Leading the West

LEADING THE WEST ED MELL

HOWARD POST

GARY ERNEST SMITH

Cloud Contrast, Oil on Canvas, 44 x 56 inches

Thirteen Against the Barn, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Navajo Farming, Oil on Canvas, 26 x 32 inches

March 30 - April 11, 2015 ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE

LEADING THE WEST Reception April 9, 7-9pm

Altamira Fine Art Scottsdale welcomes three recognized icons of Western Contemporary Art in a group exhibition, “Leading the West”.

“Leading the West” defines the artwork of Ed Mell, Howard Post and Gary Ernest Smith and their portrayals of rural reality, western romance, and dramatic vistas.

Each artist has an authentic voice that establishes the new “grand manner” for the iconic western geography and mythology.

Please join us for a meet and greet reception with the artists on April 9, 7-9pm at our gallery on Main Street.

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE 7038 E. Main Street | Scottsdale, Arizona | 480.949.1256 www.altamiraart.com

ED MELL

Ed Mell brings an architectural eye to the desert, emphasizing graphic elements and stripping away details that do not serve his vision. From landscapes to storms, longhorn cattle to desert flowers, he presents the American Southwest in bold colors and lines, energizing the vistas.

His work is in prominent collections including: the Eiteljorg Museum, The Phoenix Art Museum, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Anschutz Collection and the Rockwell-Corning Museum of Modern Art. His biography, Beyond the Visible Terrain: The Art of Ed Mell, was published in l996.

“Seeing the real thing has much more impact than a photographic representation of nature, so in order to duplicate nature, I like to push it a little further and bring back some of the impact that nature has in real life.” Ed Mell

HOWARD POST

Howard Post is known for his unique aerial perspectives and modern, impressionistic viewpoint. His use of high perspectives renders people and animals in his works with exceptionally strong shapes and patterns. Strong, orderly shadow patterns cast by the figures of cattle, cowboys, trees, or fences define his work.

Howard’s work can be found in museum collections including: Denver Art Museum, The Forbes Foundation, the National Cowboy and Heritage Museum, Tucson Museum of Art and the Whitney Western Art Museum.

“My paintings are my visual response to the West and how I want it to be.” – Howard Post

GARY ERNEST SMITH

Gary Ernest Smith is categorized as a neo-regionalist by historians, his art often celebrates the values of hard work and self-reliance, and, more recently, the evolution of contemporary rural America. These aspects of Smith’s life are the catalyst for his distinctive style.

His work is in the permanent collections of the Phoenix Art Museum; Denver Art Museum; Museum of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; Springville Museum of Art; Buffalo Bill Center of the West; Desert Caballeros Western Museum.

“Finding and expressing a unique vision of the world is what artists seek for in their work. I look to the simple yet profound nature of things that is often passed over or overlooked. I want to leave a body of work that chronicles my life, and that has quality and vision.”— Gary Ernest Smith

ED MELL

Canyon Rainfall Oil on Linen 24 x 24 inches

Center Storm I Oil on Linen 11 x 14 inches

ED MELL

Cloud Contrast Oil on Linen 44 x 56 inches

Shifting Light Oil on Linen 22 x 28 inches

ED MELL

Sonoran Veils Oil on Linen 11 x 14 inches

Split Storm Oil on Linen 10 x 10 inches

ED MELL

Spring Thaw Oil on Canvas 15 x 30 inches

Storm Cliff Oil on Canvas 60 x 60 inches

HOWARD POST Feed Troughs in the Pasture Oil on Canvas 36 x 36 inches

High Country, Vintage Oil on Canvas 12 x 9 inches

The Upper Road Oil on Canvas 11 x 14 inches The Intersect Oil on Canvas 11 x 14 inches

HOWARD POST Nineteen Extras Oil on Canvas 18 x 36 inches

On the Country Road Oil on Canvas 24 x 24 inches

HOWARD POST Thirteen Against the Barn Oil on Canvas 36 x 36 inches

Three of the Best Oil on Canvas 52 x 42 inches

GARY ERNEST SMITH Desert Sunset Oil on Linen 30 x 40 inches

Man for All Seasons Oil on Linen 14 x 11 inches

Man of the West Oil on Linen 24 x 16 inches

GARY ERNEST SMITH

Harvested Field Oil on Linen 18 x 24 inches

Old Homestead Oil on Linen 16 x 20 inches

Navajo Farming Oil on Linen 26 x 32 inches

GARY ERNEST SMITH

Windrows Oil on Linen 16 x 24 inches

Snow Canyon Oil on Canvas 48 x 60 inches

UPCOMING SCOTTSDALE SHOWS JARED SANDERS “ROADSIDE” Show Dates: April 14-25 Reception Date: April 23, 7-9pm

For more information please contact: Audrey Parish, az@altamiraart.com Dean Munn, dean@altamiraart.com or call 480.949.1256 www.altamiraart.com

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE 7038 E. Main Street | Scottsdale, Arizona | 480.949.1256 172 Center Street | Jackson, Wyoming | 307.739.4700

Visit www.altamiraart.com for more on upcoming events at our two gallery locations.