Manitou Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
April 1-May 2
Chase Tafoya, Awake Upon the Rock, acrylic, 16 x 20.
Merriam-Webster defines a “young gun” as “a young person who is successful or who is expected to be successful.” There’s no question that definition accurately describes the foursome of creative marksmen—Campbell Dosch, Aaron Hazel, Chase Tafoya, and Curtis Wade—whose work is featured in the latest exhibition at Manitou Galleries.
The artists are coveted additions to the Manitou stable, newly represented for one year or less. “Collectors count on us to bring them the ‘next big names’ in the western art scene, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this show,” says Cyndi Hall, the gallery’s associate director. Three or four works from each artist are available on a first-come, first-served basis at Manitou’s West Palace Avenue location from Friday, April 1, through Monday, May 2. The artists are on hand from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the exhibition’s opening day.
- Curtis Wade, Living on the Edge, oil, 24 x 36.
- Campbell Dosch, Mah-to-toh-pa, Mandan Chief, bronze, 32 x 16 x 8.
- Aaron Hazel, Black Fox, oil, 48 x 36.
This talented quartet is at the forefront of the charge that’s adding new depth and richness to the western-art genre. Wade, for example, descends from a creative family rooted in western art. “His grandmother was renowned sculptor Juan Dell, and his grandfather was Santa Fe gallery owner Joe Wade,” Hall says. “Curtis has been working professionally since he was 18, painting landscape realism as well as whimsical regionalism.”
Dosch, meanwhile, is “very new” to the western art scene. “Campbell was a self-represented artist until a couple of months ago, coming off a second-place win at last year’s Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale,” notes Hall. “He’s inspired by traditional Native American culture and buries himself in research before beginning a sculpture.” This is evident in MAH-TO-TOH-PA, MANDAN CHIEF, a sculpture of the second chief of the Mandan tribe recognized as Four Bears. “Known for his bravery and leadership, he was one of the last of his people to live during the smallpox epidemic of the 1800s,” Dosch says. “I depicted him with a somber expression, looking down, as he sorrowfully contemplates the fate of his people while paying reverence to them.”
- Campbell Dosch, Keeper of Secrets, bronze, 32 x 11 x 10.
- Curtis Wade, Yellowstone Falls, oil, 24 x 18.
- Chase Tafoya, Solace and Sagebrush, acrylic, 24 x 18.
Like Dosch, Hazel does copious research for his paintings portraying overlooked faces of the West. “Aaron has literally blasted onto the western art scene like a bullet,” Hall notes. “His choice to paint underrepresented western subjects allows us to see history with a completely different perspective. Individuals from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities helped shape the West, and Aaron’s brilliant choice of color and use of palette knife bring them all to light.” Such is the case with BLACK FOX, a depiction of the Arapaho leader who served on the Indian Congress. “I enjoyed painting him, as I do all of my Native subjects, by attempting to bring life to a black-and white reference using my own color scheme based on how the values are presented,” Hazel reveals.
Finally, Tafoya grew up in California being influenced by the deep-rooted melting pot of cultures. “Chase is a very well-known and respected tattoo artist who has always painted,” says Hall. “He recently decided to pursue his painting career in tandem with his tattoo business. Drawing on inspiration from the greats like Maynard Dixon, Chase has a natural talent for composition and subject matter.” Tafoya likely speaks for his Young Guns peers when he says, “I want to create art that evokes an emotion, as well as captures a moment in time that makes the viewer feel connected.” —Beth Williams
contact information
505.986.0440
www.manitougalleries.com
This story appeared in the April/May 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.