Threshing, Thomas Hart Benton; Associated American Artists

Exhibition Label:
"Summer in the Central Court," Jun-2006, Kate Meyer
Unlike corn and oats, which are harvested in the fall, farmers harvest wheat during May and June. Ripened wheat forms a golden ocean of grain we imitate with waving arms. The rippling stalks soon become spiky chaff as combines alter the appearance of fields like paintbrushes pulled across a vast canvas. The planting process is one of change - equipment has become more mechanized, crops are rotated to balance the soil. Thunderheads on the skyline transform our landscape radically during the timeframe of a single afternoon. Summer storms threaten not only the harvesting process but also may damage crops. The rains that may strip and flatten ripe wheat are essential earlier in the season. Spring rains swell our streams and rivers as flash flood warnings hover in the margins of television sets. The Kaw River that runs through much of northeast Kansas reflects the changes of a single season as water levels vary through drought and flood and the relentless motion of water meanders eastward, ultimately emptying into the Missouri River at Kansas City. Our bridges and levies attempt to contain rivers, although the floods of 1951 and 1993 demonstrate nature’s ability to chart its own path.