Manitou Galleries notes that cowboys used interesting phrases that were unique to the ranges, trails and corrals of the West. One of those phrases was “ace high,” which means first class and respected. The gallery is now taking that casual cowboy slang and using it as the inspiration for a new group show.
Bryan Haynes, New Mexico Cowboy, acrylic, 36 x 36”
Ace High—which opens March 5 at the gallery’s Palace Avenue location in Santa Fe, New Mexico—will feature the works of eight top artists at the gallery. “This show provides the collector with a glimpse of the original American West and what impact Westward Expansion had on the cowboy, the Native, the animals and the land,” the gallery says. Artists in the show include Kim Wiggins, JD Challenger, Curtis Wade, William Haskell, Bryan Haynes, David Riley, Greg Woodard and Colt Idol.
Colt Idol, Family Heirloom, oil, 20 x 30”
Haynes will be bringing New Mexico Cowboy, a colorful work that has roots in Southwest Modernism and regionalism, with its rolling hills and stylized forms. “New Mexico Cowboy was inspired by a road trip up to Taos some years ago. I remember this beautiful bank of virga, dark curtains hanging over the Taos Mountains,” Haynes says. “A glimmer of a rainbow actually did make its appearance that day. And, as happens so many times when seeing some enchanting meteorological scene in New Mexico, I think of the people that came before, Colonial Spanish, Native Americans or historic New Mexican Cowboys. Something about the pairing of the word ‘virga’ with its implication of feminine enticement and the lonely cowboys intrigues!”
David Riley, Maverick, oil, 60 x 40”
Haynes notes the dictionary definition of virga: “A mass of streaks of rain appearing to hang under a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground—‘the ghostly apparition of virga—an indicator of violent downdrafts.’”
Riley will be showing one of his large animal portraits, Maverick, a 60-by-40-inch work that seems to confront the viewer with a quiet intensity. “I’m a big fan of longhorns. They seem like throwbacks to a mythical time,” he says. “I frequently work in black and white and wanted to keep that color palette but add a little warmth to it to make the image pop more. I liked the idea of the straight-on pose and having the interaction with the viewer be direct but comfortable.”
Greg Woodard, Wild Bill, bronze, ed. of 21, 48 x 24 x 28”
Elsewhere in the show is Idol’s vibrant farm scene, Family Heirloom, with two cows and an old homestead. “This piece in particular is very special to me. For a period of time my folks owned a beautiful piece of land in the Ruby Valley near Alder, Montana. I’ve been a Montanan my whole life but something about this area really pulled at my heart strings,” Idol says. “There was an old, rundown cabin on the property and I would set up camp near there on the weekend as a college kid.
I loved how beautifully the passing of time was portrayed in the structure. It’s a treat for me to paint that cabin and add in some artistic license here in there.”
Ace High will be on view in Santa Fe through March 27.
Upcoming Show
Up to 16 works
March 5-27, 2021
Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 984-9859
www.manitougalleries.com
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