Posts Tagged ‘Jackson Hole Art Galleries’
Nitty Gritty: Cityscapes & Energy Viewpoints
Anne Marie Schultz: Cityscapes, opens at the Art Association’s Artspace Main & Loft galleries Friday, October 7, 2011. An opening reception begins at 5:30 pm that evening.
Schultz’s Cibachrome prints document the city of Chicago’s myriad venues as they are at the turn of this century. As the changes that inevitably affect cities took place, Chicago’s citizens experienced the city’s demolition of racially segregated public housing, structures built in the 1930′s. Now, Millenium Park is a major Chicago landmark and liberated, diverse celebrations such as the city’s annual Gay Pride Parade are the norm. Schultz utilizes double exposures, solarization of old film and a Holga camera to create a provocative collection of enigmatic, moody cityscapes. Urban life is represented as a slice of fleeting cosmic time and space.
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Two really good—and by “good” I mean expansive and, to my mind, balanced—articles on sustainable energy recently appeared in print. The first relates to global energy use; the second talks about the layers of possibilities and limitations surrounding Wyoming’s wind energy initiatives.
Article #1 is Fareed Zakaria’s review of Daniel Yergin’s new book, “The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World.” The review appeared in
the New York Times Sunday Book Review section. Zakaria opens with a mention of Bill Gates’ TED Conference remarks on energy. At that conference Gates stated that if he had one wish that would improve the world’s prospects in the next 50 years, he’d wish for an “ ‘energy miracle’”: a new technology that produced energy at half the price of coal with no carbon dioxide emissions.” Yergin’s book, 804 pages, covers the history of oil beginning at the Persian War, going forward to today. The review is fabulous.
Zakaria sums up the book’s purpose. “This book is really trying to answer a question: What will the future of energy look like over the next 50 years?” Zakaria says. “In addressing that issue, Yergin takes on a myriad of other topical questions: Are we running out of oil? Is natural gas the answer? What about shale gas? Is global warming a real danger? Is solar power the answer? He addresses each one of these in a chapter or series of chapters that mix recent history and fair-minded analysis.”
A core assertion is that the United States should spend much more money on energy research, and much less on existing technologies. Al Gore is politely admonished for advancing the view that current technologies are close to pulling us out of the hole.
They are not, Yergin says. Zakaria sums up: “The reason Bill Gates wishes for a technology that creates energy at half the price of coal with no carbon dioxide emissions is that he wants a technology so compelling that it is adopted by poor countries as well as rich ones. Coal is plentiful worldwide, and unless the new technology is much cheaper, China and India will never adopt it. And if these two countries — which together are building four coal-fired power plants a week — don’t get off coal, nothing that happens in the West matters, since the levels of carbon dioxide they will pump into the atmosphere will be well above the danger mark. Half the price of coal and no carbon: That’s a tall order, which is why Gates is looking for a miracle. But what he means is a technological miracle of the kind that happens from time to time. The steam engine, the automobile, the computer, the Internet are all miracles. We need something on that order in energy — and fast.”
A few days after reading this review I had a really nice dream about Bill Gates!
To read Zakaria’s full review, click here. I’ll tell you about article #2 in my next post.
Jackson artist Kathy Wipfler’s superb plein air paintings are the centerpiece of a new show at the Simpson Gallagher Gallery, in Cody, Wyoming. Wipfler & The Boys: A Reunion of Friends opens at Simpson Gallagher, 1161 Sheridan Avenue, on Thursday, September 22, 2011. An opening reception takes place that evening, 5:00-8:00 pm.
Many plein air artists would consider giving up their good painting hand in favor of learning how to paint with their other hand, if it meant being showcased at Sue Simpson Gallagher’s gallery. Wipfler’s fellow artists, the “boys,” are cream-of-the-crop plein air painters Bob Barlow, T. Allen Lawson, Ralph Oberg, Geoff Parker, Matt Smith, Skip Whitcomb and Dan Young.
But enough about them…let’s get back to Wipfler!
