prime
Minister's mother.
Dana found time to paint in the mornings
and when lessons were not scheduled. Continual exposure to the outdoor
sun made it possible to go anywhere on the island, many times being
taken for a native. As a result, he painted in many areas where a
white man could not safely travel. He would set up his easel and
canvas and start painting landscapes. He was a familiar figure in the
Gordon Town area of St. Andrew and other regions of the Blue Mountain
foothills through which he roamed. He also visited other areas of the
island to paint. His stay in Jamaica eventually stretched to
sixteen years, with his wife visiting him for a month each year. She
was unable to bear the constant heat, so she continued to live in
Brookline, Massachusetts. His brother, Gesag Nigohosian, owned
and operated a photography business on the Cunard Lines and visited him
every two years or so. His son, Phillip, enjoyed deep sea diving
vacations and visited him occasionally.
Dana's wife, Helen, and
his daughter, Pauline, visited him in Jamaica in January, 1975.
He had not been feeling well for some time. His Jamaican doctor
suggested that Dana return to Boston with his wife and daughter to have
further tests done in Boston. After an operation, it was
discovered that he had cancer. He lived for a few more weeks,
dying on March 18, 1975.
After studying and painting for many
years he was compared to Cezanne but with a truer and bolder color
sense and with a greater depth in perspective. In all of his works, the
color is outstanding and the focus of much attention in very favorable
notices by his buyers and by his critics. He was able to capture the
hues and tones of sunlight and water which is readily apparent when
viewing his work.
His family is seeking recognition for this artist, a man who loved and lived for what he could put down on paper and canvas.
Art was his life and his life was art.
Written by Helen Dana-Bashian Moore (the artist's daughter), November 4, 2003
PROFESSIONAL NAMES USED:
WATERCOLORS: John Nig; John Nigoshian; John Nigohosian;
John Nig Dana-Bashian
OILS: John Dana; John Bashian; John Danabashian;
John Dana-Bash; John Dana Bach; John Dana'Bashian;
John Dana-Bashian; DANA
PATRONS:
John B. Potter, Keeper of Paintings, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
Dr. George H. Edgell, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
Mrs. Edna Manley, Mother of the Prime Minister of Jamaica
GALLERIES:
Exhibition at Longwood Towers, Brookline, Massachusetts
December 19-20, 1929
Copley Gallery, Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts (March 1932)
M. Brown Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts (late 1940's, early 1950's)
Kahn Kelekian Gallery, New York City, New York (late 1940's, early 1950's)
Art Gallery of the Institute of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica (January 1960)
ART REVIEWS:
Boston Globe (March 30, 1932) "Nig's Paintings Have Autographic Quality" by A. J. Philpott)
Boston
Post (April 3, 1932) Found in the Archives at the School of the Museum
of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts "Bermuda in Water Color"
Boston Herald (January 16, 1938) "Tent-Toting Painter Won't Freeze for Art's Sake" by Stephen J. Manookian
Boston Traveler (photograph only: August 2, 1947)
"Summer Scene" Staff Photo by Ernest Hill
New York Times (1940's or 1950's)
The Star of Kingston, Jamaica (January 15, 1960) Photograph and review on p. 10 ,
"Dana-Bashian Paintings"
Jamaican newspaper titles not known, but two reviews:
"Master of Good Composition: Archie Lindo Reviews John Dana-Bashian Art Exhibition"
"Paintings by Dana-Bashian: Towards An Island Unity" by Norman Rae
Boston Globe: Obituary (March 19, 1975) "John Dana-Bashian, 77, Watercolor Artist, Teacher" by Paul F. Kneeland, Globe Staff
Boston Herald American: Obituary (March 19, 1975) "John Dana-Bashian, 77, World Famed Hub Artist"
Daily Gleaner of Kingston, Jamaica: Obituary (April 4, 1975)
"Personal Mention" by Kitty Kingston
Blackstone Valley Tribune, Whitinsville, Massachusetts (July 23, 1997)
"Enigmatic Artist Leads Art Sleuth to Whitinsville for Answers"
by Thomas Mattson
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