Show Preview | Daggett & Gonzales

Taos, NM
Total Arts Gallery, July 8-30

Ken Daggett, Early Snow, oil, 48 x 36.

This story was featured in the July 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

On Friday, July 8, Total Arts Gallery presents the works of two area painters, Ken Daggett and Damien M. Gonzales, whose work is rarely shown in Taos. “While they are both New Mexico landscape artists, Daggett and Gonzales’ interpretations are so entirely different,” says assistant gallery director Emily Wilde. “Damien paints very ethereal pieces with soft edges that are quiet and serene, and Ken paints with big palette-knife strokes and lots of paint—very energetic.” An artists’ reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. on opening night.

A Taos resident, Daggett anticipates 20 new works for the show, including both plein-air and studio works. All of his oil paintings are completed exclusively with a palette knife and capture scenery within a 50-mile radius of Taos in thick, textural paint. “Some of my more favorite places I have been to so many times that they are just ingrained in my memory,” Daggett says. So while his plein-air pieces capture the drama unfolding before him, his studio works inject more of the artist himself into the painting. Daggett explains, “I cannot remember every little thing, so I am editing and simplifying the scene. Sometimes the memories, and the paintings that result, can be even more powerful than being there.”

Damien Gonzales, Vallecito Mountain, Taos, oil, 9 x 12.

Albuquerque painter Gonzales brings as many as 18 oil paintings to the show. “They are scenes painted throughout the day, ranging from bright early mornings to late-evening sunsets,” he says. “They depict everything from dry desert in the summer to snow-capped mountains in the winter.” Gonzales also brings both plein-air and studio pieces. Collectors familiar with his work will recognize the artist’s favored subject matter and his variations in style. “I paint representationally,” he says, “and I vary my approach quite a bit depending on what I’m trying to accomplish. Some of the paintings were completed in one session outdoors with a little touch-up afterward, and others were painted over long periods of time with very subtle handling.” Lately the artist has also been painting larger works than he did in the past.

“Total Arts rarely focuses on New Mexico artists,” Wilde says. “So we’re proud to bring together these two artists for this event. There’s a lot of good buzz around them, and people are responding to their work.” —Laura Rintala

contact information
575.758.4667
www.totalartsgallery.com