Amber Lit World, oil on linen, 30 x 40" 

“Western Mythic, the title of the show, implies something beyond the normal scope,” Gibson explains. “With this body of work, I’ve attempted to capture the powerful qualities of Southwestern landscapes, the animals and people who inhabit them, and what it truly feels like to be out there in the desert. The atmosphere in a monsoon is heightened, the feeling is specific and singular, dramatic light shifts over the landscape. When a painting is able to hold just a bit of that power and mystery, to freeze it for eternity in a still image, it becomes mythic.”

Shadow on the Wind, oil on linen board, 54 x 30" 

One such powerful piece, Shadow on the Wind, also one of the largest paintings Gibson’s ever completed, depicts quite a compelling scene from a trip to Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. “After spending a full day on the floor of the canyon with my guide taking reference photos of the immense canyon walls, horses, goats and cottonwoods swaying in the wind, I was exhausted but knew I had to catch a glimpse of Spider Rock from the vantage point above,” Gibson shares. “By the time I reached the lookout point, golden hour had begun and the sun was beginning to set. The view was intense, familiar and larger than life. Mythic. A place that is so revered by the Diné (Navajo), and the subject of some very important stories and history, was emblazoned in front of me in full form. An icon of Arizona and the West.”

In the Open Blaze, oil on linen, 9 x 12" 

In yet another image of the Arizona landscape, Long Shadows Cast by Dawn captures almost an exact scene Gibson encountered just outside the small town of Lukachukai. “Traffic had stalled on a two-lane highway and I looked out the window to see wild horses standing proudly in front of some cinematic red mountains,” says the artist. “Right time, right place. Often the best paintings appear to me in fleeting images, either through chance occurrences out in the field or momentary flashes in my mind’s eye of compositions. There’s a lot to be said for trying to capture serendipitous scenes. I think the power in these images comes from their singular nature.”

Long Shadows Cast by Dawn, oil on canvas, 18 x 18" 

Viewers will find additional bold works like Amber Lit World, conveying the strength of an oncoming storm—“The silence before the thunder and rain,” says Gibson—and In the Open Blaze, which depicts the classic Western figure of a rodeo rider atop a bucking horse.