art
T Barny and Peter Burega, Hunter Kirkland Contemporary PREVIEWS 200-B Canyon, hunterkirklandcontemporary.com September 18–October 12, Reception, September 18, 5–7 pm California-based T Barny uses power tools, stone and bronze to create sleek, geometrically precise sculptures ranging in size from exquisite foot-high pieces to majestic 12-foot sculptures that demand outside light and space. His sculptures use bronze, wood, steel, stone, and even water, and are collected in 80 countries. In describing the process he has honed over more than 35 years, Barny writes, “I import personally selected marble from quarries all over the world. Then I attain an affinity with the blocks by listening to their rhythms rather than imposing my own. I carve out the flaws of geological tension to release a sound–free form inherent in that specific stone.” Peter Burega’s airy, ethereal abstracts depict landscapes infused with saturated color and wispy motion, yielding a sophisticated take on the life of clouds, mesas and wildscapes. Burega’s technique, developed after considerable experimentation and refinement, employs trowels, palette knives, and scrapers to build multiple layers, giving each painting a soft, burnished effect and allowing him to build dimension. A former attorney, the self-taught Burega has studios in Rancho Mirage and Santa Fe.—Carolyn Patten
Peter Burega, Sierra del Mar No. 6, oil on panel, 60 x 48"
mary ann stoddard
Contemporary Book Arts Exhibit State Capitol Rotunda Gallery, 490 Old Santa Fe Trl, santafebag.org, Through December 11, Reception September 18, 4–6 pm A band of local book lovers and artists founded the Santa Fe Book Arts Group 15 years ago and have since dedicated themselves to promoting the fine art of making beautiful and unusual books. September kicks off the annual Santa Fe Book Art Celebration, three months of workshops, lectures, tours, demonstrations, sales, and exhibitions. At the center of the celebration is a collection of contemporary book art by 65 artist members of the BAG, on display at the Capitol Rotunda Gallery. Using multiple media, designs, and techniques, the artists’ work ranges from the spare and minimal to the highly decorative and sculptural. Dr. Cynthia Sanchez, executive director of the Capitol Art Foundation, was the curator and juror for the exhibition.—CP
Pamela MacKellar, The Journey Within, tunnel book, 18 x 18 x 18"
Evelyne Boren, New Mexico Morada, oil on canvas, 16 x 20"
Evelyne Boren: Shadows in the Sun Acosta-Strong Fine Art, 640 Canyon, johnbstrong.com, reception September 18, 5–7 pm Working in a fresh, loose, impressionistic style, Boren begins with a watercolor en plein air, returns to the studio to make sketches and choose a limited color scheme, then takes out her palette knives and begins laying down oil in pure colors, building layers as she goes. The process is somewhat the same with her watercolors, and lately she has switched out brushes for palette knives in that medium as well. Describing her evolution as an artist in both mediums, she writes, “Over the years my watercolor paintings have become stronger, and my oil paintings have become looser—an exhilarating feeling!” Born in Germany, Boren went to school in Switzerland and England before moving to the United States and embarking on a successful career as a movie stuntwoman. She began painting while on location in the Bahamas and has since built an international reputation and following.—CP September 17, 2015 NOW 25