The abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell wrote, “Art is an experience, not an object.” When Theodore Waddell was studying painting in New York in the early 1960s, Motherwell was one of his idols. Today, Waddell paints the West in an abstracted, impressionistic way.
Cottonwood Moose, oil and encaustic on canvas, 60 x 60”
It’s the experience of the West that animates his work, not careful description. As a rancher and cattlemen, he knows his animals. In the catalogue to his current exhibition at Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he writes, “I can’t tell you anything about clouds, horses or bison that you can’t see for yourself. But I can tell you how much I love them and how much I love the West. To me, it’s spiritual.”
Clark Canyon Buffalo #5, oil and encaustic on canvas, 30 x 36”
He paints with a cold wax medium and pigment, a technique he learned from his friend Jaune Quick-to-See Smith when they exhibited together in New York.
“I can’t paint anything I can’t see,” he says. On his ranch in Idaho and his home in Montana, he can experience a wide variety of domesticated animals as well as wildlife. On his way to Montana, he often stops to observe and to photograph the bison at Ted Turner’s ranch.
In Cottonwood Moose, he depicts a family of moose that appeared in his backyard. “Moose are really difficult to paint,” he says, undaunted. “They’re long legged and can jump a 6-foot fence with no problem. They look gangly but they’re kind of graceful. We also have about 75 head of elk around us in the backyard in the fall. I’ve learned a lot about them.”
Bellevue Reds #3, oil and encaustic on canvas, 54 x 72”
Waddell photographs the animals he sees but the photos have more to do with the light. “Every once in a while you hit a really good light. It changes in a heartbeat.”
Referring to the abstract expressionists he says, “These painters wanted you to know that the canvas had a presence, more than their illusionistic predecessors. The paint had its own identity as well with thick swatches, drips, and blurbs.”
Theodore Waddell in his studio.
Waddell’s animals appear in often dimensionless space arranged in careful compositions. Depth occurs visually and physically in the translucent wax medium which not only creates a presence on the surface, but reveals layers of wax laid down earlier. When the setting expands, he reveals the palpable atmosphere of Idaho and the crystal clear skies of Montana.
His is a unique view of the West—honoring its traditions and celebrating the environment he experiences every day.
The exhibition continues through February 13 in Santa Fe. —
Upcoming Show
Up to 12 works
Through February 13, 2021
Gerald Peters Gallery
1011 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501,
(505) 954-5700
www.gpgallery.com
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