New Mexico-based artist Maura Allen has been chronicling life in the American West for more than 30 years—and photographing in general for nearly half a century. She’s drawn to the enduring spirit of the American West, and the hundreds of black-and-white photos she’s taken of ranching life over the past 50 years serve as jumping-off points for her paintings.
At Home in the Land That She Loves, acrylic on panel, 40 x 30 in.
Beginning at the end of March, Allen will unveil a new body of work during a solo show at Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona. Titled In Front of Where I Am, the exhibition features the ranchers, cowboys, cowgirls and Native Americans she’s met during her travels throughout the West. “Often, people ask me if the individuals and moments portrayed in my work are historic, from a bygone era. They are real. They are the men, women and children who call the West home and celebrate its heritage through ranching, rodeoing and more,” she says.
“When I stand in front of a rancher, I hear the stories first-hand—of the family’s life, of the joys and hardships of being the stewards of the land and livestock. When I meet a young barrel racer, I get the sense of her fearlessness, of her desire to compete, of her bond to her horse,” Allen explains. “There are ranch families I’ve photographed over the past two decades. I’m drawn to the stories of how traditions are passed from generation to generation, how youngsters fall in love with ranching and instead of playing video games, do their chores and then get to jump on their horse and ride. There’s a sense that the past is present in the West, and for me, that arc of time—the traditions, the history, the next generation—are at the heart of the stories I am drawn to and want to share through my work.”
The Decisive Moment, acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 in.
Allen adds that, with AI now in seemingly every corner of life (including the art world), it’s a real point of distinction that she physically travels the West to collect those stories, meet and photograph real people, and then return to her studio space in Abiquiu, New Mexico, to bring it all to life.
“The people and moments I celebrate are real,” she says. “They are in front of where I am.”
The exhibition will hang from March 31 to April 11. —
Altamira Fine Art 7038 E. Main Street » Scottsdale, AZ 85251 » (480) 949-1256 » www.altamiraart.com
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