Jackson Hole Art Blog

It’s a sometimes dark, sometimes cosmic, and sometimes beautiful view photographer Thomas Macker shares with us in his new collection of images Western Heritage – Expansion/Consumption/New Age, opening at Teton Art Lab Friday, August 27. An opening reception takes place on the late side, (yes, I can hear the young folks laughin’) 7-9:00 p.m.

A visiting artist resident, Macker is in from Los Angeles.  He is a candidate for an MFA in Photography and Media at CalArts.

Macker describes this show as being concerned with “Wyoming and the western landscape….spiritual, cultural, and environmental tourism.”  In much of his other work, he takes special interest in the ironies and complexities of California.  Western Heritage delves into activities and issues as mountaineering, car camping, gmo seeds, migrant workers, alternative energy, “intergalactic colonialism,” Black Elk and the psychedelic.

I’ve spent an hour checking out Macker’s website.  I find his photography deeply affecting.  Intimate.  Political.  These are the kinds of photographs that, in this election season, those running for office should see. The photographs–portraits of place–illustrate ubiquitous ironies and plights. They more than hint at American tragedies. Private lives are exposed, fates admitted. Throughout his work Macker treats all his subjects, no matter how jarring, with unblinking honesty .

Without being noticed we watch from behind as a lone, aging man fills water bottles from a forest stream.  The night sky’s astrological patterns surrounding Perseus (The Hero) are reinterpreted by what I first thought were scattered bullets holes in glass.  A friend thought he saw the eyes of the universe. The connected spheres are in fact spores.  Domestic workers pose for Macker’s camera inside the properties they tend;  their employers are nowhere in sight.  These spotless, manicured California homes are proof of attentive care and work provided by these workers, not of the property owners. Nannies, likely immigrants, assume motherhood to babies they push in strollers.

One Macker series, With God, All Things Are Possible, depicts a region of the Ohio River Valley and is a not-so-subtle rip on the concept of a generous Deity.  A thick and heavy summer yard is vacant, save the black hole of an ignored trampoline.  A dead coyote lies at the side of a road, a woman nuzzles her shepherd; but the most heart-stopping image concerns a young cougar tethered to a pole in a back yard.  The cat stalks our photographer and its jailer—some guy I presume is trafficking in wildlife, or he works for a circus—plays ringmaster.

It took me a moment to notice the pistol lying on the bed next to a man in a motel room.  The man talks animatedly; he’s wearing a Carnegie Mellon t-shirt.

These are only descriptions of Macker’s photographs, and I fear I may put you off checking out the contents of Western Heritage. This show’s cover image  — girls in blue plastic innertubes lolling about in tall Wyoming grasses while a buff dude repairs a chain link fence protecting solar panels — reveals sharp, wry humor.  Go see it.  Put your thinking cap on.  In America, concerned as we are with issues of constitutionality and culturalism, this a potentially thought provoking show.

To view Macker’s work check out http://www.fotocoyote.com/

www.tetonartlab.com

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Jackson Hole’s 2010 Fall Arts Festival is fast approaching. Portions of the  National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Western Visions/Sixth Annual Photography Show & Sale/ Fourth Annual Sketch Show & Sale are now available to view.   Events continue through Sunday, September 26, 2010.

Highlights include:

• The Sketch Show & Sale (King Gallery) displays work by participating Western Visions artists and includes simple pencil sketches to studies in oil or acrylic.
• Tuesday, September 7, 2010 —  5:30 to 8:30 pm enjoy Tapas and a presentation by 2010  Featured Scupltor Simon Gudgeon for a special Art After Hours. Program is free. Reservations for tapas required and can be made by calling 307-732-5434.
• Thursday, September 9,  12:05 pm. —  Art Alive @ 12:05 features a talk by Simon Gudgeon.  Museum galleries;  free.
• Wednesday, September 15  —  12th Annual Jewelry & Artisan Luncheon, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Register by Wednesday, September 8.    307.732.5412.
• Thursday, September 16, 2010 —-  Plein Air Sketching Workshop led by Featured Painter Mary Roberson.   8-11:30 a.m.   Hands-on outdoor instruction overlooking National Elk Refuge.  Cost:  $45.    Reservations required via Jane Lavino.    307.732.5417.   ALSO: Museum Gallery Walk,  1-2:00 pm.  Led by Simon Gudgeon, he will talk about some of his favorite NMWA works.   Free for members or with Museum admission.  AND, Jewelry & Artisan Show & Sale begins today, continuing through Friday, September 17.  View and select offerings of exquisite handmade jewelry, silver items and accessories.

• Thursday, September 16  —- 23rd Annual Wild West Artist Party,  6:30 – 10:30 p.m.  Location is National Museum of Wildlife Art.   Live music, dancing, plenty of good fare.   Register by Wednesday, September 8.   307.732.5412.

