Artist A.R. Mitchell (1889-1975) played many roles throughout his life and career: ranch hand, cartoonist, Western pulp magazine cover artist, fine artist, historian and so much more. Mitchell also photographed many aspects of his hometown in Trinidad, Colorado, but these works remain largely unseen, at least until recently. The A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, with a mission to preserve and promote Mitchell’s work, aims to change that with its annual Resonance Art Invitational. More than 30 nationally recognized artists have been invited to participate in a celebration of Mitchell’s many achievements and his photographic works.
“The show will display each artist’s piece alongside an enlarged print of the chosen photo, inviting viewers to enjoy and compare the regional history and diverse subject matter in Mitchell’s photography to a newly created, contemporary interpretation,” explains gallery representatives. “This year’s exhibit will introduce new artists as well as returning talent from last year.” The gallery also notes that many of the photographs chosen for this exhibit will be on display for the first time.
Shawn Harris, The first 100 years of Juan de Dios, an unpainted story of the Southwest, photography, 22 x 26”Show attendees will witness masterful works like Sarah Boston’s interpretation of Mitchell’s photo of a mule pack train. “My piece Mitchell’s Mountain Mules is very similar to the work I usually produce in that I often paint from historic photographs,” says Boston. “The addition of the gold stripes is from a new series I’m working on that incorporates metallic elements into my pieces.”
A.R. Mitchell (1889-1975), original photograph of man with pipe.
At last year’s Resonance show, Boston toured the museum’s archives where she instantly felt a connection to Mitchell, after finding boxes labeled CMR. “Being from the town where Charlie Russell lived, it was exciting to see what an inspiration Russell had also been to Mitchell,” Boston shares. “He also loved history and preserving it for future generations, which is evident when you visit Trinidad. His contributions to local museums and to future artists during his time as an educator, and as a preservationist saving places of importance, all elevate him to legend status.”
Sarah Boston, Mitchell’s Mountain Mules, oil on canvas, 24 x 48”
A.R. Mitchell (1889-1975), original photograph of pack mules on trail.
Mitchell’s work has also been an inspiration to participating artist/photographer Shawn Harris, especially when he moved to Trinidad eight years ago. “…The greatest impact his work has had on me is in seeing hundreds of photographs depicting the evolution of the town in which I live. I get the sense I am looking at Trinidad’s family photo album. There’s a feeling like I’m looking at a visual representation of one man’s life and his commitment to capturing its essence.”
For the show selection process, Harris notes that “choosing a photo of Mitchell’s to work from is like listening to a photograph and wondering [about] its true story. Are we experiencing a spontaneous moment? Am I looking at something staged? Am I looking at an unpainted character that never made it to canvas…? These moments, looking through Mitchell’s photos, are moments inside a larger story. They feel like glimpses of a movie and we are only privy to the cast and have to guess the plot.”
Ty Barhaug, Desperados, oil on panel, 25 x 27”
Harris chose Mitchell’s photo of a man smoking a pipe, reimagined in his show piece The first 100 years of Juan de Dios, an unpainted story of the Southwest, because of the mystery, who he was and how the image was to be used. “My interest in this photo was to restage it, to give only slightly more context and treat it like a freelance gig for a magazine cover, much like Mitchell would have, but in my own visual language,” says Harris.
A.R. Mitchell (1889-1975), original photograph of a man and his dog.
Join the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art in celebration of such rare, photographic gems alongside contemporary masterpieces by attending the Resonance Art Invitational through December 31. —
Resonance 2023: Art Invitational
Through December 31, 2023
A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art
150 E. Main Street, Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-4224
www.armitchellmuseum.com
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