Fresh perspectives
Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, September 5, 2012 - 13C
Turpin & Co. 30 Center Street 733-7424 TurpinandCo.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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By Katy Niner
or artist Allan Mardon, a painting isn’t complete until someone identifies with it. American Indian legends, Western iconography and seminal battles all inspire his immaculately rendered, historically accurate, richly layered paintings. Mardon will spend September in Jackson, visiting with collectors at Turpin & Co. He will bring to the Tetons a collection of paintings and prints. Zachariah Turpin, owner of Turpin & Co., traces the power of Mardon’s paintings to his background as an illustrator. After studying art in Toronto, Edinburgh and London, Mardon spent 25 years working as an illustrator in New York City for the likes of Time and Sports Illustrated magazines. “It is so much more difficult when you have to bring someone else’s reality to life,” Turpin said. Having accomplished that, illustrators-turned-artists can achieve greater profundity in their work, Turpin said. Which is certainly the case with Mardon. Two decades ago, he moved to Tucson, Ariz., and discovered the subject he wanted to pursue personally: painting the graphic beauty and rich history that surrounded him in the Southwest. He set out to make historical narratives accessible and affecting to wide audiences. Mardon’s oeuvre shows the influence of several art traditions, according to Mindy A. Besaw, curator of the Whitney Gallery at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, home to his most famous painting, “The Battle of Greasy Grass,” a massive rendition of the Battle of Little Big Horn. Mardon’s
Allan Mardon’s ‘Pegasus,’ a 58-inch by 58-inch oil, shows his stylized view of horses.
colors recall the vivid palette of the Fauves; his flattening of space channels cubist compression; his imagery borrows from Native American hide paintings and ledger art. “Beneath the delightful surface of the painting, ‘The Battle of Greasy Grass’ is rich with layers of meaning,” Besaw wrote in a letter written for Mardon’s artist book. “[It] asks us as viewers to rethink the age-old stories and myths about the battle and even
learn something new in the process.” His art also presents new perspectives on Western iconography. In his horse paintings, he shares the equine stories told by Native Americans; however, instead of referencing North American depications of horses, he turns to the stylized stallions imagined by the Etruscans. By fusing New and Old World imagery, he channels horses’ significance across cultures. A painting like
“Stampede,” which hangs at Turpin & Co., features 17 barreling horses, with lightning bolts igniting the charge. “Mardon’s paintings have a pulse,” said Jeff Mitchell, owner of Mitchell/Brown Fine Art in Santa Fe, N.M., in Mardon’s book. “You can view them repeatedly and always find new life and new perspective in their stories. “The paintings of Allan Mardon are highly sophisticated and personal interpretations of historic events,” Mitchell continued. “Masterful in color and design, Mardon’s fresh and exciting paintings are unlike any other contemporary works I have seen.” Besides Mardon, Turpin & Co. will also feature three more artists during Fall Arts Festival. R.B. Smith creates three-dimensional aspen stands, which he makes by taking molten bronze and dripping it on an anvil. The splatters become the aspen leaves. The result is a one-of-a-kind interpretation of the Western groves, made even more distinctive with Smith’s array of patinas. The aspen hang from the wall, jutting out no more than a painting frame, which Turpin has found appeals to fans of his work. When hung, they can tie together a diverse art collection. Alexandra Alvis sculpts spirited bronze horses, replete with elongated legs and bright patinas. “For Alex, horses symbolize the important qualities of confidence, strength, courage and freedom, peace and beauty,” her artist bio reads. “Horses are naturally emotionally wise, empathic and sensitive. Often we find that in their presence we become more self-aware.” Alvis hopes to channel horses’ essence in her art. Lane Phillips, one of the top wood turners in North America, sent a rare, large aspen burl to Jackson, among other fine specimens. The gallery also carries a selection of handwoven rugs and fine jewelry.
Waddell Trading Co. & Two Grey Hills present The Masters, Past & Present September 13-15th
Two Grey Hills
Indian Arts & Jewelry
110 E. Broadway • 307.733.2677 www.fineindianart.com
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