This show is a story about the story of how a group of plein air painters met, painted together, grew together and ultimately became contemporary Western masters. The show will include a wide
variety of landscapes, as well as some wildlife paintings, from expansive panels to smaller works.
Wipfler had been in Jackson several years, “hanging out” at the Powder River Gallery, then owned by Jenny Promack. The gallery featured painters like Whitcomb, Hollis Williford and Barlow. The gallery also carried works by deceased masters— Charlie Russell letters, and Frank Tenney Johnson studies, Caitlins and Boreins. Wipfler remembers great gatherings of painting friends regularly taking place at the gallery.
“Jenny’s father took the Cowboy Hall of Fame from an empty shell of a building and opened it up with no federal funding,” Wipfler says. “And he started the show called NAWA–North American Western Artists. Jenny grew up around a lot of artists, and her dad was in Oklahoma City doing that project.”
Wipfler recalls how how she and her colleagues bonded and grew. “When Tim Lawson moved to town he called and said ‘Let’s go painting together.’ So we did, fairly often, and Tim and I were in the same galleries, like Powder River–and then we moved to Main Trail Gallery. Eventually we both went to Partners Gallery, which ended up being the Moynihan Gallery. Then, before Moynihan closed, I went to Trailside. Tim, Bob and I were gallery pals.”
Over the years, artists came in and out of Jackson, especially in the fall, long before Jackson’s Fall Arts Festival was created, long before the term “plein air painting” became popular. Wipfler and “the boys” got together to paint for a week or two; they’d go out painting every day. Wildlife artists came, too, and that genre developed locally. Plein air gained ground in the 90′s; small “push-out” paint boxes allowed professionals and hobbyists to paint easily outdoors, packing their tools on a horse or backpack.
“Ned Jacob was a mentor, and he was taught by Bob Lougheed and John Clymer and Bettina Steinke–and they were trained by the “old time guys” in New York,” relates Wipfler. Howard Pyle and the illustrators taught artists they had to work from life. Seeing the real color, seeing the real light. We learned the tradition of the New York and Chicago schools of painting from life. The great traditionalists had full lives as illustrators before they ever went to easel painting. And they taught the people who taught us.”
Wipfler notes that illustrative artists were trained formally. New England based artists like Norman Rockwell churned out work on demand for advertising companies. Close proximity to New York allowed them to take their work there. Works had a formal structure and superb draftsmanship; illustrators were telling specific stories.
For 25 years Simpson Gallagher watched Wipfler become the touchstone for her fellow artists, making her mark in a predominately male profession. She’s long encouraged Wipfler to do a show, but the artist demurred. Wipfler says she’s not a loner on purpose, but prefers to paint by herself, a change from her earlier years when days were spent painting with friends.
“I do better work when I’m not in a crowd. ‘Cause the crowd’s so much fun and work is work—-I’m getting better at painting in a crowd, lately,” Wipfler laughs. She agreed to the Cody show
“partly because I’m the only woman and partly because that was how Sue could get me to do a show! She has some great collectors over in Cody; one of those is the person who got my painting in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center!”
“There are many sources of inspiration for this show. It is partly my story too, so I know it well and think it is a story worth telling,” Simpson Gallagher notes. “Kathy is a peacemaker and makes sure that her friends stay connected. She is not competitive in a debilitating way. She only strives to be the best she can be. She was always game to go out painting no matter the time or temperature. She was good company. She was a positive influence and always buoyed every one else up.
It is inspirational for me to see the respect, admiration and love the artists have for Kathy and she has for them. I hope this show will reflect the rare and wondrous, broad-ranging friendship between independent individuals who share a history, experiences, a passion for painting, especially in the outdoors, and the Art Spirit!”
