A retrospective at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum celebrates the art of Arizona artist Tim Cox, allowing viewers to experience his poignant depictions of the American cowboy and his sweeping landscapes of the West. An important part of the Western art world, Cox’s work is displayed in prestigious permanent collections across the country, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia; and the Old West Museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The Heritage Herd (detail), oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. Collection of Betsy and Myron Deibel.
“Tim Cox and his exploration of the West through paint and brush reveal a dedicated artist with a background rooted in ranch life,” says DCWM curator Tricia Loscher. “His paintings, which reflect the intricacies of everyday life and the natural beauty of his environment, resonate with us because they are inspired by the world that we all share. Cox’s lifelong commitment to art, which he has consistently maintained since childhood, is an inspiring testament to the pursuit of genuine artistic expression.”
“It is a great honor to have the museum [showcase] my life and work,” says Cox. His art is all about authenticity. As a rancher and an emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, he has firsthand experience with the subject matter he paints, regularly working on ranches throughout the western United States. “It is the backbone and heart of my work. I believe in what Robert Henri said: If you are going to paint history, let it be your own. Art is about feelings and to paint those emotions, you need to have experienced them to portray them correctly.”
Heading for Camp, oil, 20 x 30 in.
Cox’s intricate paintings feature cattle, horses and cowboys working the land beneath dramatic skies and highly detailed clouds. “For me, it is not just his breathtaking skies but also his horse paintings,” says Loscher. “When I first learned that Tim Cox’s early inspiration for painting horses was the esteemed French artist Rosa Bonheur and her renowned The Horse Fair, I was immediately intrigued. The connection I saw between their works, rooted in landscape painting and the realist tradition, sparked a sense of shared understanding. Both artists, Tim Cox, a contemporary emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, and Rosa Bonheur, one of the most admired painters in Europe in the mid-19th century, speak of a connection between nature, art and society that is not just observational, but profound.”
Blue Cow, drawing, 10 x 12 in.
Painting the Western Light: The Art of Tim Cox will hang from December 14, 2024, to March 2, 2025. —
Painting the Western Light: The Art of Tim Cox
December 14, 2024-March 2, 2025
Desert Caballeros Western Museum
21 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ 85390
www.westernmuseum.org
Powered by Froala Editor
