The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming has a spectacular collection of Western art.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Remington and Russell, the brand names in Western art. Oh, I recognize their importance and talents, but their cowboys ‘n’ Indians artwork strikes me as kitsch, and not my favorite flavor.
So I was lukewarm to the idea of Western art until I visited the Whitney Galleries at the gorgeous Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming and came face-to-face with my first Bierstadts and Morans.
Ohhhh. I see. Artists such as these joined adventurers during the Westward Expansion and created spectacular paintings of the spectacular landscapes opening up to American settlers.
Attitude adjustment.
Now I’m a fan of Western art and the museums that take it seriously, including the splendid Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. Built to house Carter’s collection of Remingtons and Russells, and to focus on American art, the Amon Carter now also has one of the nation’s preeminent photography collections. In fact, it was the commissioning body for Richard Avedon’s haunting series of much-larger-than-life photos, “In The American West”
This past weekend I visited the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and got another good dose of good art. Touring the galleries with my friend Debby Kaspari, herself a gifted artist, I enjoyed not only Westward Expansion paintings, but also works by contemporary artists such as wildlife artist Bob Kuhn and William F. Reese. And some of the sketches displayed were as thrilling as the finished paintings. (By the way, Debby has a gorgeous show of her own paintings and drawings of the rain forest right now, at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History in Norman, Oklahoma. It’s up only until Jan. 18. though, so hurry yourself over there.)
I haven’t yet visited the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, but it’s on my list. Maybe if I keep visiting these museums, I’ll someday develop a taste for Remington and Russell. Or maybe not.
I am a HUGE fan of Gary Ernest Smith. His work is so beautiful and evocative. It’s a goal to own one of his pieces someday. Def. check him out.
Oh my, Gwen. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Like a rural Edward Hopper.
For anyone else who doesn’t know him:
http://www.overlandgallery.com/GalleryData/GarySmith.asp
His work is stunning. The pieces have that step-right-in quality. Beautiful.
I’m adding all the museums/historical centers you listed above to my ever-growing almost-heartbreaking must-visit list. But I would recommend, as you know from the piece I wrote a while back, that you give Remington another look. I was also meh on Western art but when I visited the Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, I did a complete 180 on it. I hadn’t really looked at his art. The museum forced my eye and it was beautiful.
http://readflyoveramerica.com/2009/06/30/remington/
Whether a fan of Russell’s work or not, it’s important to keep in mind that Charlie Russell was a cowboy. He spent most of his early years in the Belt Mountains near Utica, about thirty miles from where I live. He sketched and painted what he saw. Later in life, living in Great Falls, his wife promoted the Russell we now know.
True. He was also a self-taught artist. Remington, on the other hand, was a New Yorker.
Nothing wrong with being a New Yorker. I’ve met a few a like.