When prompted, Wipfler acknowledges the show is a highpoint in her career. “There are thousands of artists that would literally kill me if that meant they could have my spot in Sue’s gallery,” she says. “People want to be in that gallery badly. You walk in and you can feel the love for the art and their friendships with the artists and the meaning behind it all.” www.simpsongallaghergallery.com
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This just in!!! Lucy Grogan, Jackson Hole Art Auction Coordinator, sends the following:
Jackson, WY…The fifth annual Jackson Hole Art Auction was held on September 17th at the Center for the Arts in Jackson, Wyoming. Hosted by Trailside Galleries and Gerald Peters Gallery, more than 88% of the featured 250 lots sold, realizing over $9,000,000 in sales. As the auction got under way at 12:30 pm, more than 300 people filled the seats of the auditorium, with some 400 registered bidders. Bidding was very active with close to 300 phone bids and absentee bids. Internet bidders also participated in much of the sale. In just its fifth year, the Jackson Hole Art Auction has clearly distinguished itself as a destination event, with consignors and collectors from all across the country and abroad, including Russia, Ireland, England, and Switzerland.
The live audience broke into enthusiastic applause when Frederic Remington’s painting “He Lay Where He Had Been Jerked, Still as a Log”, a 24 ¼ x 36 ¼ oil on canvas, estimated at $1,000,000-$1,500,000, sold for $1,583,000. Other highlights include Bob Kuhn’s painting “Study of a Cougar”, a small 16 x 12 inch acrylic on masonite, estimated at $50,000-$75,000, sold for $90,000; Charlie Dye’s painting, “Texas Brush Popper”, a 20 x 24 oil on board, estimated at $20,000 – $30,000, sold for $74,750; Frederick Remington’s iconic bronze “Bronco Buster #16” estimated at $400,000 – $600,000, sold for $488,750; John Clymer’s painting “Marie Dorian – Winter Refuge, 1814”, a 40 x 30 oil on board, estimated $200,000 – $300,000, sold for $391,000.
This year’s Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival (FAF) takes place September 8-18, 2011. The festival’s popularity grows annually–as a commodity, top of the line art continues to retain or gain value. The Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival brings more visitors and arts enthusiasts to the area than any other annual regional event; it is a premier Western Art cultural event. Where else might one experience such sublime natural beauty and world class art? Visual arts, cowboy poetry, music, fine foods, auctions, parties, gallery openings, the best of Western design–find it all at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival!
This is the first of two posts listing 2011′s FAF highlight events. This post covers events through Sunday, September 11; the second half of the FAF events calendar posts Monday, September 12, 2011.
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Thursday, September 8~
The Western Design Conference Lecture, Yellowstone to Yukon: the Journey of Wildlife and Art. FAF featured artist Dwanye Harty
discusses his artwork and travels inspired by the work of Carl Rungius. The exhibition takes viewers along migratory routes and mountain corridors, from Pinedale, Wyoming, to the Arctic Circle, Yukon Territory.
Center for the Arts, 2pm. $15 Exhibit & Sale day pass available at the door.
www.westerndesignconference.com
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Western Design Conference Gala Event: Fashion Jewelry Show
A live-model jewelry show and champagne celebration, followed by a runway fashion show “presenting western-genre couture collections from both up-and-coming and established 
fashion designers.” $22,000 or more in cash prizes to the exhibitors whose work best exemplifies the traditions and evolution of Western design.The event expands this year with the addition of a special showing of celebrity costume designer Manuel’s State Jacket Collection and the Winners Circle Art Auction. Big post-party! Center for the Arts, doors open at 6pm. Fashion Show at 7:15pm.
Tickets: $125 box seats, $100 main floor, $35 balcony. Reserved seating. Center Box Office: 307-733-4900 or jhcenterforthearts.com
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Kathryn Mapes Turner Solo Exhibition, By the Light of the Sun, at Trio Fine Art
Jackson artist Kathryn Mapes Turner’s new show, “By the Light of the Sun,” will be on exhibit at Trio Fine Art September 7-24, 2011. Artist’s reception takes place 5-8:00 pm. Turner will talk about her inspirations at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to attend this free event. Turner will be available at Trio Fine Art for the length of the exhibition. “By the Light of the Sun” showcases Turner’s newest collection of spectacular regional landscapes; this season, Turner’s muses are Jackson Hole’s signature aspen and cottonwood trees. Enchanted by cottonwoods’ forms and the aspen’s delicate colors, Turner explores the spaces these trees occupy, as well as the relational space between them. The show also includes soft, tonal landscape paintings of the Tetons and indigenous wildlife. Additionally, Turner will introduce new paintings of horses, so familiar and meaningful to the artist’s life in Wyoming.