• Friday, September 17  —- Featured Painter Presentation and Poster Signing, 1:00 pm.    Mary Roberson will speak about her art and influences.  Free for members or with Museum admission.
• Friday, September 17  —-  23rd Annual Miniatures and More Show & Sale. Doors open 3:30 pm;  Bidding closes 5:30 pm; Presentation begins 6:30 pm.   Event features over 150 top American artists. Reservations required by September 8.   307.732.5434.

And, a new addition for 2010:

Wednesday, September 29 — Art A’Brewin’ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.   Enjoy coffee and fruit at the Museum, and pick up your purchased artwork.  Browse works still available.  Fun, free, open to the public.

An online Western Visions Catalog can be found here; you can read succinct artist biographies and, for some artists, interview content.

www.wildlifeart.org

“The unique blend of Realism and the formal discipline of Color Field painting sets the work of Wolf Kahn apart. Kahn is an artist who embodies the synthesis of his modern abstract training with Hans Hofmann, with the palette of Matisse, Rothko’s sweeping bands of color, and the atmospheric qualities of American Impressionism.” – Wolf Kahn Bio

“With each painting, you have to set up a situation in which you can be surprised. You have to have the opportunity to be spontaneous.”- Wolf Kahn

Jackson Hole’s Fall Arts Festival is upon us, and many galleries are warming up, previewing their big shows.   In the case of Jackson’s Tayloe Piggott Gallery, in partnership with Camille Obering, the big draw is a show of Wolf Kahn paintings and pastels. Refractions of Light is on exhibit at that gallery now through October 24; an opening takes place September 10, 5-8 pm, during Palates & Palettes.

It always seemed just a matter of time before Wolf Kahn showed up at Tayloe’s.

Potent combination, balancing Matisse, Rothko and American Impressionism.  It’s as if Wolf Kahn single handedly created a new painting genre.  Oh, wait, I think he did!  Can we call him a synthesist? His most influential teacher, Abstract Expressionist Hans Hofmann, certainly was.  Wolf Kahn’s style, arguably one of the most recognized in American art, has itself influenced a generation of expressionistic, fauvist-style painters.  He is certainly one of the most influential contemporary landscape painters.   His work is at once tranquil and effervescence. His color palette is largely pastel, as if Nature blushed while posing for Kahn.

Though he studied art in New York, he’s a 1950’s urban art student who went country.  During the 50’s Kahn became influential in that era’s explorative, hyper-creative art movements.  Born in 1927, he continues to divide his time between New York and Vermont.

My desk calendar is a Wolf Kahn.  Even on mass produced calendar stock, Kahn’s saturated hues obliterate all the other colors in immediate view. For more information, visit www.tayloepiggottgallery.com or phone 307.733.0555.

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Check out Jackson’s  Legacy Gallery One Man Show for Texas artist Gary Lynn Roberts, opening August 26th, with an artist’s opening reception 6-8:00 pm. at the gallery.

This new exhibition features at least 15 new paintings by this popular genre artist. Heck.  Months ago I received an email from a Western art fan living in Idaho.  She asked me if I knew the name of a landscape artist from Texas, whose work was shown in Jackson.  The paintings they’d seen by that artist moved them.  That was the only information they had, and I was at a loss.  Fingers crossed they see this post and that Roberts is their man!

Roberts paints scenes recalling Western life dating from the 1800’s.  A classic landscape realist, Roberts learned to paint at an early age.  His father, Joe Rader Roberts, was also an artist.  Formative influences on Roberts’ work were artists G. Harvey and A.D. Greer.  Daily participation in ranch life gave Roberts the experience he needed to “portray the natural characteristics of horses and the ranch lifestyle….during the Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell era, when cowboys and Indians were prevalent.”

The works at this exhibit will be originals, but Roberts has a selection of giclées on canvas.  Many of his new works can be seen on the artist’s website, linked above. For more information, phone Legacy Gallery at 307.733.2353.

Though this information reached the Jackson Hole Art Blog a little late to post in time for this exhibit’s August 19 opening reception,  I wanted to call your attention to Interpreting the GYE, on exhibit through August 31 at Galleries West Fine Art.   The exhibition combines paintings, sculptures and (quite possibly) pastel.

The concept that we are all here because of the Power of Place seems to be “locking in” for Jackson’s arts community.   Of course, the GYE–Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem–has been examined, observed, interpreted and adored by artists since the 1860’s.   Now, our contemporary arts community is accepting—”considering” may be a more appropriate description — that landscape, wildlife and indigenous cultures are cool.

Galleries West features representational work by contemporary artists.   It is a friendly, hard working and lovely gallery, filled with work created with full depth of devotion to Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson.   You know these artists.   Come see the work.

Galleries West is located on 70 S. Glenwood, in Jackson  — across from Trio Restaurant.   For information, call the gallery at 307.733.4412.

In this Theodore Waddell painting I sense the Great Mystery’s arms embracing this herd; if these are the pastures of heaven, as Waddell suggests, that heaven’s arms gently form this grouping of cattle to the shape of an hourglass.   A sprinkling of ranch animals are black sands of time.

