Every January the spirit of the American West comes fully to life in Elko, Nevada, when the Western Folklife Center hosts the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a week of poetry, music, dancing, workshops, exhibits, food and fun rooted in tradition but with an eye on the West today.
Marlin Rotach, Blue Shadows, watercolor, 18 x 24”
Sharing in this celebration of the Western lifestyle, the Northeastern Nevada Museum presents Shared Visions, a joint show featuring artists Marlin Rotach and Don Weller that will remain on view through April 6. The artists will be present at the museum’s annual Art of the West reception, which takes place during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on January 31, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Born and raised in Salina, Kansas, art has always played a role in Marlin Rotach’s life. His father was a commercial artist and a stock horse trainer. “I grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s, the heyday of the Western in both movies and television,” says Rotach. “I was immersed in the world of cowboys, horses, saddle rigs and the glory of the American West.” These were formative years for Rotach and he took Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code to heart, an ethos he translates as “a deep respect and love for the land, honesty, a strong work ethic and a basic following of the golden rule.”
Don Weller, Scratchin’ out a Ride, oil on canvas, 18 x 24”
Rotach’s tagline for his work is “Images of the Living West.” Featuring a mounted cowboy on a golden horse in a scene awash in warm light and cool, reflective hues, Blue Shadows encapsulates much of what Rotach loves about painting the West, including the symbiotic relationship between man and beast.
The pristine alpine vista depicted in Long’s Peak Overlookcelebrates the magnificence of the Western landscape. “The subjects of my paintings are all from a West that is very much alive and pulsing,” Rotach says. “I was given a talent which I have never neglected and have always pushed to better. The key to doing that is to create through inspiration…for me, my love for all things Western is the perfect catalyst.”
Don Weller, Ready for the First Ride, oil on canvas, 16 x 20”
Rotach couldn’t be more pleased to show his latest work alongside one of his best friends and fellow watercolorist, Don Weller.
Hailing from the pastoral hills of Palouse country, the West runs as deep in Weller as it does for Rotach. He rodeoed through college and still spends much of summer on his cutting horses working cattle.
“As the Western lifestyle is changing, I’m documenting what I see,” says Weller. “I am not re-staging history, not looking back. What modern cowboys do is interesting enough for me.”
About Ready for His First Ride, Weller says, “A young paint horse makes a nice composition, looking back, eagerly waiting for his rider to show up. But a horseman who has started colts will know that the step shown here is ‘learning to give to pressure.’ This way the first ride should go smoothly. And in this case, it did.” Scratching out a Ridedepicts a cowboy having a successful go on the iconic saddle bronc against an abstract background that brings full attention to the subject and enhances the sense of speed and energy.
Marlin Rotach, Long’s Peak Overlook, watercolor, 19 x 15”
“I think art supports the dream of a West that is changing,” says Weller about art’s role in preserving a culture and tradition. “That dream is selling cowboy boots and hats that mostly live in closets. At least the art gets on the walls and is seen. What impacts our way of life more directly are the prices of cattle and land. The real West is changing no matter what—developers and taxes are seeing to that.” —
Shared Visions
Through April 6, 2024
Northeastern Nevada Museum
1515 Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801
(775) 738-3418, www.museumelko.org
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