Beyond and Back Again

Collector's Focus: The Contemporary West

By Michael Clawson

The West is no stranger to creative experimentation. As far back as a thousand years ago, Native American potters were creating “modern art” in the form of pots so abstract and beautiful they could be—and have been—displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Centuries later, they would bring modern design to weavings and other objects. All of this was before Russell and Remington. The importance of this foundation-laying history was seismic on the West. And we’re still feeling it today.

Ally Morgan, I Think About You All the Time, gouache on panel, 8 x 10 in.

Modern sensibilities wormed their way into Western art slowly at first in the early 20th century. There was Ernest L. Blumenschein, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, BJO Nordfeldt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Raymond Jonson, Maynard Dixon and Emil Bisttram. And so many others. The West is where artists went to find themselves. To explore. To deconstruct their visual pathways, and then reassemble them again in a new way.

For some artists, it was the beauty of the West that lured them out. For others, it was the isolation. Taos, New Mexico, for instance, was just remote enough for people to be left alone, which explains the hippies, the drugs, the nudists and Dennis Hopper. The West is escape. A retreat. The frontier. It is where life is simplified to its most basic parts.

Manitou Galleries, Solitude, oil, 18 x 24 in., by Lucius Welch.

It’s no surprise that genre-bending experimentation with Western art is still occurring. Yes, we’re living in a digital age, but the allure of being alone in the wild will always resonate, as will the need to push the boundaries of what has been done and what is still to come.

Today there is still an exciting movement in the area of contemporary Western art. Artists are expressing themselves in new ways—fresh colors, abstract design, stylized figures and forms, brave new compositions, untested subjects—that will continuously push the boundaries of the genre to thrilling places. Some call this the “New West,” but I see it as yin and yang with traditional art. Contemporary and traditional, always set against each other in art narratives, are more of a “shared West.” They are united in their efforts to expand our love and appreciation of this place, its people and their lifestyles, and the ideas they live by.

Maxwell Alexander Gallery, To Infinity, oil, 40 x 40 in., by Logan Maxwell Hagege.

As we explore the contemporary side of Western art, it’s important to remember that this is happening everywhere: at every museum, every auction house, every gallery and show. New voices are being heard, new work is being seen (and sold) and fresh ideas are being expressed in paint and clay. This is happening at the highest level, and also with new up-and-coming artists such as Ally Morgan, a Maryland artist whose love of the Southwest comes out in her bold colors and playful exploration of form.

One of those galleries operating at the highest level is Maxwell Alexander Galleryout of Pasadena, California. Owner Beau Alexander has helped draw huge attention to contemporary Western art, including through shows, a stable of artists that includes some of the top painters working today and his relentless advocacy for contemporary Western art as a vital force within the larger genre. And look at the gallery’s champions: Logan Maxwell Hagege, Eric Bowman, Thomas Blackshear II, Glenn Dean, Brett Allen Johnson, David Grossman, Howard Post, Eric Merrell and others. The gallery’s certainly not the first to show this kind of art, but it represents the next generation of artists who are going to help define where Western art can and should go.

Top: Gallery Wild, Avant Garde, oil on linen, 72 x 48 in., by Amber Blazina; Gallery Wild, Turned Up Nose, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 in., by Aaron Hazel. Bottom: Gallery Wild, Kingdom in the Sky, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in., by Silas Thompson; Greg Dye, Blaze of Glory, oil, 48 x 36 in.

Another gallery that is making a huge impact on collectors with contemporary artists is Gallery Wild, with locations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Gallery owner Carrie Wild, an artist herself, notes the unique place from which this movement of art is emerging. “Western art has always aimed to capture the grandeur and rugged, mysterious vastness of the landscape. Traditionally, the concept of the West was intertwined with ideas of conquest and the desire to tame both the wild terrain and its inhabitants. Today, the West still evokes feelings of mystique and allure, reflected in its lifestyle and aesthetics,’ she says. “However, the ‘contemporary West’ is acutely aware of its complex history. Contemporary Western art acknowledges this dichotomy, with artists striving to depict the beauty of the landscapes and the majesty of the wildlife that inhabit them, all in an effort to inspire conservation. These artists achieve their goals while maintaining a creative integrity that is experimental and expands upon the traditional canon of Western art.”

Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Quiet Finale, oil, 16 x 24 in., by Glenn Dean.

Gallery Wild represents artists such as Luke Anderson, Amber Blazina, Taryn Boals, Julia T. Chapman, Patricia A. Griffin, Aaron Hazel and many others, all creating exceptional art with a modern twist.

Painter Greg Dyepaints with a bright palette and large brushstrokes. He channels the modern West through nature. “All I need to do is look around me, the mountains and deserts in this area of the world are all the inspiration I need for a lifetime,” he says, adding that his works use brilliant shades of pink, purple, blue, green and gold. “My goal is to convey constant motion, spiritual energy and show absolute beauty in creating my own personal visions of Colorado and the Southwest…[My advice to collectors is to] always buy what you absolutely love. Don’t second guess yourself, when you see it you will know it.”

Top: Greg Dye, BearHead 8, oil, 30 x 30 in.; Debbie Carroll, Beyond the Portal, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 18 in. Bottom: Debbie Carroll, A Welcoming Warmth, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 16 in.; Summer Spitsbergen, Heart of the West, oil, 24 x 36 in.

For painter Debbie Carroll, she turns her attention to the Southwest, which she paints with a delicate touch and soft colors. “Romanticizing the West with a modern take on the Southwestern and Western landscape, I paint with an emphasis on graphic line, bold color and attention to simplifying shape for a pleasing composition,” she says. “Big skies draw me in and I enjoy painting outdoors and bringing that experience into the studio for my larger pieces. Representational in style, my subjects are recognizable without being realistic, in what I call ‘contemporary expressionism.’”

Summer Spitsbergen, Resilience, oil, 16 x 38 in.

Summer Spitsbergen contributes to the contemporary movement by accentuating form against nature, and also emphasizing power, color and emotion. The resulting paintings are filled with drama and romance. “Born on a ranch in Montana and raised in Southern Colorado, I have been around ranch lands since I was a little girl. From a young age, I have been romantically influenced by the scenery of the Southwestern United States. The natural beauty of the vibrant landscapes, the working cowboy and horse are a common theme in my work,” Spitsbergen says. “I currently live on my family’s working cattle ranch. This facilitates much of the inspiration for my paintings and subject matter. I am also fond of wildlife native to the Western United States including bison and elk. I have a deep and personal connection with the land and animals by the work done on the ranch and riding my horses on a daily basis.”