For their two-man show at Manitou Galleries, painters David Jonason and Nocona Burgess “capture the beauty of the American West,” says gallery manager, Cyndi Hall. Converging their unique stylings in Frontiers Reimagined: The Cubist West and Modern Spirit,attendees will get a taste of Jonason’s new illustrative landscape scenes, while Burgess showcases fresh wildlife and figurative pieces inspired by his Comanche heritage.
David Jonason, Pedernal Trail, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.
“We represent different aspects of a contemporary vision of Southwestern painting, Anglo and Native American,” says Jonason. “Stylistically, Nocona and I are both using abstraction and simplification with familiar icons of the Southwest: bison, cacti, Native Americans, red rocks, horses.”
In around 20 paintings, Jonason explores his typical desert landscapes, but has strongly focused on cactus in the new work. “They have a certain physicality similar to the human form, and you can imbue with a lot of character and a sense of humor,” the artist explains. “Apart from cacti, water and adobe are the primary themes of the show. Water, in the form of the dramatic cloud forms of the summer thunderstorm season. Adobe, in the form of traditional dwellings and churches of the American Southwest.”
Nocona Burgess, Last King of the Empire/Quanah Parker, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 in.
In his piece Pedernal Trail, we see the result of the artist’s morning hike while staying at the Abiquiú Inn. “Even though I live in California, New Mexico feels like home,” he shares. “Whenever I visit, I make a trip up to Abiquiú to photograph, sketch and dream…The Abiquiú area has the best multi-colored geological formations, canyons and cliffs in New Mexico. Nothing says Georgia O’Keeffe country like that flat topped, iconic shape of Pedernal. I’ve painted it from many points of view: Abiquiú Lake, Ghost Ranch and US 84.”
David Jonason, Fuzzy Sky at the Cliffs, oil on canvas, 30 x 48 in.
Burgess, too, is inspired by New Mexico, and has made Santa Fe his permanent home. Similarly, both artists seem to have a shared interest in depicting real locations, places and people. “[We] both have true stories to tell,” says Burgess.
Taken mostly from historic photos, real people and research, Burgess creates works like Old Time Dancer and Last King of the Empire/Quanah Parker—only a couple examples out of approximately 12 for the show. He has also expanded his painting practice by changing his color palette—aiming to not repeat previous color combos—and adding in more detail.
Nocona Burgess, Old Time Dancer, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 in.
Of his painting Old Time Dancer, inspired by an old photo, he says, “The quality wasn’t very good, so I had to use my imagination on some of the details. The dancer is from the old, more traditional days of the war dance, and this image is from the early 1900s. I feel like it was closer to the authentic dance of the pre-reservation period. I liked this image very much and I don’t see many photos of dances from this period. All of my family are dancers, and so, this had meaning for me.”
Come revel in the American West alongside Burgess, Jonason and members of Manitou Galleries, from June 14 through 24. —
Manitou Galleries 123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 986-0440, www.legacygallery.com
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