Trio Fine Art, 545 N. Cache, (307) 734-4444, www.triofineart.com
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Galleries West Fine Art presents sculptor R. Scott Nickell sculpting all day, every day, Sept. 8-18. Stop by and meet the artist and watch as he sculpts his latest masterpiece!
Galleries West Fine Art, 70 S. Glenwood, 5-9pm, (307) 733-4412, www.gallerieswestjacksonhole.com
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Friday, September 9 ~
19th Annual Western Design Conference Gallery Exhibit Sale
An extravaganza of Western furniture, home accessories and fashion. Great show, make sure you go! I still have my goodie bag from last year! Artisans display handcrafted functional artin leather, metal, accents, woodworking, jewelry and fashion.
The Pavilion at Snow King Resort, 10am – 5pm
Tickets at the door – $15 day pass
www.westerndesignconference.com
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Palates & Palettes Gallery Walk! Visit more than 30 galleries as they open their doors and serve up delicious cuisine and fine art! 5-8:00 pm. Gallery events this evening coincide with this event. A great way to kick off FAF week! Free, open to the public.
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Artists’ Open Studio, a show of works by various Jackson Hole artists, opens today in conjunction with Palates & Palettes. On display in the Lobby of the Center for the Arts, all works have artist information and contacts available; call individual artists to arrange a visit to their studios. For information contact Jenny Dowd, at jenny@artassociation.org.
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Trio Fine Art Gallery demonstrations. Trio artists Kathryn Mapes Turner, Lee Carlman Riddell, September Vhay and Jennifer Hoffman demonstrate drawing and painting techniques in the gallery. All are welcome to stop in! Free admission.
Trio Fine Art Gallery, 545 N. Cache, (307) 734-4444, www.triofineart.com
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Diehl Gallery Presents Sheila Norgate: Risk Everything
Diehl Gallery welcomes Canadian painter Sheila Norgate for her third solo exhibition of new works. “The text that always appears in my work is vitally important to me,” says Norgate. “It acts as a further
extension of myself, another layer of enunciation and emancipation and I grow more committed to its use with every passing day.” Diehl Gallery is pleased to again partner with Ignight. The show runs from September 9th thru the 30th. Sale proceeds benefit the Jackson Hole Land Trust.
Diehl Gallery, 155 West Broadway, 5-9pm, (307) 733-0905, www.diehlgallery.com
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Heather James Fine Art presents 20th Century artist Earl Cunningham, in a show entitled Earl Cunningham: American Fauve. The exhibition is on view September 9 – October 29, 2011. The gallery notes Cunningham “painted mostly landscapes of the coasts of Maine, New York, Michigan, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida…used vivid colors, flat perspective, and a few recurrent themes. His works depict the many small interactions of the Atlantic coastal ecosystem, the dockworkers, harbor pilots, fisherman, farmers, waterfowl and American Indian tribes.” Palates & Palettes reception, 6-8:00 pm. RSVP to Jim Carona at jim@heatherjames.com or call 307-200-6090. www.heatherjames.com
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Tayloe Piggott Gallery features an installation of works by internationally known artists, “incorporated into vignettes depicting art and the communication of space.” Art + Communication of Space features works by Raul Diaz, Nathaniel Donnett, James Drake, and Peggy Preheim. “It is not easy to admit to or even simply observe the fragility, fleetingness and loneliness of human existence,” says the gallery. “These featured artists…invite us on their personal journeys.” Described as a “highly sensory display,” the exhibtion remains up through October 17th. Reception hours tonight are 5-9 pm.
Tayloe Piggott Gallery, 62 S. Glenwood St, (307) 733-0555, www.tayloepiggottgallery.com
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Cayuse Western Americana’s show Cowgirls: Women of the West showcases the clothing, gear and images of the West’s first cowgirls. A special grouping of women’s spurs is part of this exhibit and sale,
and many pieces are from Wyoming. Master jeweler and metalsmith Susan Adams will be on hand for Cayuse’s P&P party, happening 5-8:oo pm. Yee ha! Show runs through September.
