Santa Fe, New Mexico: Painting Holiday, Day 1
I went on a painting holiday to study with Tony Ryder (based on a synthesis of observation and traditional painting theory) at the Tony Ryder Studio where they specialize in form painting and classical realism. It was tough work, and over the next few days I will post about what I learned. I’ll also be posting galleries and exhibits we visited like the Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstraction exhibit at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum the 3rd Annual POP Femme Sugar Coated Strange 2010 and at the Memento Mori exhibit at the Pop Gallery (to name a few).
Entrance to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico
From the moment we touched down on the tarmac, I knew I would love Santa Fe, New Mexico. The mixture of Pueblo People, Mexican, Spanish, and Art, Art, Art is a lot to love. There seems to be perhaps 2000 art galleries, museums, jewelry stores, and restaurants (plus a fajita stand) all within walking distance of each other. I think I may have found heaven.
The following day (July 4th Independence Day), we explored the town. We first visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. The Abstraction show was on. I’ve seen O’Keeffe’s works in other galleries, but it was a great retrospective of her abstract works. As I walked around the museum, I was struck by how the paintings reminded me of lady bits, you know - female body parts, crotch shots and even one that reminded me of a fetus.
It wasn’t until I sat through the 10 minute movie at the end of the tour, about her life and love of her husband, where they talked about how his art show of nude photos of Georgia - affected how critics saw her work as sexual - and how that affected her so negatively that she painted realism for years after that.
Well, I felt a little bad about thinking the abstracts looked like lady bits - but seriously Georgia! Maybe I’m just a rudy-pa-toody. I clearly failed the Freudian experience with your abstracts!
The rest of the day was spent looking at churches, jewelry shops, and the Pop Gallery and the 3rd Annual POP Femme Sugar Coated Strange 2010
More to come tomorrow and a photo of my favorite painting by CJ Metzger.
- Pop Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
