Santa Fe, NM
Manitou Galleries, July 26-28
Alvin Gill-Tapia, Canoncito, gold leaf/acrylic, 48 x 48.
This story was featured in the July 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
GROWING UP in New Mexico, Alvin Gill-Tapia was surrounded by the ancient pueblos that inspire his paintings today. “I remember entering these beautiful old mud-brick buildings as a child and thinking it was as if they’d grown straight out of the earth. The dark, cool interiors instilled a sense of calm in me,” he says, explaining there was an intuitive feeling—a sense of an intense spiritual, perhaps ancestral, presence—that stirred within him. While his artistic pursuits took him around the country and the globe for many years, that powerful feeling never left him. “The architecture of the Southwest [still] gives me a sense of peace and happiness. I feel a personal response to its structure that is indescribable,” he says.
Over 20 years ago, Gill-Tapia returned to New Mexico to paint the old adobe structures he has always loved. He continues to revisit these pueblos in New Mexico as well as to travel throughout the Southwest in search of other sacred spaces, finding endless inspiration for his current Architectural Series. This month at Manitou Galleries on Palace Avenue, he presents the latest works in this series in a solo show that coincides with the 68th annual Traditional Spanish Market. The show opens with an artist’s reception on Friday, July 26, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and runs through July 28.
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- Alvin Gill-Tapia, Meems St. Francis, gold leaf/acrylic, 38 x 38.
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- Alvin Gill-Tapia, Dusk at Ranchos, mixed media/gold and copper leaf, 36 x 36.
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- Alvin Gill-Tapia, Meems Violet Sky, silver leaf/acrylic, 12 x 12.
While the artist paints primarily in acrylic, recently he’s been using more gold and silver leaf in his work. “I like working with metals because they allow me to mimic the stunning light and sweeping shadows that reflect off the buildings—especially in the early mornings, my favorite time of day in the Southwest,” he says.
In addition to the literal reflections he portrays, Gill-Tapia’s goal is to reflect the sense of sacredness, tradition, and community that emanates from these structures. “It’s about so much more than religious or even historical importance—it’s the profound sense of connection, respect, and awe that these buildings command,” he says, adding, “it’s too difficult to describe in words.” Fortunately for viewers, Gill-Tapia communicates this beautifully through the language of art. —Lindsay Mitchell
contact information
505.986.0440
www.manitougalleries.com
Alvin Gill-Tapia, San Francisco de Assisi, gold leaf/acrylic, 80 x 50.
This story was featured in the July 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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