Altamira Fine Art presents Theodore Waddell’s The Pastures of Heaven: One Man Show, with an artist’s reception Thursday, August 19, 5-7:00 p.m.  And, as Altamira’s Dean Munn has opened the Steinbeck door, I will go through it.

If you are of a certain age, and a reader, you may know what Munn has mentioned; the phrase “Pastures of Heaven” is taken from the title of a John Steinbeck story set in California–in valleys not far from Monterey—before mass development swallowed swaths of open land. The book is actually a collection of interconnected stories, just as this Altamira show is comprised of connected stories told by Waddell.  Not being familiar with this Steinbeck book, I Googled.   Wikipedia’s short synopsis says that those California valleys were discovered by a Spanish corporal, who named the valley area Las Pasturas del Cielo.

When we encounter scenes of superlative beauty and power, we want to dissolve into them and become the Juniper tree, that hillside, all the fields of flowers, the ocean, the mountain.  In every way we try to merge so that we may keep living.   Waddell’s animals look like Morse code symbols, marking changes in time and information the artist receives from the land.   These cows, horses and buffalo reflect clusters of stars in the sky.

Being quiet with the land, living off the land. Waddell examines these themes and his symbolic abstract animals stand before us like charred trees–life leaving us but promising to return.

As a bonus, all of the original art from the children’s book “Tucker Gets Tuckered” will be on exhibit.  Written by Ted Beckstead and illustrated by Waddell, the book tells the story of the daily adventures of a lively dog.

www.altamiraart.com.

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A few days after returning to Jackson I ventured to a few of its galleries.   More than ever, it hit home that our galleries are marketing and selling very sophisticated art.  Masterworks.  Price Upon Request.  If you have to ask, you can’t afford it,….etc. I told a friend about some of the works I’d seen, and we discussed where they might have come from.  Art can show up in a gallery for any number of reasons, and from any number of places. Artwork can be sold by individuals or corporations or museums  – and galleries that are closing their doors sometimes consign works to other galleries.

But what ultimately determines whether someone owning a significant work will sell it at auction or through a gallery?

Sarah Shinn Pratt is a former Vice President and Auctioneer for Sotheby’s New York. An Expert Appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow for 10 years she is currently President of LeBaron Antiques Trading, based in Woodbury, Connecticut (www.sarahshinnpratt.com).

Pratt explains.

“Some people consign to a dealer because they want the certain cash NOW and don’t want to wait for a sale and then the usual 35 business days payout afterwards. If it does not sell, they might end up owing the auction house money and then the property can be considered a bit “burned.” Also, they may not want their ex-wife or relatives, for example, knowing their business. Auction results for high-end art are readily accessible on the Internet and end up in art data bases, sometimes even in the newspapers.

Pratt says that dealers like to buy from private individuals as opposed to auction because they can often buy cheaper and also because then the public doesn’t know what they paid for it. After auction commission and fees for insurance and photographs in the catalogue, the consignor at auction can end up with less than what they could have gotten from a dealer, so it can be a win-win situation for both the seller and the dealer.

“Some reasons to go for auction as a sales venue include that one has exciting fresh (never been on the market or only a long time ago) merchandise,” says Pratt.  ”And it will benefit from international exposure, or that there are several owners involved and a transparent transaction is necessary.”

Perhaps the new owners of Teton Valley Ranch will fill the place with art bought in Jackson.

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The show doesn’t happen until September 12th, but now is the time to submit work to CIAO if you wish to be considered for its Third Annual Wildlife (Juried) Exhibit.   Deadline comes up soon  –  August 20th.   If you’ve got a wolf at the door or on canvas, submit up to five images electronically.  Visit www.ciaogallery@yahoo.com (Okay, as I write that I sense a hybrid email and website snafu so please experiment a bit if need be!)  to get the lowdown on how to send your work.   You may also call 307.733.7833.

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Quick list of MADE’s remaining summer list of artists exhibiting their work, getting their goods pumped up via John Frechette’s dynamite new-artist-by-the-week rotation concept.   Artists, if you want images of your work posted on this site, please send them to me.  Or, send them to John and ask him to forward the info here.   Be glad to preview it!

Artists with openings and week-long exhibits at MADE (in Gaslight Alley) through September:

Aug 19th   Amanda Sullivan

Aug 26    Padgett Hoke

Sept 2    Jesse Gestal

Sept 9    Travis Walker

Spet 16th    Susan Madrey

Sept 23rd    Raskoll Inc

Sept 30th    Diana Eden

jdfrechette@gmail.com

It’s exhilarating to be home.

