Jackson, WY, July 3-5 & July 21-31
This story was featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download here. Or simply click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!
In just six years, Astoria Fine Art has emerged as a prominent force in the western art world. Opened in 2006, the gallery represents well-regarded painters and sculptors from around the country. This month Astoria focuses its spotlight on two gifted young artists: sculptor Joshua Tobey and painter Joseph Alleman.
Tobey returns to the gallery for the third consecutive year during the Fourth of July holiday and is present in the gallery daily July 3-5. During last year’s show, the gallery sold 30 sculptures. Gallery owner Greg Fulton says that fact is clear evidence of the sculptor’s talent and appeal to collectors.
This year’s presentation features 40 pieces and includes the unveiling of an array of new works. “Joshua Tobey, as most of the art world already knows, is one of the most popular artists working today,” Fulton says. “His style is fresh, often fun, and the patinas represent the finest available anywhere.”
It might be said that Tobey learned his art at the knee of a master, his father Gene Tobey, the renowned sculptor who died in 2006. Joshua, who divides his time between Santa Fe, NM, and Loveland, CO, says his father is the biggest influence on his work today. “It seems that the lessons he taught me about art and the art world have new meaning and depth as my career continues,” he says.
One of Tobey’s favorite pieces in the show is ACE, a life-size bronze depicting a wolf. “I enjoy watching people react to this sculpture. The personality and patina turned out just wonderfully,” he says. “It’s a sculpture that I designed to stand alone or as a member of a collection of my life-size series.”
What’s special about the Alleman show, Fulton explains, is that both the artist’s watercolors and his oil paintings are on display, a visual treat for collectors. A reception for the artist takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 28; the show runs July 21-31. “Joseph Alleman is one of the best young talents I have seen,” he says. “Not only is his work technically sound in a traditional sense, but there is a contemporary edge to his work that results in a style that is distinctively his.”
The Utah-based Alleman expects to present 25 new paintings in the show, a mixture of rural scenes and cityscapes that depict everything from barns to towering buildings. “There is subject matter in the new paintings that I have played with in the past and thought it might be fun to revisit,” he says.
Alleman finds inspiration in northern Utah’s terrain, small towns, and people. He is known for finding beauty in what some might consider ordinary. For him each new work is a visual puzzle that arrives without an instruction booklet. Through the creative process of exploring shapes, values, and patterns, he gains deeper insight into the subject matter. But one thing always remains constant: “The mood I am trying to convey is usually one that represents a sense of solitude and quietness, even if it’s a painting of a city,” Alleman says. —Bonnie Gangelhoff
contact information
307.733.4016
www.astoriafineart.com
Featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition
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