Show Preview | Taos Art Museum: Ron Barsano

Taos, NM
September 28-January 5

Ron Barsano, Alone, oil, 28 x 40.

This story was featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

From September 28 through January 5, the Taos Art Museum presents Ron Barsano Paints the Naked Truth, a solo retrospective show featuring about 40 works spanning Barsano’s 40-year career. An opening reception with the artist is on Saturday, September 28, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Despite what the title may lead some to believe, the show is not made up exclusively of nudes. Rather, the work on display features a wide variety of subject matter, including interiors, landscapes, still lifes, and abstracts, in addition to figures and nudes. “The title is actually about exposure—of personality, the inner self, or even just the feeling you get when you walk in the woods on fallen leaves in autumn,” Barsano says.

Ron Barsano, Is the Only Gal for Me, oil, 14 x 11.

Indeed, the artist aims to capture the “naked truth” in all his paintings, no matter the subject. That said, when Barsano is asked about the subjects he most enjoys painting, he doesn’t hesitate for a second with his reply: “My real love is nudes, figures, and portraits,” he says. “I just love people, and I enjoy interacting and connecting with the people I paint.” This love is clearly reflected in the show, which includes an entire room dedicated solely to Barsano’s figurative works. “When I’m painting a figure or portrait, I’m trying to show the inner part of that person,” Barsano says, adding, “That’s the naked truth I want to expose—what’s truly going on within the person. It’s not really about the fact that she’s naked.”

With regard to style, Barsano enjoys creating both representational and abstract works. After each representational painting he completes, he scrapes up the remaining paint and puts it onto a canvas to create an abstract. “I started painting abstracts in the early 1990s, when I was trying to get away from the very strict academic work I’d been doing for many years,” he says. In recent years, however, the artist has come to more of a middle ground. “I’m doing more representational work again, but I really love keeping it loose and impressionistic,” he says.  —Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
575.758.2690
www.taosartmuseum.org

Featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!