Artists of Note | Stan Metzger

Capturing the beauty of the West

Stan Metzger, Looking North on the Rio Chama, acrylic, 24 x 32.

This story was featured in the July 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

A truly significant experience in life shines like a beacon. Landscape painter Stan Metzger experienced this in the sixth grade during a visit to the Chicago Art Institute. The small-town Kansas farm boy was awestruck by what he saw, and the seed of inspiration was planted in his mind. Enrolled at the University of Kansas in the 1960s, he found that his instructors emphasized design rather than painting, which left Metzger unfulfilled. “I wasn’t getting where I wanted to go. And when I saw the art that was being produced in the ’60s, it wasn’t very pretty,” Metzger remembers. “If I did anything realistic, I was ostracized.” Switching to the realm of business, he made a career in the real estate world but never let go of his first love. “I remember telling my classmates that one day I’ll get back into art and make something of it. And here I am,” Metzger says.

Today the artist, who still lives in Kansas, focuses his artistic efforts on the landscape. “The landscapes in the West are unbelievable. I transitioned from Kansas farm scenes to western scenes that I just have to paint. I’ll never get my work done,” he says. Using an analytical approach to painting and his ability to capture scenes from memory, Metzger creates impressions of the beauty of America in rich high definition with the impression of hyperrealism. Still, he says, “my job as an artist is to create a piece of fine art, not to duplicate what I see. This has been an out-of-body experience for me—it’s freed me up a lot.” —Joe Kovack

View Metzger’s work at www.stanmetzger.com.

Featured in the July 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art July 2014 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!