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Sense of place: Taos Abstract Artist Collective contemplates theme 'On Which It Rests'
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Artists have tried to capture a sense of place since the first cave dweller sketched a bison on a rock.
The Taos Abstract Artist Collective is contemplating that theme in 鈥淥n Which It Rests,鈥� open at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site in Taos. Twenty-one abstract artists have created 21 works on display at the former homes and studios of E.I. Couse and J.H. Sharp, two of the American-born, European-trained artists who formed the Taos Society of Artists in 1915.
Sense of place: Taos Abstract Artist Collective contemplates theme 'On Which It Rests'
Their abstract works span from painting, sculpture, photography, mixed-media and installations. Guided tours of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site will also be available.
Jess Merritt created the paper collage 鈥淪torm Unfurling鈥� orbiting like the petals of a rose.
鈥淭he pieces were hand cutout and rotated,鈥� said Bianca Goyette, TAAC board member.
The artist wrote, 鈥淩epresentations of a moment of tempest and a moment of serenity and clarity,鈥� in his statement.
J.D. Scott created the mysterious cyanotype 鈥淯ntitled鈥� that could represent a ghost or a figure.
鈥淭he question that always comes to me is, 鈥榃hat is it?鈥� 鈥� Goyette said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of the fun part of it.鈥�
Cyanotype photography is a camera-less technique involving laying an object on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to UV light and washing it with water to create stunning white and Prussian blue images.
Photographer Bruce Katlin鈥檚 鈥淓ights鈥� reveals he works in layers.
鈥淭his is a digital collage,鈥� Goyette said. 鈥淗e says, 鈥楴ature is my church and all the flora and fauna is the choir that provides endless ideas and inspiration.鈥� 鈥�
Claire Cot茅 created a kind of sculpture on paper with 鈥淭his Place Has Seen.鈥� She calls it, 鈥淎 mixed-media paper landscape sculpted by my family鈥檚 feet on a winter walk, spring rains, Sunshine Valley soil, morning tea drips, cyanotype chemistry brush strokes, summer sun rays, metal shadows, patterned ground and topography glue. I make art to remind myself and others to take time to notice.鈥�
Jan Marie Sessler made her 鈥淐hrysalis鈥� using earth, peat, sand, paint and foam.
鈥淪he works with elements that are not necessarily art materials,鈥� Goyette said.
Anna Bush Crews created the sculpture 鈥渨hite line volcanic鈥� with blue and green lines snaking vertically along the piece. They could be crevasses; they could be water.
The TAAC will install 鈥淰isibility/Invisibility鈥� at the Millicent Rogers Museum, running November through January 2025. The show is in response to the Harwood Museum鈥檚 鈥淟uchita Hurtado鈥� exhibition running through Feb. 23, 2025.
