Show Preview | Browning, Haworth & Joe

Fredericksburg, TX
InSight Gallery, April 1-19

Tom Browning, Escape Route, oil, 22 x 28.

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

This month, InSight Gallery presents a highly anticipated show featuring new works by Tom Browning, Oreland Joe, and Mark Haworth. Legends and Landscapes of the American West brings together Browning’s luminous scenes of horses and riders, Joe’s stirring portrayals of Native Americans carved in stone, and Haworth’s vibrant interpretations of the land, water, and sky in a show that exemplifies the multifaceted culture and resounding spirit of the West. The show hangs April 1-19, with an artists’ reception on Friday, April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. and a demonstration of sculpting and carving techniques by Joe at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 5.

Browning displays seven fresh paintings in the show. “These western-themed works are similar to what I’m known for, yet they are different in that I’m always striving to create a new approach to design and composition,” he says. Browning’s love for the western genre and the working cowboy, as well as his intense passion for depicting light, is evident in each piece he creates. “I want viewers of my work to come away having experienced the emotion and mood I pack into my paintings,” Browning says. “Oftentimes this happens when all I intended was to accurately capture the drawing and light. It’s surprising how much comes across when things are stated simply but honestly,” he muses.

Mark Haworth, West Temple, oil, 24 x 30.

Haworth expresses similar artistic intentions: “I want viewers to be inspired by my interpretation of the mountainous desert landscapes of the West,” he says. “It’s always exciting to see how people respond to your paintings at a show. If I can create an emotional response in the viewer, then it has the ability to inspire.” Haworth’s paintings are expressions of his own emotional response to the landscapes of the West, particularly the desert-like scenery of West Texas. His 10 pieces in the show depict the places he enjoys painting most: Big Bend National Park and the Texas Hill Country. “The Hill Country where I live is full of beautiful pastoral scenes, and springtime is a riot of wildflower color,” he says.

Just as Haworth’s paintings reflect his personal connections with the landscape, Joe draws on his personal experiences of Ute and Navajo culture when creating his stone and bronze works. “Lately I’ve been doing mostly ceremonial depictions, which can be difficult because photography is not permitted at Native ceremonies,” Joe explains, adding, “That’s why I always have a sketchbook.” The sculptor’s numerous sketches and a lifetime of memories of these sacred rituals provided the fodder for his latest body of work. Most of his eight to 10 pieces in the show are stone—primarily marble and alabaster—but there is also a single bronze titled MIDNIGHT SHUFFLE, which depicts a comical figure from a traditional Navajo dance. “There is so much about [Native] culture that others don’t understand,” Joe says. “More and more I’m using my work to share this information with others so they will better understand who my people are and what we’re about.” —Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
830.997.9920
www.insightgallery.com

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