Recently the JH Art Blog was down. Hardly an ideal re-entry scenario, but we’re up and running again, and working to catch up with Jackson’s arts scene. It only takes a brief reacquainting visit to galleries to realize that Jackson’s regional arts scene, for a town of its size, is truly exceptional.   It’s alive with eclectic work and great talent represented in every venue. We’re not New York or Paris or Chicago….or Miami.   But the quality of art here, the quantity of talent?  We should be proud.  Our subject matter reflects the region, yes. National and international influences are finding their way in, and when good management and vision are in play everybody wins.

Regarding the situation involving the Art Association and Aaron Wallis:  I’ve had my conversation with Wallis, so we’re done as far as that is concerned. However, the current situation between him and the arts community is very unfortunate.   No winners there.   Hope it can be resolved.

The good news:

The weather is here, wish you were beautiful and Artists in the Park (officially Artists in the Environment) features Wilson, Wyoming artist Jocelyn Slack this Saturday, August 14th, at Oxbow Bend Turnout in Grand Teton National Park. Slack, an illustrator, works primarily in watercolors, pen and ink.   She’s a regular contributor to Crane Creek Graphics and her work was included in the recent Center for the Arts exhibition of images of dancers.

Artists in the Park is sponsored by the Grand Teton Association and is free to the public.   Look for Slack’s easel and the event’s Artist Demonstration banner.   Artists in this series begin painting at 9:00 a.m. and end at noon.   Bring a chair, snacks, and paints if the spirit moves.

Phone:  307-739-3606.

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“I am fascinated with painting white objects because, in watercolor, white subjects are what appears in the place where there is no paint. By painting the shadows on the form and the negative space around the form, the form itself appears.” – September Vhay

Essence.

What Jackson painter September Vhay does best, some might argue, is capture the essence—the nut—of the animals she paints.  Her new show goes up Saturday, August 18, at Trio Fine Art and features Vhay’s trademark graceful renditions of horses, wildlife, ranch animals, magpies and orchids.

The orchids are white, and Vhay says painting that particular flower connects her to her watercolor background.   Structurally, the flower may appeal to the painter’s other identity; she’s a trained and practiced architect.  In fact, orchid petals remind Vhay of draft horse haunches.

And the flowers hold still.

Trio’s artists are all trying new subjects.   Vhay also will exhibit paintings of longhorns.  For her, the bulls intrigue “…on many levels, from the shape of their horns to their symbolism of the West. Longhorns were the first cattle introduced to the U.S. in the late 1400’s due to their ability to handle harsh conditions and to breed easily. Their disposition is innately gentle, yet they appear intimidating due to the size of their horns, which can span up to 80 inches.”

“In one painting, this gentleness is expressed in the bulls eye,” Vhay said, “Yet his horns let you know that in an instant he would have no problem protecting himself.”

For info, log onto www.vhay.com, visit www.triofineart.com, or phone 307.734.4444.

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Art Association Happenings!

The Jackson Hole Art Association’s Local Landscapes with Local Artists series features artist Tammy Callens on Saturday, August 14, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm.   The half day of creative fun and learning takes place at the Snake River Ranch.

This workshop costs $75;  Art Association members may attend for $50.   Billed as “Interpreting the Traditional Landscape,” (I take that to mean attendees will explore ways to interpret landscape in various ways) the morning includes:

· A one hour painting demonstration and talk by Tammy

· Two hours to create using the medium of your choice

· A critique and one-on-one direction from Tammy

· A simple picnic lunch will be included

Space is limited.   To sign up, or for more info, call 307.733.6379.

Talk Like an Egyptian?

August 12 – 15, 2010 | 5 Lectures | Attend one or attend them all!

Beginning August 12th, the Art Association will present a series of lectures by Hisham El Meniawy. A native of Cairo, Mr. Meniawy is a history and archeology specialist of ancient Egypt. He studied at the university in Cairo and has lectured for 20 years in Europe and at conferences and archeology sites throughout Egypt.

Egypt’s ancient arts are a keystone of the world’s art history.   Please contact the Art Association for more information on this series.

Coming up:  The second  Summer 2010 Jackson Hole Art Fair takes place August 20-22 at Miller Park, in Jackson.  www.artassociation.org

Historical Native America: Portraits from the 19th Century, a One Man Show of  works by painter James Ayers, opens with an artist’s reception at the Legacy Gallery on August 5, 6-8:00 p.m.

Inspired by great historical artists and portraitists such as Karl Bodmer, George Catlin and Edward Curtis, these paintings “…reference the historical drawings and photographs but from a modern day artist’s perspective.”  Expect to view contemporary takes on such prominent figures as Black Buffalo and Mano-Tope Four Bears.   A likeness of the former is particularly creative because no actual photographs of Black Buffalo exist, according to the gallery.   Ayers’s take on what this Native American leader must have looked like spring from descriptions found in the descriptions of Lewis and Clark, written during their 1804 expedition.

For more information about the show please visit  www.legacygallery.com, or email janell@legacygallery.com.

