Since its inception in 1917, the New Mexico Museum of Art has been at the forefront of collecting and interpreting the art of New Mexico, with particular emphasis on early 20th century art. When its expansion project, Vladem Contemporary, opened in the fall of 2023, one of the museum’s guiding visions was to continue studying and showcasing the art of New Mexico, with a focus on more recent decades.
Woody Gwyn, Highway and Mesa, 1982, oil with alkyd resins on linen, 60 x 78 in. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Museum purchase, 1982 (1982.62). © Woody Gwyn. Photo by Blair Clark.
With Off-Center: New Mexico Art, 1970-2000, a retrospective of three exciting decades in the state’s artistic legacy, a collaborative group of curators have put together a landmark exhibition at the Vladem that not only celebrates the rich diversity of creative expression during the era, but also the hubs and hidden gems in the state from where it came.
“The artwork in this gallery demonstrates the nuanced ways in which artists working during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s have engaged the idea of place through their work,” says Christian Waguespack, head of curatorial affairs and curator of 20th century art at New Mexico Museum of Art. “The stories told through these artworks in their various groupings explore how New Mexico, as an ecological, cultural, communal and evolving location, influenced artists and impacted their aesthetics, values and working practices.”
Luis Tapia, Chima Altar, Bertram’s Cruise, 1992, carved and painted wood. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Museum purchase with funds donated by Lynn Steuer, 1992 (1993.2.1ab). © Luis Tapia. Photo by Blair Clark.
Waguespack points to more straightforward examples like the landscape paintings by Forrest Moses and Allen Harrill, and ceramics by Beverly Magennis and Eddie Dominguez. “Others take a more critical approach, including Joan Myers, whose deceptively attractive landscape photographs reveal the exploitation of the land’s natural resources,” he says. Artists such as Rick Dillingham, Woody Gwyn and Luis Tapia explore how car travel altered experiences of the West; while pieces by Patrick Mehaffy and Holly Roberts inspired by hiking demonstrate the abiding need to commune with nature directly.
“When considering land and place, questions of native sovereignty continue to be a pressing issue,” continues Waguespack. “Artists T.C. Cannon, Fritz Scholder and Lary McNeil were among the many artists who brought Native voices to the forefront in commentary over Indigenous land. Migration and the idea of New Mexico as a cultural crossroad is explored through the work of Luis A. Jiménez Jr. in his sculpture inspired by his parents crossing of the border from Mexico, as well as Linda Lomahaftewa reminder that long before colonization, the southwest was a rich center of cultural exchange. Artists Rudy Fernandez and Frederico Vigil celebrate the vibrant contributions of Hispano communities to New Mexico’s rich culture.”
Jerry R. West, Prairie Homestead with Approaching Cosmic Storm, 1989, oil on canvas, 71 × 75 in. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Gift of Ray Graham, 1991 (1991.54.1). © Jerry R. West. Photo by Blair Clark.
Waguespack is particularly excited by two large scale installation pieces that will be on view: Portal to Archimedes’ Chamber, a 1990 sculpture by photographer Meridel Rubenstein about the creation of the atom bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Delilah Montoya’s La Guadalupana, from 1998. The large photo mural of a handcuffed male figure with images of the Guadalupana on his back is a pictorial shrine honoring Felix Martinez, a veterano gang member who had been detained and imprisoned after a drive-by shooting in Albuquerque’s South Valley.
Rick Dillingham, Flame Gas Can, 1982, reassembled, kiln fired clay with slips, glazes and metallic leaf, 191/2 x 10 x 3 in. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Bequest of the Rick Dillingham Estate, 1994 (1994.67.138). © New Mexico Museum of Art.
“As the only collecting institution for contemporary art by artists of all backgrounds in Santa Fe, we want to use this opportunity to bring that story forward and survey the as of now untold story of New Mexico art during these exciting decades,” says Waguespack. “[Our aim] is to impress upon visitors how much was actually happening here during that time, to open a window into the importance of New Mexico to the global art world as a place that supports art making in its many forms. Also to offer a snapshot of this art historical moment here.” —
Off-Center: New Mexico Art, 1970-2000
June 8, 2024-May 4, 2025
New Mexico Museum of Art Vladem Contemporary
404 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 476-5062, www.nmartmuseum.org/ vladem-contemporary
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