It’s hard to drive through Arizona and not see Ed Mell paintings at every turn. The spires of Monument Valley—Mell has been there. Desert washes suddenly full of water from a passing storm—Mell’s been there, too. Low-lying valleys in northern Arizona, sprawling vistas in Navajo Country, the Grand Canyon, pink and purple sunsets in the Sonoran Desert—yep, he’s painted them. All of them.
Chinle Waters, oil, 22 x 22"
Other artists discover Arizona, but the native Phoenician was born with it in his DNA. His home state makes a starring appearance in Mell’s newest show, opening March 4 at the Ed Mell Gallery in Phoenix.
“It was a fun show to put together, especially since I couldn’t really do anything else,” he says, referring to the pandemic and its health-related restrictions. “I did find some time to travel up north for a bit, so I was grateful to get out and see some things. That’s always the best part about working on new paintings.”
Vaulting Sundown, oil, 24 x 18"
Ho-Ha-No-Geh Monolith, oil, 22 x 22"
Mell’s gallery is just a short walk from his gallery near Downtown Phoenix. His art, his classic cars, his gallery—it’s all right there, and every night he gets to watch the Arizona sunsets spark new ideas for his works. These days, Mell still finds great joy in oscillating from more realistic desert scenes to full-on abstract landscapes. He’s very much a modernist—Andrew Dasburg and Raymond Jonson were early influences—and his studio, and the works coming from it, can vouch for it. Consider paintings from the new show: Chinle Waters, with its gorgeous light and color that bounces around through the rocky canyon; Hillside Spectrum, which is more geometric and sculpted with abstract forms; or Vaulting Sundown, which is the most straightforward landscape, but still exploding with modern design and sizzling color.
Hillside Spectrum, oil, 22 x 22"
Desert Strada, oil, 24 x 24"
Most recently, Mell was asked to participate in Masters of the American West at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. He’d been asked before but never really had much interest, mostly because he likes to cut his own path and go at his own pace.
“Through all the years of painting, I’ve learned you create your own freedom. You just have to follow your heart and don’t paint for the buck. It will lead to a better life,” he says. “I remember when I started doing these more abstracted works, people would say I should stick with the way I had been doing them. But art is about taking chances. It might be the last place you can take these big chances, and in the end you’ll appreciate your work in the long run.”
Upcoming Show
Up to 10 works
March 4-31, 2021
Ed Mell Gallery
2337 N. 10th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85006
(602) 359-7333
www.edmellgallery.com
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