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Over at Trailside Galleries, another showcase takes place this month: Huihan Liu’s new works are on display at that gallery through August 31. An artist’s reception takes place Thursday, August 19, 5-7:00 p.m. Ten new paintings lovingly depict people and village life in Tibet–an exquisite, ancient civilization in a struggle for its own survival.

The showcase runs in tandem with a larger Trailside showcase, its annual “Western Classics.”

The gallery is highlighting 30 or more of its best traditional paintings and sculptures.   Representational works by well known western artists, including those affiliated with the Cowboy Artists of America, are included.   Emphasized are contemporary renditions of cowboy life, Native American subjects and spectacular landscapes.    Take your time, there’s a lot to see!

Phone contact:  307.733.3186.   www.trailsidegalleries.com

Don’t forget to wander upstairs to view the offerings for this year’s Jackson Hole Art Auction.

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Jackson local artist Amy Ringholz opens a new show of her singular style animal portraits in a new show, “Resonance,” opening August 5 at Altamira Fine Art, on Center Street.     An opening reception takes place August 5, 5-7:00 pm, and the exhibition remains up through August 17.

Ringholz openings are always infused with the artist’s own sense of celebration and fun; expect to get down, downtown.

“Resonance” refers to Ringholz’s efforts to connect powerfully with viewers. Study of textiles, 19th Century prints and art nouveau have infiltrated these compositions.  Moving into storytelling mode, these new paintings are related to her totem series but are more illustrative — they possess a fairy tale quality.   She feels that the “magic” of these new paintings offer a “flow of stories of love, friendship, family, God, honor and the pursuit of dreams.”

“Amy’s art has brought joy to admirers and collectors across the country. This show will be an especially significant step in her artistic journey as it melds her familiar abstract styling with the sophisticated conceptual storytelling thematic,” says gallery Director Mark D. Tarrant.

For more information, email connect@altamiraart.

Long a haven for creative and curious souls, the Murie Center — former home of environmentalists Olaus and Mardy Murie — is redefining itself, as it has been since the passing of Mardy, in 2003.

The Murie Ranch, a National Historic Landmark located in Grand Teton National Park, is just up the road, then down a gentler road, from the new Grand Teton National Park Visitor’s Center in Moose, Wyoming.  The Center still feels like the Park’s best kept secret; hours that it is open to the public are limited, however group tours are offered free of charge every Monday and Thursday, 2:00 p.m.

The Center, “Conservation’s Home,” has a mission to “engage people to understand and commit to the enduring value of conserving wildlife in wild places.”

July 22-25, the Murie Center will conduct an Avian Art and Writing Workshop. An extensive three and a half day schedule includes such activities as an introduction to Olaus Murie’s artwork, exploratory writing sessions and exercises, meals, bird watching and sketching activities.    The Teton Raptor Center is providing live birds as inspiration and subject matter for sketchers, painters, writers, photographers and sculptors.

Long time valley resident and accomplished plein air painter Greg McHuron leads the sketching workshops; McHuron’s work is represented by Trailside Galleries in Jackson.  He recently co-authored “Birds of Sage and Scree,” with valley ornithologist Bert Raynes.   and Jackson-based writer Susan Marsh will conduct writing classes.

Sculptor Greg Woodard (represented locally by Altamira Fine Art) will provide a sculpting demonstration.

$595 includes lodging in a Murie Ranch cabin for three nights, all meals and tuition; $395 includes all meals and tuition only.  The Murie Center has provided the following tentative schedule of events – for more information email info@muriecenter.org or phone 307.739.2246.

Thursday, July 22

5:30 pm – Welcome reception

6:30 pm – Dinner at Homestead Cabin

7:30 pm – Introduction to the Murie Center and Olaus Murie artwork – guest presenter Dr. Jamie Cornelius talks about tracking the red crossbill on the Ranch as a Murie Center biologist-in-residence.

Friday, July 23

8 am – Breakfast at Homestead Cabin

9 am – Exploratory writing session with Susan Marsh around the Murie Ranch

12 pm – Lunch at Homestead Cabin

2 pm – Greg Woodard sculpting demonstration with live birds from Teton Raptor Center

3 pm – Writing exercise with Susan Marsh and live birds from Teton Raptor Center

5 pm – Dinner at Homestead Cabin

6 pm – Avian bird-watching/photography

Saturday, July 24

8 am – Breakfast at Homestead Cabin

9 am – Greg McHuron and Dwayne Harty lead avian sketching session

12 pm – Lunch at Homestead Cabin

2 pm – Greg McHuron leads avian sketching session with live birds from Teton Raptor Center

5 pm – Dinner at Homestead Cabin

6 pm – Avian bird-watching/photography

Sunday, July 25

8 am – Breakfast at Homestead Cabin

10 am – 12 pm – Tours and demonstrations on-site at the Teton Raptor Center in Wilson ($10)

July 15-22, check out the bold, illustrative  paintings of Jeff Ham at Mountain Trails Gallery.

