A Journal for Classic Western Art
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May/June 2014
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WHAT'S GOING ON
Greetings from Santa Fe! We know it's spring when the merciless winds arrive whirling through the broad valley of the Rio Grande as they have been doing over the last month or so. But, alongside the winds, warm temperatures have also settled in, bringing with them much-welcomed blossoming trees and garden flowers. We hope that you will enjoy this issue as much as we've enjoyed preparing it, because we chose to put a spotlight on one of our favorite topics - New Mexico architecture. In this issue, the main article provides a historical perspective on the unique architecture of the region and its influence on artists, while the online exhibition gives the reader a chance to see how varied artists over the past century have often been inspired to incorporate these unusual adobe buildings into their work.
Be sure to take a look at our new acquisitions which include significant historical works by E.I. Couse, Henry Farny and Edward S. Curtis, along with excellent examples from Dorothy Brett, Gustave Baumann, Fremont Ellis and Carl Redin. If you will be traveling around the country, our museum news provides varied information about interesting exhibits you may want to visit, as well as New Mexico exhibits and events during May and June.
And, as always, please remember to "like us" on Facebook and be sure to stop by and visit us in the gallery whenever you are in Santa Fe.
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| CONTACT US |
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651 Canyon Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
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EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY
The Enduring Appeal of New Mexico Architecture
What is it about New Mexico's old adobe buildings that attracts us to them? Perhaps it's the hand-crafted nature of them, the rounded edges -- "not a plumb line in sight!" as locals used to boast. Or, perhaps it's how the buldings fit into the landscape, as when Carlos Vierra was reportedly pleased that the adobe house he had just designed and built was mistaken for "ruins." People's affection for adobe has not been universal, however, especially in the earlier days of the nineteenth century. But we know that enthusiasm for it increased alongside the growth of its art colonies after the turn of the twentieth century.
Prior to that, it was a different story. For example, in 1807, after Zebulon Pike entered Santa Fe, then a provincial capital of Spain, he reported: "There are two churches, the magnificence of whose steeples form a striking contrast to the miserable appearance of the houses."
By the time of New Mexico's statehood in 1912, Santa Fe's historical architecture was very much on people's minds. In fact, one of the first projects city planners initiated was a study of the region's indigenous architecture, with a particular focus on the Pueblos and the Spanish buildings of the colonial era. There were people who understood that architecture is the face of a community and, as such, should appropriately reflect its culture. They appreciated the fact that Santa Fe enjoyed a cultural history unique in all of the United States and its local architectural standards, already threatened by outside trends, should be perpetuated rather than demolished.
After a comprehensive study of the region's architecture, primarily made possible through a wide-ranging photographic survey conducted by Jesse Nussbaum (with contributions from artist Carlos Vierra), elements of style from the Pueblos and the old Spanish homes and churches were scrutinized, categorized, deemed authentic, and worthy of emulation and preservation. From 1913 onward, Santa Fe's construction and restoration projects were then encouraged to reflect the "New-Old Santa Fe style."
Newly arrived artists were among the first wave of people to appreciate the look of adobe architecture, the genuine nature of its materials. Many of them escaping the industrial cities elsewhere in the United States, they appreciated the hand-crafted work reflected in the local adobe traditions. Some of them eagerly built their own homes and revelled in the sculptural possibilities inherent with mud-covered adobe.
Harold Joe Waldrum (1934-2003)
"El Contrafuerte Grande de la Iglesia de Ranchos de Taos"
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 36 inches
Signed on verso
But more importantly, many of the artists were enthralled by the appearance of these centuries-old buildings, the angles of the multi-storied Pueblos and the varied, surprising look of the mission churches. They were inspired by them, pulled by an aesthetic appeal of the solidity of the forms, functionality of the designs, and tactile quality of the mud.
Without question, one of the most painted and photographed structures in all of New Mexico, is the San Francisco de Asís Church in Ranchos de Taos, south of Taos. The church and courtyard stand alone in a central plaza. Its commanding exterior is unorthodox in shape, weighted by huge, rounded buttress supports counterpoised by the rising vertical lines of the central nave section. Artists from Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams to the present day continue to be inspired by this building from the Spanish colonial period, begun in the late 1700s and completed in 1816.
Gene Kloss (1903-1996)
"Morning Worship"
Etching, drypoint and aquatint 14 x 10 7/8 inches
Edition of 30 Signed lower right, titled lower left 1939
In one of her masterworks, Taos printmaker Gene Kloss (1903-1996) provides us with a powerful scene of the interior of this same church. At once intimate and dramatic, Kloss conveys a hushed atmosphere filled with the weight of dark, worshipping figures bowed downward, clearly of this earth, while the priest in prayer with his attendants on the altar in triangular formation are imbued with an intense light. All of the focus is lifted heavenward. It's a brilliant scene from 1939, created during the depths of the Depression.