Other galleries to check out: David Brookover Gallery, the Art Association, Legacy, Galleries West, Henry Holdsworth, Mountain Trails, Trailside, Altamira, Buffalo Trails, MADE, West Lives On, Crazy Horse, and the Wyoming Gallery.
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Saturday, September 10 ~
Western Design Conference Exhibition and Sale continues! The Pavilion at Snow King Resort, 10am – 5pm. Tickets at the door – $15 day pass. www.westerndesignconference.com
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Historic Ranch Tours ” Visit historic valley ranches, where Jackson Hole’s cowboy heritage still thrives. Start out at the Walton Ranch and then head to the Snake River Ranch. The tour is complete with cowboys, Western entertainment, and a good ol’ fashion barbeque.” Buses leave Jackson’s Home Ranch parking lot at 3 p.m. Cost: $50 307.733.3316 or 307.699.3868
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Artist Erin C. O’Connor demonstrates plein air painting on location at String Lake, Grand Teton National Park. O’Connor finds
her greatest inspiration by painting directly within the environment. Noted for her participation in many prestigious Plein Air events, she is represented in collections and exhibits throughout the country. O’Connor was awarded the 2009 Joshua Tree National Park “Artist-in-Residency” post. Presented by “Artists in the Environment” and the Grand Teton Association. Find us near Leigh Lake’s picnic area parking lot. Free! Contact/Moderator: Tammy Christel. tammy@jacksonholearttours.com.
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
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Tom Mangelsen’s Images of Nature Gallery Annual Fall Reception World-renowned wildlife and nature photographer 
Thomas D. Mangelsen will share his latest images at the event. Mangelsen will visit with collectors, tell stories about his photographic journeys and sign books and limited edition prints. Party happens 6-9:00 pm.
Images of Nature Gallery, 170 N. Cache, (307) 733-9752, www.mangelsen.com
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Mountain Trails Gallery – Two Man Show “ A Family Legacy” A show featuring father and son sculptors, Vic Payne and Dustin Payne. Show remains up through September 18th. Mountain Trails Gallery, 155 Center Street, (307) 734-8150, www.mtntrails.net
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The Factory Studios, on Gregory Lane, presents Kelly Halpin’s recent work–”….darkly humorous drawings, paintings, and animations about life in Jackson Hole, and world wide ecological issues. Her unique style could be described as somewhere between film noir, Ralph Steadman, and punk rock.” www.thecoffeeweirds.com 6:30-9:30 pm.
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Sunday, September 11~ (Happy Birthday, Dad!)
19th Annual Western Design Conference Gallery Exhibit Sale continues. The Pavilion at Snow King Resort, 10am – 5pm. Tickets at the door – $15 day pass. www.westerndesignconference.com
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12th Annual Takin’ It to the Streets! An open-air, juried art fair featuring 40 local artists, including some of Jackson’s finest. Presented by the Jackson Hole Art Association.
Jackson Town Square, 10am – 4pm. Contact Amy Fradley at 307.733.8792 or artistinfo@jhartfair.org
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Taste of the Tetons Valley chefs, restaurants and caterers put their best culinary work on display for sampling. Wine tasting, silent auction, and the Howdy Pardners “Pickin’ in the Park” – musical entertainment by The Jackson Hole Cowboy Jubilee. Each taste ticket is $1. Jackson Town Square, 11am – 4pm.
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Next week’s Fall Arts Festival events include the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Western Visions: Miniatures and More Show & Sale, the Jackson Hole Art Auction, the 16th Annual Jackson Hole Quick Draw Show & Sale, Gallery Walks and many more events taking place at your favorite galleries!
Heather James Fine Art, always eclectic, has new paintings by Penelope Gottlieb on exhibition; the show is up through September 30, 2011. In keeping with Jackson Hole’s arts and conservation “love affair” Gottlieb’s work documents ”…a series of plants on the ‘confirmed extinction’ list that have no known visual reference by reconstructing them from botanists’ descriptions.”