Last summer’s personal statement on Native American history will be replaced (I believe) with more celebratory Western imagery.  As has been noted, Ham’s color and composition spring from a background in illustration.

“I do my best to translate emotion and feelings into color and communicate my individual interpretation of each subject,” he explained. ”My goal is to capture spontaneity. As an artist I am learning to express myself in an honest and straightforward manner.”

I’m still loving the  memory of  Jeff Ham’s large scale works, his  O’Keeffe and Warhol portraits; they once hung in the J.H. Center for the Arts Theater Lobby, and may still be there.

Email:  fineart@mountaintrails.net

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“I paint with passion, risk and abbreviated images instead of capturing realism. Set against transit texture and vivid color, images and figures cannot be situated in reality. These painterly expressions challenge our emotions and communicate with our sense of mystery. Mystery is a part of life. Not everything is easily explainable.”  - Rocky Hawkins

Rocky Hawkins: Lost At Last, is the new show at Altamira Fine Art. A reception will be held at the gallery July 15, 5-7:00 pm.

What can’t be ignored in Montana artist Rocky Hawkins’ work is the ghostly quality of his portraits.  Conversely, there is a direct confirmation his Native American subjects demand of viewers.   Confirmation of existence transmitted by apparitions.   Thirty-six expressionistic paintings make up the artist’s roster of images on the Altamira gallery site. All are potent, highly vigorous compositions — an approaching army of ancestry and imminent spirits.

Hawkins is a brave artist, true to his own inspiration. His work sells, appealing to a cache of sophisticated collectors of contemporary Western art.  Inspired in part by Terpning, Hawkins’ works are painterly anti-war messages conveyed through portraits of a culture that fought for its right to exist.

And isn’t a break with “the rules” what we often search out for in great art?   Gallery director Mark Tarrant has said that Hawkins’ work recalls “the primitivism that Gaugin sought, and pays little attention to the classical use of perspective and color.”    To my eye, his work recalls Gaugin’s breakout character combined with Jackson Pollock’s rhythmic use of paint….there may be homage to Motherwell’s sweeping black forms.

Lost At Last (if you meet Hawkins, ask him about the meaning behind the title of this show; then get back to me, please!) remains on display through August 4th.     www.altamiraart.com.

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Jackson Hole Art Fair Rap Revisited!

(July 16-18   Miller Park   10am-6pm;  10 am-4pm Sunday. www.artassociation.org )

Hey, it’s July, so it’s time to share / ‘Bout that annual gig, the Jackson Hole Art Fair! / “Art Fair Jackson Hole” it prefers to be called / Nobody asked me.  I’m not involved.

Hey man, don’t be bored! / Sometimes Harrison Ford / Comes to check out the art / And he brings Flockhart. (If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it!)

Buy ceramics, toys, fibers–/  This poem’s the town crier / For Art Fair Weekend / Come rain or come shine-er. / Paintings, baskets, jewels, tents / Sunscreen and some fivers / All make for a day / The whole family could die for!

See the Fair.  Have Fun.  This rap is all done.

Item #4:

Hammock painting helpers needed!  July 15, beginning 5:00 pm,  convene at the Multipurpose Ceramics Studio at the Center for the Arts. Help paint 2,000 feet of hammock that will be used as part of Sunday, July 25th’s Vertical Orchestra concert at the Teewinot lift ( I am enough of a non-skier to not even know if that lift is at Snow King or Teton Village.  But I bet you will know, dear readers!)

If you help paint, you’ll go home with a free hammock.   Bring along any unused paint you might have handy, but most importantly, bring yourself.    You can also sign up to volunteer the day of the concert.   Questions:  Bland Hoke,  307.690.0097.

On July 8, Lee Carlman Riddell and Ed Riddell will open a joint show, Joy, at Trio Fine Art.

For Lee and Ed, joy is the thing that, when cultivated, creates a better life.  ”A special friend taught us the importance of cheering each other on: remembering a birthday, cooking dinner for friends, attending weddings and graduations and …art openings. Volunteering your time. It is these special things that we can all do that give us satisfaction and a sense of community,” says Lee.

The couple, recently returned from Tuscany, are, according to Lee, “excited to be showing their new work created over the past year.”

Photographer Ed Riddell expects he’ll be showing ten to twenty new photographs, while Lee notes her paintings will include works as large as 18 x 18″, 12 x 30″ and 12 x 24.”

Ed is planning a “surprise” for the public with his new images; Lee will be displaying some new, more expansive landscape paintings. Red barns covered by snowfall, Snake River pelicans, hoary frost cottonwoods, the moon.  Tuscany’s landscapes are rendered in field sketches (which can be the most exciting part of any show). Nesting hummingbirds, very difficult to observe, housed themselves outside Lee’s studio—expect to see sketches of tiny, hovering Trochilidae.

Joy’s opening reception takes place 5-8:00 pm;  a salon-style conversation with Ed and Lee Riddell happens the same evening, 5-6:00 pm.   Contact Lee by phoning either 307.733.8093, x10 or 307.699.0923.

