Who: Gallery Artists
What: Exhibition of painting and sculpture
When: May 27th 2016
Opening Reception: Friday, May 27, 5-7 pm.
Where: Ruhlen-Owen Contemporary,
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501
2016 introduced an exciting change at one of Santa Fe’s well-established and best known art galleries.
Tim Owen, long-time gallery director with Karan Ruhlen Gallery became the new owner in 2016. Ruhlen-Owen Contemporary will continue to personify the quality and integrity of its founder and will continue to represent our long-standing roster of wonderful artists.
Our inaugural exhibition, Creative Transition, will open on May 27 and will feature artwork from all of our talented and established gallery artists.
Featured artists: Painters: Martha Rea Baker, Elaine Holien, Mary Long, Martha Mans, Kurt Meer, Stephen Pentak, Daniel Phill, Jinni Thomas, Kevin Tolman, Pauline Ziegen Sculpture: Sally Hepler and Bret Price
Martha Rea Baker’s paintings that are rich both in oil or encaustic medium are indicative of the passage she has made from her more objective watercolor paintings to her strong abstract compositions. Daniel Phill engages the viewer with his paintings that transform bright colors and botanical shapes into powerful compositions.
Pauline Ziegen’s oil and gold leaf panels reflect her transition back and forth from her classic landscapes to a more abstracted version. Stephen Pentak creates modified landscape paintings with broad brushstrokes and marked surfaces.
Adding to our group of landscape artists with a more traditional style are Martha Mans with her oil and watercolor paintings of the Southwest and Kurt Meer with his masterfully painted oils of water scenes that have a dream-like quality.
Kevin Tolman’s works on paper and canvas move from child-like markings to a sophisticated composition all within the same painting. Random markings also appear on the beautifully muted color surfaces of Mary Long’s many-layered encaustic paintings. One can always sense that there is a story from the script-like markings just beneath and above the surface of Jinni Thomas’ paintings.
The bronze sculpture of Sally Hepler is a dramatic transition of steel that has been transformed into elegant abstract metal ribbons. Like-wise, the sculptor Bret Price has manipulated both thin steel strips and rebar into his brightly colored and fluid sculptures.