Gottlieb paints directly on prints by John James Audubon (sharp intake of breath!). Though she could be said to be doing the same, Gottlieb is commenting on Audubon’s using natural beauty for commercial gain. Her images are lush and intriguing.
“Gottlieb envelops the wildlife in a tightly woven braid of plant leaves, tendrils and tentacles, so that what would normally be part of the creatures’ natural habitat has suddenly turned on them as a form of domestic colonization,” says Heather James’ Jim Carona. “The resulting visual “mash-up” of historical representation of nature with the consequences of non-native invasive species of plant life overpowering their environment create a form of contemporary historical discourse.” www.heatherjames.com
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The Jackson Hole Art Blog will publish a full Fall Arts Festival Calendar! Two separate posts will list events Sept. 8-11th, and Sept. 12-18th. Stay tuned!
Gaslight Alley, in downtown Jackson, is going to be hopping the evening of Friday, September 9th–that’s the evening of the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival’s Palates & Palettes Art Walk. David Brookover will be serving up fine fare, and raising funds for the Teton 
Raptor Center. Teton Art Lab will hook up with MADE; Art Lab founders Travis Walker and Tristan Greszko lead a team of artists in a “group” art installation creation, “Heroes and Villians.” Even Gaslight’s Native American jewelry store, Crazy Horse, is getting in on P&P action this year! The shop will host contemporary Navajo silversmith Artie Yellowhorse, demonstrating on site. Yellowhorse will be on site through Sunday, September 11.
Palates & Palettes happens all around downtown Jackson on September 9; hours are 5-8 pm.
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Still time to catch the Wyeths—Andrew, Jamie and N.C.—at the Art Association’s Main Space and Loft galleries. The works are for sale, and the collection will be showcased during September 9th’s Palates & Palettes gallery walk. Andrew Wyeth: A Survey is presented by the Art Association and the Gerald Peters Gallery. I know one N.C. Wyeth painting, the exhibit’s most exciting, has sold. In 2008, Skinner auctioned the work for $190,000.
Please note that 2011′s Fall Arts Festival Artist Studio Tours are being re-shaped. This year, an Artists’ Open Studio (currently on display) features works by local artists; see it at the Art Association. Contributing artists include Amy Bright Unfried, Shannon Troxler, Huntley Baldwin (we miss you, Huntley!), Charlie Olson, Natalie LaFarge Goss, Eliot Goss, Margaret Odell, Dee Parker and Laurie Thal. All artist contact info will available; arrange for your own visit to any artist’s studio. The Art Association’s Jenny Dowd is the contact (replacing Laurie Thal.) !
Also at the Art Association: David Klaren & Amy Unfried’s Orchestrated Line. Tree sculptures by Unfried and drawings by David Klaren.
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Astoria Fine Art welcomes wildlife artist and painter Mark Eberhard. Check the gallery’s Fall Showcase of Eberhard’s exciting contemporary work, on display at Astoria through 
September 9, 2011. An artist’s reception will be held Saturday, September 3, 5-7:00 pm. Large compositions comprised of bright, expansive fields of color spotlight animal subjects. Usually associated with his paintings of birds, this show includes at least one portrayal of a line of buffalo, at leisure in a vast sage prairie, a familiar snow-topped mountain range in the distance. Eberhard captures the West’s sensation of endless space, and live-wire color of its inhabitants. www.astoriafineart.com
“Ultimately, my work springs from direct experience. And so much of my experience is rooted in nature. Or, rather, the place where nature and spirituality converge. I’ve been around the world, and Jackson Hole is my home. My paintings are profoundly affected by a life-long connection to its beauty.” ~ Kathryn Mapes Turner
Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Jackson artist Kathryn Mapes Turner’s new show, By the Light of the Sun, will be on exhibit at Trio Fine Art September 7-24, 2011. An artist’s reception takes place September 8th 2011 (Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival Opening Day), 5-8:00 pm. Turner will talk about her inspirations at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to attend this free event. Turner will be available at Trio Fine Art for the length of the exhibition. By the Light of the Sun showcases Turner’s newest collection of spectacular regional landscapes; this season, Turner’s muses are Jackson Hole’s signature aspen and cottonwood trees. Enchanted by cottonwoods’ forms and the aspen’s delicate colors, Turner explores the spaces these trees occupy, as well as the relational space between them.