Watch for Lee’s contribution to the 2010 NMWA Western Visions Show.  One more accolade:  Lee’s work was accepted as part of the juried Yellowstone Art Museum 42nd art Auction.

Visit www.triofineart.com for more information.  In addition to Riddell, Trio Fine Art represents Kathryn Mapes Turner and September Vhay…and that painter up in Livingston….what’s his name……..Russell Chatham (humor attempt!).   Look for some guest artist appearances this season.  Summer gallery hours at Trio are Wed. – Sat., Noon-6pm.

Item #2:

I love it when the nudes come together!

Lyndsay McCandless, Director at newly opened Heather James Fine Art, would like you to come in and see some of her favorite things.   Marilyn is one of them.  Even “hetero” women are in love with Marilyn.   Can’t stop looking at her.

“When Hollywood photographer Lawrence Schiller, America’s first paparazzi, got the assignment to photograph Marilyn Monroe on the set of Something’s Got to Give, he thought nothing of it, just another fabulous Hollywood assignment,” says McCandless. “But he, and the world, were unprepared for the moment when Marilyn jumped into the pool in a flesh-colored bikini and came up out of the water au natural. The film crew brought out a birthday cake on that day, June 1, 1962 when she turned 36, and she gleefully sat before the sparkler candles…”

Schiller caught the moment, on a day that turned out to be her last on a movie set. Two months later Monroe would be dead.

McCandless also digs painter Timothy Tompkins’ nebulas; painted on aluminum panels they remind her of ethereal, glorious, galactic worm holes.  She notes that the work is inspired by images in modern media and how they relate to art history and the human condition; the works have a transitory effect.

There’s so much more, including an August “Wyeth” extravaganza.  Do not miss it.  307.200.6090 gets you Lyndsay.

Item #3:

Shoot, it’s Schenck!

My bad. Missed this item in my “drafts” stack.   Here are the facts!

ARTIST: Bill Schenck

WHAT: Book Signing: “Bill Schenck, Serigraphs 1971-1996”

WHEN: Saturday, July 10th 10 AM to 1 PM

WHERE: Altamira Fine Art, 172 Center Street

WHY:  It’s Bill Schenck! (Have you SEEN the magazine layouts of his cool southwestern home?)

STRAIGHT FROM THE GALLERY’S MOUTH: Over the past four decades Bill Schenck’s hard-edge oil paintings examining the realities of modern Western life have ranged from the nostalgic and the surreal to Photorealism and Conceptualism. Yet little attention has been given to the unique serigraphs he created over twenty-five years. Between the early 1970’s and the mid-1990’s, Schenck created fifty-two editions of serigraphs encompassing a variety of themes including fictionalized Western histories, Native American subjects, and depictions of the modern cowboys and cowgirls. These silkscreen prints reveal the serious, the playful, and the critical aspects of his fascination with the West….His Photorealist style lends itself to a contemporary interpretation of the West in a melding of Pop art graphic boldness and Warhol-like mythmaking. To heighten the glamour and drama of his subjects, he pays sharp attention to compositional elements such as setting, viewing angle, light, and color.

email:  connect@altamiraart.com

A year or so ago, Altamira Fine Art had its first opening.  The show was notable for three reasons:  1) Altamira’s space wasn’t completed, and the opening took place at what was then the Oswald Gallery; 2)The show belonged to expressionist John Nieto;  3) Nieto’s new work was new and totally re-energized, revved!   It was the freshest, most exciting Nieto exhibit in recent memory.

Once again, Altamira Fine Art welcomes master contemporary artist John Nieto, and his newest show of works, Forces of Color and Spirit.  The show opens July 1 (fireworks of color appropriate for a pyrotechnic holiday!) and runs through July 14.   An opening reception takes place July 1, 5-7:00 pm.

Nieto’s comprehensive new book of the same title features more than 180 color plates of works defining the life and career of Nieto, a ground breaking legend of an artist.  Nieto originated a style of painting widely emulated, but never matched, by countless contemporary artists. The book is described as “lavishly illustrated.”  Nieto will be on hand July 2, 1-4:00 pm, to sign copies of his book.   Forces of Color and Nature , written by Susan Hallsten McGarry, includes 179 pages and features Nieto’s twenty-five painting series exploring the chromatic persona of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull.  Collectors will find a chapter on limited editions and documentation of Nieto works.

Altamira Director Mark D. Tarrant says the gallery is privileged to represent Nieto and share this new exhibition.  Nieto is widely regarded as one of America’s most accomplished, dynamic and exciting contemporary artists, says Tarrant, pointing out that Nieto’s work concentrates on themes that transcend mere representation. Nieto’s intense primary colors and bold use of paint “create both dimension and character on the canvas.  He is truly an American master.”

