Jackson, WY, August 21-31
This story was featured in the August 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art August 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art August 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!
Witty. Bold. Imaginative. These are a few of the words often used to describe animal paintings by Tom Palmore. Collectors are in for a treat when Palmore’s latest show, which includes about 20 new works, opens at Astoria Fine Art on August 21. A reception for the artist takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on August 23.
A visual menagerie of wolves, mountain lions, jaguars, and house cats is on view. “Every gallery owner wants to represent so-called ‘museum-quality’ artwork,” says Greg Fulton, the gallery’s managing partner. “With Tom Palmore, this becomes a reality. With works in the Smithsonian, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Denver Art Museum, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Tom has cemented his place as one of the best and most exciting American artists. This show is going to be a knockout.”
A Palmore portrait is often marked by fantastic settings: a tiger poses before an ancient bas-relief sculpture, a tabby cat perches on a wooden carousel horse, or a pig lumbers across a sandy beach. Backgrounds vary from realistic to silly to downright absurd. But each painting displays Palmore’s reverence and respect for the animal kingdom. Palmore, in fact, says that he tries to paint the portraits as if the animals had commissioned the works themselves, depicting the creatures as they might like to be seen. The New Mexico-based artist is fond of branding the pieces with his own sense of humor. His creatures often have names such as Snickers the gorilla or Madonna the cow. Sometimes Palmore may pose an animal in front of a painting and suggest that it has a penchant for art.
Palmore’s portraits often defy classification, although one critic called him an “iconic Pop realist.” Regardless of the label, though, this show is sure to delight art collectors and animal lovers alike. —Bonnie Gangelhoff
contact information
307.733.4016
www.astoriafineart.com
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