Regionalism, once a coursing stream in U.S. art, today is a dry ditch, and probably a very good thing too. The astounding vistas of the opening West have become familiar to a nation on wheels; most regional art has degenerated into picturesque views suitable for sale to tourists at roadside stands. Art viewers have come to expect more from artists than a pleasant rendering of a sunset over the Grand Canyon or the pine-studded shores of Rockport, Me.
Taproots. But every artist has to live somewhere, and each must face the problem of how to sink taproots in one locality, while at...