Nieto’s portraits are striking, but in addition to loving the Wolf, count me as a huge fan of his Feather Dancer paintings.  Filling the canvas with energy, dynamic swirling, arcing paint strokes, Nieto’s dancers cut powerful abstract compositions into each canvas surface.  These works make my heart pound and my pulse race. Here, footsteps of Native American spirit and the totality of earth’s primal music ring.

Like his buffalo, bears and coyotes, Nieto himself  is a symbol of survival.  Every work embraces what Nieto knows is the spirit of life.   For information, email connect@altamiraart.com.

Item #2:

On Thursday, July 8, NMWA will hold a special reception to open its summer exhibitions:  Karl Bodmer’s Western Wildlife: Original Sketches from the Joslyn Art Museum, Travels in the Interior of North America: Etchings by Karl Bodmer, and Wild New Ways: Maurice Sendak’s Animal Kingdom. The evening includes actor Jeffrey Bratz’s portrayal of Bodmer and atalk on Sendak by Patrick Rodgers.    AND, the inaugural winner of the new Bull-Bransom Award will be announced.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m.   www.wildlifeart.org!

Item #3:

Two artists relatively new to Jackson’s contemporary art scene will be featured at Teton ArtLab, occupying studio and exhibit space on the top floor of the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts.

Victoria Reynolds and Jeff Brown open their joint show at the Lab on July 2, (First Friday)  6-8:00 pm.

These artists, painters both, “explore the challenging realms of abstraction,” says Artlab Director Travis Walker.  Jackson’s contemporary artists often thoroughly explore the natural world, down to the tiniest microcosm; the examination and reproduction of nature’s forms lend themselves to abstract work and can be fastidiously detailed.

Reynolds currently hails from that creative West Coast hub, Portland. Her works are “frenetic, map-like images on wooden panels using oil, pencil, and other mediums.”  By contrast, Brown, a Jackson artist whose recent Pearl Street Bagels show came close to selling out, creates “labyrinths of line.”   This is Brown’s Artlab debut.    The show also features a series of Brown’s etchings created in collaboration with the Artlab.

For information on this show, you have permission to contact the artists directly.   Victoria Reynolds: (203)-249-5766;  Jeff Brown: (251)978-3194. (Victoria, you have a Connecticut area code; where are you from in the Nutmeg State?)

Little info on these shows, but do check your “local listings” to find out more.

Galleries West Fine Art presents artists Jennifer L. Hoffman and D. Lee, in a double show, Connections.  An opening reception takes place at the gallery on Friday, July 2, 5-8:00 pm.  The show’s concept is to compare the landscapes of, I presume, Hoffman, to the animal subject works of Lee.

The artists are looking to connect the two experiences; one might assume there is no connection.   Hoffman and Lee will beg to differ, I wager. Hoffman’s landscapes are created over a long period of time, while Lee works “alla prima” – paintings are completed in a single session.   The show explores the artists’ respective relationships to nature and the artistic process of rendering landscape and wildlife.

Ah…here is some more info, just posted on the GW website.  Also, check out this month’s Western Art Collector article on the show.

Connections remains on display through July 18.       www.gallerieswestjacksonhole.com.

Item #2

Ashley Collins, painter of very large canvases depicting horses, returns to the Diehl Gallery this summer.  In fact, she is already there.  June 24, an artist’s reception will be held  from 5-8:00 p.m.   The show remains up through July 14.

A special preview benefiting Teton Science Schools took place on June 23rd; Diehl Gallery and Ashley Collins are proud to give back to the Jackson community and support Teton Science School’s educational initiatives, repeating their initiative of Summer 2009.

Noted for her abstract figurative images of horses, as well as her Colorfield works, she’s collected everywhere.

And where’s everywhere?  Diehl says private and public collections in Sydney, Dubai, Munich and New York display her work.  Super famous collectors include: Robert Redford, 20th Century Fox, Deborah Winger, Danny Sullivan III (race car driver) , Ringo Starr, the Sultan of Brunei,…maybe even the Sultan of Swing. It’s a pretty impressive list, and I note several outdoor enthsuiasts are included.  Collins has exhibited worldwide for years, including exhibitions with Rauschenberg, Dill, Motherwell, and (Jim) Dine.

Email: info@diehlgallery.com

Item #3:

The Art Association of Jackson Hole presents its Summer Pottery Sale on Thursday, June 24;  lasts all day, pretty much!  Begins at 10:00 am…winds up at 5:30 pm.    The sale takes place at the Center for the Arts, in Jackson.

Sam Dowd is the man with the pottery plan. Dive into a mountain of thrown clay creations — locally crafted cups, mugs, beer steins, bowls, plates, frisbees (just seeing if you’re listening.  Pas de frisbees.), pitchers (jugs with spouts!) and more.

Bargains are available, with prices as low as $2 (bucks,clams).   35% of every sale goes back to the Art Association Ceramics Studio.

Feel lucky?  Dial up 307.733.6379 for full details.

Don’t break anything.