For more images of New Mexico architecture, please visit our online exhibition below.
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NEW ACQUISITIONS
Edward Henry Potthast (1857-1927)
"Down in the Grand Canyon"
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Signed lower right
c. 1910
Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936)
"The Cornhusker"
Oil on board
8 x 10 inches
Signed lower left
Dorothy Brett (1883-1977)
"Koshares at Taos Pueblo"
Oil on board in original tin frame
10 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches
Signed lower left
1945
Fremont Ellis (1897-1985)
"Dixon, New Mexico"
Oil on board
10 x 14 inches
Signed lower right
Carl Redin (1892-1944)
"Enchanted Mesa"
Oil on canvas on board
18 x 24 inches
Signed lower right
Gene Kloss (1903-1996)
"Church at Trampas, New Mexico"
Drypoint, roulette and aquatint
9 x 12 inches
Signed lower right and titled lower left
1936
Gustave Baumann (1881-1971)
"Cholla and Sahuaro"
Color woodblock print
12 3/4 x 12 3/4 inches
No. 58/125
Signed lower right, titled lower left
1924
Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)
"Zuni Governor"
Platinum photograph
16 x 12 inches
Signed lower right
c. 1900
Henry Farny (1847-1916)
"In Luck"
Gouache on paper
10 x 8 inches
Signed lower right and dated 1913
To view more of our new acquisitions, click here.
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ONLINE EXHIBITION
The Enduring Appeal of New Mexico's Architecture
New Mexico's adobe architecture is presented in full color and
black and white by a wide range of artists over the past century who
have been inspired to paint, sketch, and photograph it.
Oscar Edmund Berninghaus (1874-1952)
"A Bit of the Pueblo - Taos"
Oil on board
16 x 20 inches
Signed lower left
Edward Weston (1894-1958)
"Taos Pueblo"
Gelatin silver print photograph
7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches
Signed and dated lower right
1933
Walter Ufer (1876-1936)
"Isleta, New Mexico"
Oil on canvas
30 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches
Signed lower right
c. 1915
Gustave Baumann (1881-1971)
"Old Santa Fe"
Color woodblock print
6 x 7 1/2 inches
Ed. 12 of 100
Signed lower right, titled lower left
c. 1924
Sandor Bernath (1892-1984) "Ranchos Church" Watercolor on paper 12 1/2 x 17 inches Signed lower left and inscribed "Taos, N.M." Carlos Vierra (1876-1937) "Lomita - Santa Fe" Oil on board 11 7/8 x 16 inches Signed lower right Joe Anna Arnett
"Chamisa Lane" Oil on linen on board 12 x 16 inches Signed lower left To view the entire online exhibition, click here. |
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Walter Ufer:
Rise, Fall, Resurrectionby Dean Porter, Ph.D.
Published to complement an exhibition of paintings by Walter Ufer at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, this book has received rave reviews.
 Dean Porter has long been focused on the Taos Society of Artists, having already written a book on Victor Higgins, as well as "Taos Artists and their Patrons," with Suzan Campbell and Teresa Ebie. In "Walter Ufer: Rise, Fall, Resurrection" Porter makes the case for a renewed assessment of the artist's work over his turbulent career.
Ufer garnered attention early in his career, winning awards and prizes at a young age, yet, according to Porter, he suffered from depression. In 1914, with the patronage of a syndicate of Chicago businessmen, he was given the opportunity to work in a new environment, one that changed the direction of his work. He went to New Mexico and painted at pueblos, grappling with the new challenges of subject matter and intense sunlight of the high desert.
He soon joined the Taos Society of Artists and enjoyed some acclaim, but alcoholism took a debilitating toll on his career and on his family, as they suffered from financial debt. In 1936 Ufer died suddenly from appendicitis and his work was soon forgotten. Slowly, with exhibits launched at various museums, and now a book dedicated to him, Walter Ufer may indeed be resurrected. |
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Master, Mentor, Master:
Thomas Cole & Frederic Church
Of special note for enthusiasts of Hudson River School artists -- the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, New York, is currently hosting a special exhibit that opened in April,
Master, Mentor, Master - Thomas Cole & Frederic Church. The exhibit explores both a period of time and a place that produced two preeminent American artists associated with the Hudson River School of painting. The curator, John Wilmerding, Sarofim Professor of American Art, Emeritus, at Princeton University, chose to highlight how "their student-teacher arrange- ment grew into a life-long friendship between the two families."
