15 February 2009
Artist Offers 21st-Century Interpretations of the American West
Modern master John Nieto presents a fresh slant on iconic Western themes
Washington -- With its imposing landscape and colorful cast of characters, the Old West provided a backdrop to some of the most compelling narratives in the early history of the United States. Artists and photographers from the 1800s onward have explored that territory (both physical and psychological) as a prime source of a national mythology that expresses the struggle to tame a rugged natural environment.
Even though the vanished American frontier of the 19th century is seen largely through a prism of nostalgic sepia-toned photographs, iconic images reflecting the spirit of those times have endured and evolved. That evolution is reflected in the work of artist John Nieto, who approaches classic Western motifs with an emphatically modern sensibility.
Nieto's paintings of American Indians and Western wildlife such as the buffalo (American bison), wolf and coyote are presented on dramatically oversized canvases in scorching colors. He replaces the sepia tint of early American photography with the vivid palette of the 20th and 21st centuries, but the essence of these iconic subjects remains intact.
In an interview, Nieto explained how he selects a theme for each new painting. "Ideas come to me and I seem to incubate them for a while, and when they're ready to come out, I paint them," he said. "Themes that I relate to personally are the themes I tackle."
His focus on American Indian tribal culture and North American wildlife reflects his family's centuries-old roots in New Mexico. Nieto is descended from Native Americans and early Hispanic settlers, and his artistic education embraced the traditions of Europe as well as America. He was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, near the Apache reservation. In his youth, Nieto embarked on a course of self-guided study in Paris, where he analyzed the techniques of Europe's old masters and explored the works of such 20th-century innovators as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and André Derain. Audacious experiments with color by Matisse and Derain, leading members of a prominent artistic movement known as the Fauves (Wild Beasts), made a strong impression on Nieto.
Already an accomplished draftsman, Nieto developed into a brilliant colorist and deftly merged both skills into a distinctive painting style widely admired as much for its extraordinary vigor as its fine detail. His return from Paris to New Mexico inspired him to capture the essence of the American West, a complex region with a modern-day vitality imbued with echoes of its storied past.
AMERICAN IMAGES, INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
Even though the figures in Nieto's paintings are unmistakably American, the acclaim from art lovers worldwide suggests the images resonate with viewers from many different backgrounds. Nieto said he strives to communicate with a global audience by stressing the universal appeal of his subjects.
"I paint with the hope that the idea I'm painting is worth sharing with someone. If I make that connection, I've succeeded," he said. "My hope is to share my enthusiasm for the subject through the language of painting. The world is my target audience."
From the Plains Indian in ceremonial garb, to the athletic young warrior with bow-and-arrow, the American Indians who emerge on Nieto's canvases embody pride, dignity and endurance in the face of adversity. That same endurance and toughness are reflected in the image of a buffalo crossing the prairie or the figure of a wolf running at full speed toward the viewer.
Those qualities also are echoed in Nieto's portrayals of the playful but calculating coyote and of the majestic grizzly bear. In Nieto's hands, these creatures symbolize the grandeur and beauty of the natural world, even as they project their own distinct personalities. Their stamina -- their stubborn refusal to go away -- is evocative, too, of the timeless allure of the American West, a mirror to the nation’s soul.
Nieto has exhibited his work in Europe, Japan, Latin America and Africa, in addition to such U.S. cities as Santa Fe (New Mexico), New York City, Los Angeles, Palm Springs (California) and Jackson Hole (Wyoming). Nieto's shows typically attract large crowds, and his largest canvases can command prices of $60,000 or more.
AN ARTIST REBORN
In October 2002, a massive stroke nearly ended his career; his condition seemed so serious that his family feared he would never paint again. A second crisis occurred at the beginning of July 2005, when Nieto showed signs of congestive heart failure, but tests later ruled out heart disease.
Shortly thereafter, Nieto recovered completely from his stroke in a rapid convalescence that astonished and mystified his family and physicians. On July 9, 2005, he resumed work on paintings interrupted by his illness. Nieto's restored health, an unexpected gift that his wife described as "miraculous," is not readily explained in medical terms, but it might be attributed in part to an iron will -- and a creative impulse that demanded its full exercise.
That impulse is flourishing once more, and seems as potent as ever. Nieto's trademark energy and disciplined work habits swiftly reasserted themselves, resulting in two major exhibitions of new paintings in Santa Fe and in Jackson Hole during the late summer and early autumn of 2006. In July 2008, Jackson Hole’s Mountain Trails Gallery staged an exhibition -- entitled “John Nieto: American Master” –- that showcased Nieto’s most recent efforts. The strong linear style, bold compositions and saturated colors that characterize Nieto's earlier works are all very much in evidence in his latest group of paintings; so too is the dynamic tension that animates all of his subjects, whether animal or human.
Critics have hailed Nieto's return to painting as the rebirth of an artist at the peak of his powers. Reflecting on his recovery, Nieto expressed gratitude for his good fortune -- and a determination to employ his gifts as productively as possible.
"Since my recovery, I think I've re-prioritized the things I consider important in my life, and those things are making their way into my art," he said. "Every painting offers opportunities for growth, and when it happens, I feel alive. It's very satisfying."
Despite his success, Nieto said he regards himself simply as "a working artist who is fortunate enough to earn a living" doing what he loves, very much in the tradition of the artistic forerunners who continually inspire him.
"I find that reading biographies of some of my favorite artists, like Matisse and Picasso, allows me to feel as though I am rubbing elbows with these people and helps keep me excited through the relationship," he explained. "I like being influenced by the great artists of the past. Good art, like truth, never goes out of style."
See “Artist Reinterprets Icons of the American West,” a photo gallery featuring images of Nieto’s works.
Artist Reinterprets Icons of the American West