Having grown up on her family’s ranch, in the middle of Grand Teton National Park, Turner recognizes sublime natural beauty. Resplendent mountains, sparkling waters and a profusion of wildlife informed her. The first girl born into a ranching family in 60 years, she experienced mountain seasons as they turned from icy, monochromatic winters to summers exploding with wildflowers, azure skies and silvery sage. Working with the land every day, Turner developed a powerful initiative and aesthetic. The need to use her hands, a powerful work ethic and a deep love for nature’s wonders converged.
Kathryn Turner became an artist. But despite nature’s pervasiveness, it’s possible Turner’s biggest influence was a store-bought poster.
“Over my bed was a poster of Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” I think about how someone had used paints, brushes and canvas to
create something so moving, I gazed at it every day.” Turner believes that if she is going to create anything material, she must do it to the very best of her ability.
Executing such work is a huge responsibility. As she works, Turner stays in contact with her own powerful sense of spirituality. “Whatever the concept of God or “oneness” is, that is where beauty, truth and goodness originate,” Turner says. “I want those to be the source of my work. In that sense my paintings come from another place, and not from me.”
Turner also views herself–and other artists–as part of art history’s continuum. With every painting, she strives to transmit a collective idea of sublime universal beauty. “We are a service industry,” says the artist. “I am positioned on an eternal timeline of artists, making contributions to the world. I feel I have a great opportunity and privilege by participating in the movement; it’s an incredible honor.”
It’s almost impossible not to compare Turner’s recent, tempestuous portraits of the Tetons to the paintings of the 19th century British Romanticist William Turner. Romanticism has been described as a movement so varied, it is difficult to define. A romantic herself, Kathryn Turner paints from the heart. Steering away from a collective tendency to render the Tetons in
painterly, dense layers of bright colors Turner recently painted the Grand Teton and its neighboring summits as dark and looming. These Tetons are primordial. Sweeping towards the heavens, their silhouettes are smoky and golden. Brushwork is less visible, and a holy luminosity prevails.
Contemporary Western artists often argue that the Tetons have been painted so often, any new portrayals are redundant. Turner’s recent panoramas prove that theory wrong.
“If I avoid painting the Tetons for fear of their being trite, it would be dishonest,” Turner says. “I’ve grown up with them, have always been near them, always been taken with them. How can one not be? The mountains are our central force. You can’t deny them. I need to address them in my work; I have a deep relationship with them.”
And, like the Romanticists, Turner changes up her painting style, moving on once she’s explored a subject. For her, pushing the envelope swells experience, and Turner points out that throughout art’s history, art changes. It has to, in order to remain interesting and significant. She never knows how a show will take shape, and that’s how exciting work happens.
Turner’s paintings are as much about materials as they are subject and soul. Textures and paint behavior are intriguing. Working with paint is an end in itself. As she talks about paint, she brings out a small oil of a sun splashed window box, spilling over with roses, painted in Italy.
“Transparency versus opaqueness. Thinness and thickness, bright versus dull. Oil paints give all of that, I’m in love with manipulating paint,” Turner emotes. The glazes, the scumbling—sometimes it’s about brushstrokes, sometimes it’s about drawing. Negative and positive spaces. It’s like playing in a sandbox, the possibilities are endless!”
When a painting is complete, it’s time to let it go.
“Letting go of a painting is like letting go of a child; you have to let it out into the world. The story of Pygmalion is largely about not being able to let go. If you try too hard to control
a process, it won’t flow. The paintings need to do their work in the world. Preparing work for the gallery is great because it gives me a deadline. The paintings I have the hardest time parting with are the ones most important to release. I had a teacher tell me never to call myself an artist. To call myself a painter. ‘You are a painter,’ she said. ‘Others can decide if what you make is truly art!’ So that is it. I am supposed to show up, do my best, and create from the heart.”