Frederic Church (1826-1900) was 18 years old when he began his studies with Thomas Cole (1801-1848), known as the leader of a group of landscape artists who became known as the Hudson River School, whose home and studio were situated along the Hudson River on a property called Cedar Grove. Church worked under Cole for two years at Cedar Grove, from 1844 to 1846, and later built his home and studio, calling it "Olana," on the opposite side of the Hudson River. Cole was an acknowledged master and Church was soon to become one of the most celebrated artists of 19th-century America. Today each artist's property is a designated historic site.
The exhibit offers a selection of very early works made by Church during his period of study with Cole, including landscape views surrounding Cedar Grove and Olana, in addition to a variety of rarely shown oils on paper and sketches from the Olana collection. In this exhibit Wilmerding wanted the public to have an opportunity to see Church's development, as a talented student influenced by his great teacher, Thomas Cole, and eventually emerging himself as a master of landscape painting.
To accompany the exhibit, a catalogue was published illustrated with all of the works in the show plus additional paintings and drawings. Text includes many stories about the Cole-Church relationship, such as a description of the day that Cole brought Church to "Red Hill," the site where Church, years later, would build his "Olana." The exhibit runs through November 2, 2014.
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MUSEUM NEWS NATIONWIDE
Closing soon -
Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney
"The Maximilian-Bodmer Expedition" Through June 1, 2014 Kearney's Museum of Nebraska Art, in western Nebraska, is currently hosting an important exhibit on loan from the Joslyn Art Museum.
The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, is home to the Maximilian-Bodmer collection, an important "centerpiece" of the Joslyn's collections. The Maximilian-Bodmer collection comprises over 350 watercolors and drawings, as well as journals, manuscripts, and memorabilia from the two-year voyage of Prince Maximilian of Wied, Germany, and the Swiss artist, Karl Bodmer, who ventured to the Upper Missouri River region in the 1830s. Maximilian, a noted naturalist, embarked upon this scientific journey with the young artist, still in his twenties, to document the expedition. While the prince conducted his research and interviews, Bodmer created a spectacular visual document--paintings and sketches of individual Indians, scenes and ceremonies, as well as the pristine landscape through which they travelled. Following their expedition, in 1843, Maximilian published Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832, 1833, 1834. The Joslyn's collection includes the printing plates that were used for the 81 engravings illustrating this publication. In 1989, the museum initiated a printing project using these original plates to create a limited edition of engravings that were then carefully hand-colored by master craftsmen. For the past year, 40 of these prints have been on view in various communities throughout Nebraska. This exhibit at the Museum of Nebraska Art is the final stop of this statewide exhibit that will close June first.
And coming soon:
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
"Yellowstone and the West: The Chromolithographs of Thomas Moran" Opening June 7 through September 7, 2014 Moran's portfolio of chromolithographs created by Louis Prang & Co. of Boston in 1876 was based on 15 watercolor paintings that Moran painted over the course of four trips to the Yellowstone region. The Yellowstone National Park, and the Mountain Regions of Portions of Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Utah is now regarded as perhaps the finest example of chromolithography ever produced. To continue, click here.
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NEW MEXICO EXHIBITS & EVENTS
TAOS
Taos Art Museum
"Intimate and International: The Art of
Nicolai Fechin"
Through September 21, 2014
The Taos Art Museum, housed in the former home of Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), has opened an exhibit devoted to the work of this highly esteemed Russian artist. Intimate and International: The Art of Nicolai Fechin puts a spotlight on the international character of the artist's career--as one of the finest portrait artists of his time--while also detailing the very private nature of his personality. Offering approximately 25 paintings and 30 drawings, the exhibit vividly demonstrates Fechin's technical command of his mediums with both paint and pencil, while also showing his idiosyncratic personality via the brush strokes and his patchwork use of color. The drawings are a highlight in and of themselves, but also provide the viewer the chance to examine the fine draftsmanship that underlies all of Fechin's work.
Fechin moved to Taos with his family in 1927 and remained there for only six years, from 1927 to 1933. During that time, he purchased a two-story Pueblo-style adobe home and proceeded to completely reconfigure the structure and carve all of the interior woodwork, making it into "a Russian house evolved out of New Mexico mud," according to his daughter.
SANTA FE
New Mexico Museum of Art"Southwestern Allure: The Art of the Santa Fe Art Colony" Through July 27, 2014 This is an exhibit not to be missed. Santa Fe's art museum is currently presenting a showcase of works by the artists who established Santa Fe's artist community, from its humble beginnings in the early 1900s to 1940. Assembled primarily from works held in private collections - with a few museums represented as well - this show brings the paintings back to the city and the museum walls that frequently served as the place where artists premiered their new works before they would be sent out across the country for further exhibition. This is a traveling exhibit, curated by Valerie Ann Leeds, Ph.D., that first opened at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida. To continue, click here.
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Thank you for joining us.
Please send us your comments and
stop by the gallery next time you are in Santa Fe.
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