Taos Moderns: A Private Collection

Taos Moderns A Private Collection

203

FINE ART

Early Modern to Contemporary 1335 Gusdorf Rd. Suite i .Taos . New Mexico . 87571 . 575.751.1262 art@203fineart.com . 203FINEART.com

Taos Moderns A Private Collection Lawrence Calcagno Edward Corbett Jorge Fick Louise Ganthiers Beatrice Mandelman Louis Ribak Oli Sihvonen Clay Spohn Earl Stroh Mildred Tolbert Cady Wells

Collector’s Notes My interest in the Taos Moderns began with an introduction to Ken Canfield at the former Canfield Gallery in Santa Fe. Ken dedicated his life’s work to bringing attention to the artists of Taos and Santa Fe as well as great abstract art from the west. He produced many catalogues and exhibitions and was very generous in sharing his reference materials, ephemera and images to increase my awareness of the the artists’ history and work.

He was also kind enough to allow me the time and space to develop my own eye which led to the acquisition of the works included in the collection. Many afternoons we would just sit quietly and talk about one piece or another. Judy Kendall at the former Fenix Gallery was also a source of some of the interesting additions to the collection as well. I tried to put together a broad selection of works from many different artists in the group and read reference material about each artist and their role in the Taos Moderns movement. At that time, I found it interesting to read about Taos, where the artists came from before arriving in Taos, and how the members of the group interacted with each other.

I was immediately impacted and energized by these bold, experimental works of art and knew instantly these works would have a lasting impact on me. As my time spent in New Mexico grew over the years, I came to understand the strong connection between the artists and their surroundings. To me, the art was rooted in the terrain, mountains and sunsets in a physical sense as well as the emotional highs and lows that can be felt in New Mexico­—the balance between the joy experienced from a unique sunset or the massive scale of the horizon line, and the solidarity or isolation that winter can bring. To me, the art of the Taos Moderns is a connection to the land, beauty and spirit of New Mexico.

The Taos Moderns The Taos Moderns were an influential group of artists who left cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to settle in Taos, New Mexico. Between the 1940s and 1960s, dozens of artists converged on Taos, establishing it as a center of modernist artistic activity. Notable artists such as Agnes Martin, Edward Corbett, and Richard Diebenkorn made their way to Taos, adding to Taos’ burgeoning reputation as a cutting-edge arts community.

The group derives its name from the title chosen by Raymond Jonson and Ted Egri for a 1956 exhibition at the Jonson Gallery in Albuquerque. Artists came and went from Taos, but the new generation of Taos artists became collectively known as the Taos Moderns. During the 1950s, the Taos Moderns exhibited throughout the region, notably “Taos Painting Yesterday and Today” at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 1952.

Although they pursued varied artistic goals, the Taos Moderns were mostly non-objective, abstract painters. Many came to Taos after having studied abroad in Europe and within the United States, with masters such as Mark Rothko, Hans Hoffman, and Clyfford Still. As such, they brought with them a wealth of perspectives on modern and American art.

Lawrence Calcagno (1913-1993), Gorge Taos, 22 x 30�, acrylic on paper, 1975 1

Lawrence Calcagno (1913-1993), Untitled, 36 x 40�, acrylic on canvas, 1983 2

Jorge Fick (1932-2004), The Gorge, 45.75 x 27.875�, acrylic on canvas, 1961 3

Jorge Fick (1932-2004), Landmark Series Black/Gray Study, 19 x 15�, charcoal with watercolor on paper 4

Jorge Fick (1914-1987), Pojoaque Valley in Winter, 7 x 17�, acrylic on paper 5

Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998), Astral Beings, 18.5 x 14.5�, oil on board, c. 1960s 6

Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998), Gray Day, 30 x 12�, casein with enamel on masonite, c. 1950s 7

Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998), Torchlight, 24 x 48�, acrylic with media collage on masonite, c. 1960s 8

Oli Sihvonen (1921-1991), Untitled, 7 x 12.125�, oil on masonite, 1958 9

Earl Stroh (1924-2005), Pastoral Effusion, 11 x 23�, oil on canvas, 1964 10

Louise Ganthiers (1907-1982), Songburst, 32.5 x 25.5�, oil on board, 1954 11

Louis Ribak (1902-1979), Black on White, 14 x 48�, oil on canvas, c. 1950s 12

Louis Ribak (1902-1979), Sunset, 12 x 18�, oil on board, 1950s 13

Louis Ribak (1902-1979), White on White, 24 x 29�, oil on board, c. 1960s 14

Cady Wells (1904-1954), Primordial Calligraphy, 20.5 x 14.375�, mixed media on paper, 1946 15

Edward Corbett (1919-1971), No. 7, 1951, 17.75 x 11�, pastel on paper, 1951 16

Mildred Tolbert (1919-2008), Portrait of Agnes Martin, 17.5 x 14.5�, silver gelatin print, 1955 17

Mildred Tolbert (1919-2008), Portrait of Ward Lockwood, 17.5 x 14.5�, silver gelatin print, c. 1950s 18

Mildred Tolbert (1919-2008), Portrait of Andrew Dasburg, 17.5 x 14.5�, silver gelatin print, c. 1955 19

203

FINE ART

Early Modern to Contemporary 1335 Gusdorf Rd. Suite i .Taos . New Mexico . 87571 . 575.751.1262 art@203fineart.com . 203FINEART.com

203

FINE ART

Early Modern to Contemporary