Escapees May-June 2023

While traveling in North Carolina, one of my top priorities was to drive to the eight towns or cities where Benjamin Long’s frescoes are located. B enjamin Long, a North Carolina native, is one of the few artists today to be recognized as a master in the art of fresco painting, the same method used by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Fresco painting involves a mixture of sand, lime, water, pigment and the hands of a skilled artist to form luminous images. The sand and slaked lime are applied to the wall. After much preparation to outline the images on the wet plaster, the right combination of distilled water and pigments are applied to the plaster when it is neither too wet nor too dry. Because the mixed pigments are absorbed by the plaster, the paintings become a permanent part of the wall.

Dome Fresco at Transamerica Center. PHOTO BY JOYCE SPACE

“Today there are 30 of his frescoes in the United States as well in other countries. Sixteen are in eight di ff er ent cities in North Carolina…They are so popular there is a ‘Fresco Trail.’”

After completing studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and more studies in New York City, Long became a Marine combat artist for two tours in the Viet Nam war. He then apprenticed in Florence, Italy for eight years with interna tionally renowned Maestro Pietro Annigoni. Long wanted to introduce this art form to North Carolina but it took him over two years before he could fi nd someone who would allow him to create one and even then, it was only because he offered to do it for free. An Episcopal priest who had been sent to two dying churches in the hills of North Carolina was introduced to Long at a party. The host told the priest that Long wanted to do a fresco at the priest’s church. The priest said that was fi ne but they couldn’t even

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May/June 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine