Ken Riley: An Artist and Gentleman

Ceremonial Regalia

I have often said that one of the best things about spending the time that I have in the museum and Western American Art worlds has been the many friendships that I have been privileged to have with some rather remarkable people.  One of those remarkable people passed away this week and we are all going to miss him.  Ken Riley epitomized the word “gentleman.”  True, he was a uniquely talented and highly gifted artist who produced works of stunning quality over a long and illustrious career, but as much as I respect his artistic abilities, I will remember him most for his generosity, his good humor, his keen intellect, and his magnanimous spirit.

Ancestors

In the early 1990’s the Eiteljorg Museum in Indiana created a special award that was presented to a select few artists.  Known simply as the Eiteljorg Award, it was designed to honor an artist who had produced a distinguished body of work and who was at the time of the bestowal of the honor, still producing art at a very high level.  The first two recipients of that award were Wilson Hurley and Ken Riley.  I think it important to note that one of the panelists who selected Riley for the award was Wilson Hurley, which indicates the high regard that Ken’s fellow artists had for him.

For me, the highlight of presenting the award to Ken was that it precipitated the organization of a major retrospective of Ken’s work, entitled “West of Camelot.”  The exhibition was accompanied by a book published by the museum in cooperation with Stuart Johnson at Settler’s West Galleries and authored by Susan McGarry.  I was able to spend quite a bit of time with Ken in preparation of the exhibition and I learned much about art, artists, and the task of creating  and maintaining a long and successful career, through our many conversations.  I had long been an admirer of Ken’s work and being able to talk with him often and directly about a wide range of subjects was always a joy for me.

Split Horn Bonnett

One of those subjects was his former teacher and mentor, Harvey Dunn.  I had mentioned to Ken that I thought Dunn deserved greater recognition as both an artist and teacher and that one of my long term goals was to organize a major exhibition devoted to his work.(that is a goal, by the way, that I have yet to fulfill).  Ken agreed and he spoke passionately about Dunn as a teacher.  He had studied with him when he was a young artist in New York and Dunn taught regular classes at Grand Central Art School.  A few weeks after that conversation, I received a package from Ken. It contained a photocopied transcript of one of Dunn’s lectures complete with Ken’s margin notes and underlinings.  I was touched by his thoughtfulness in sending it on to me and I am still honored to have it—a direct reminder of the talent of two artists whom I greatly admire.

A decade after the Eitlejorg exhibition, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City mounted another major exhibition of Ken’s works.  The catalog for the show was once again written by our mutual friend, Susan McGary, and Ken asked me to contribute a preface.  Naturally, I was happy to do so and in memory and honor of Ken, I am re-publishing it here:

Doll

A decade ago, I had the privilege of writing a preface for a book on Ken Riley.  At the same time, I had the great pleasure of helping organize a retrospective exhibition of his work.  Before I began working on both of those projects, I had great admiration and respect for Ken’s talents as an artist.  Afterward, I had an even greater sense of Riley’s position as one of the finest American artists working at that time.  While he is most often associated with paintings of the historic American West, particularly 19th-century Native American cultures, as Susan McGarry points out in the illuminating text for this catalog, Ken’s work transcends the somewhat narrow confines of the genre of traditional Western American Art.  His paintings use the history and symbolism of Native culture to connect us to a greater awareness of the human condition.  The themes, emotions, and stories conveyed in Ken’s work speak to us all in a universal language.

The Red Flute

On the most literal level, Ken’s paintings are grounded in a specific time period, but on a deeper level, they are timeless.  They reflect his own deep sense of humanity and, like all great art, they connect the viewer to the world at large.  They allow or even prompt each of us to step into another world and in doing so, we are able to contemplate our own nature and environment from a new perspective.  Riley’s paintings capture both a strong and dramatic narrative sense, but all have a symbolic presence as well.  His unique sense of design, use of color and choice of subject all combine to convey a whole world of meaning at once.

Ten years after that earlier book and exhibition, Ken Riley’s skills as an artist have not diminished in the least.  He still produces work at the highest level of contemporary American art.  Riley’s expression today is no less powerful that it was a decade earlier.  Also, it is important to note that his body of work, those paintings that he has produced over the course of several decades, seems as fresh today and worthy of our attention as it did a decade ago.  Not every artist can withstand a repeated critical analysis.  What seemed relevant and pertinent in one decade may seem tired and worn in another.  Such is not the case with Ken’s work.  His art is still compelling, still sought after by new generations of collectors, and still finding its way (deservedly so) into the permanent collections of major museums of American art.

Legends of the Mandan

The Warriors

Perhaps because he has been one of the most successful and honored members of the Cowboy Artists of America for such a long time, or perhaps because he has chosen to work almost exclusively with Native American subject, Riley is often characterized as a “Western” artist, which, after all, is worthy of praise in its own right.  True, much of Riley’s art is drawn from the history and culture of the American West, but that does not mean that his vision or talent is limited to any narrow field.  He is an important American artist, one who stands literally as a bridge between the great age of illustrators in the early 20th century and the artists of today whose careers have been built upon the foundation laid by those artists.  Riley trained with Harvey Dunn, a student of Howard Pyle.  Riley literally grew up in the art world alongside the likes of Harold Von Schmidt, John Clymer, and Donald Teague.  All of those artists were able to move from successful carers as illustrators to successful careers as artists who specialized in the American West.  They inspired countless others of Ken Riley’s generation.  Today, Ken is no doubt inspiring many younger artists who see in his paintings a master at work.

In the Lodge of Four Bears

In that earlier preface, I recounted a story about seeing one of Ken’s works at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.  It was such a compelling image that I was drawn to it time and again throughout the course of an entire evening.  I remember that painting, even today, quite vividly.  It still moves me, even as a memory.  Recently, I had a similar experience while visiting the home of an active and astute collector.  The collection there had a number of wonderful painting, both contemporary and historic, but the ones that made the greatest impact on me were all by Ken Riley.  Some I had seen before, some were new to me, but each had a singular quality—each drew me into the particular world of the painting, each connected me to my own sense of humanity and each made me feel part of a bigger whole.  I certainly would not be surprised if the readers of this catalog and the viewers of the accompanying exhibition feel much the same way.

Preface to The Power of A Poetic Spirit by Susan Hallsten McGarry published by the

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Dandies

It has now been yet another decade since I wrote those words and Ken Riley has passed on, but his work has not.  It will endure, as will our memories.  We will remember him as a great artist and as a true gentleman.

Ken Riley, 1919-2015

The Sky's the Limit

Clearing Storm, Gillespie County Texas by James Fox, digital print, 16"x56" (print available at michaeldutyfineart.com)

I live in a long established neighborhood in a large city.  There are many things about our neighborhood that I love—it is close to the city center, I rarely find myself traveling on crowded highways, I have great neighbors, and our street is lined with mature trees which are just now beginning to leaf out.  In the middle of the summer, when temperatures in Dallas consistently top the 100 degree mark, I am even more thankful for the welcome shade those trees provide.  What they do not provide for much of the year, however, are unobstructed views of the Texas sky.  We are rarely afforded the grand sunsets and sunrises of the more wide open areas of the state.

Open Range by Maynard Dixon, oil on canvas, 36"x40", 1942, private collection

During this last winter which has been marked by long periods of gray and damp weather, our vistas have been even more limited, which is why I was particularly mesmerized by a beautiful and gloriously multi-colored sunrise a few morning ago.  The sight of pink, red, and orange glowing clouds literally stopped me in my tracks on my way to retrieve the morning paper.  I simply stood and watched as the colors began to fade and transform into blue sky and white clouds.  It was literally a sight to behold and it reminded me that the sky can be a endless source of artistic inspiration and exploration, just as dramatic and varied as the most evocative landscape.

Canyon Storm by Wilson Hurley, oil on canvas, 38"x60", 1970

I am a great fan of those artists who have the ability to capture the essence of the western sky, artists for whom the depiction of the sky is just as important as the depiction of land forms.  My appreciation for those abilities has not always been shared by some people that I have met along my journeys in the worlds of museums and western art.  One prominent collector once told me that he thought that “landscapes with lots of sky in them should be priced at a lower rate because painting the sky was not as difficult as painting the land.”  I wondered how Maynard Dixon, Victor Higgins, or Wilson Hurley would have reacted to that sentiment.  It never occurred to me to ask Wilson for a discount on a painting that featured more sky than land.

Evening Cumulus by Wilson Hurley, oil on canvas

On another occasion,  I found myself at an exhibition opening talking with a collector who hailed from the east and who asked me why Texas and the Southwest in general had never produced a really great artist.  The question turned out to be rhetorical because he answered it before I could respond.  He said there was a dearth of great artists in the region because there was nothing for them to look at, nothing to evoke their imagination, except the sky.  

I thought of that conversation the other morning as I stood transfixed by the beauty of that rare urban sunrise.  Nothing but the sky, indeed—I found plenty to look at in the colors and cloud shapes that changed in a matter of seconds.  I think that artists who can capture those sort of brief moments are exceptionally talented.  I possess none of their skill and certainly cannot say whether painting the sky is any more difficult or any easier than painting land formations, but my guess is that each subject presents its own unique challenge.  

I do know that the sky in West Texas or New Mexico can have a very different look and feel than the sky in upstate New York or the English countryside.  Different atmospheres, different lighting, different cloud formations will all combine to produce very different scenes.  When I was a young museum professional in Fort Worth, Texas, I frequently welcomed people from all parts of the globe to North Texas.  Many were visiting for the first time and one of the observations that many made was that the clarity, the enormity, and the color of the North Texas sky was mesmerizing.  That is the sort of observation artists and visitors alike often make when they first visit Northern New Mexico.  Artists have long said they were attracted to New Mexico due to the complex interrelationship of three distinct cultures and by the light. which illuminates both the land and sky in a way that was previously foreign to them.

New Moon and Red Twilight by Wilson Hurley.
oil on canvas, 30"x48", 1982

There are many artists who find in the sky a primary subject that captures their attention and inspires them  just as much as the most majestic mountain peak or glistening river.  My friend, Wilson Hurley, as accomplished a landscape painter as any artist of the twentieth century, produced many wonderful paintings that are skycapes, not landscapes.  Simply spend a few minutes studying some of those paintings and then ask yourself, if the sky does not offer an endless variety of challenges for an artist.

Lindy Severns uses pastels to capture both the land and sky of  the Big Bend region and Davis Mountains of far West Texas.  She freely moves the horizon line in her work, sometimes concentrating on the shapes and colors of the land and often focusing her attention on the dramatic blues, brilliant white clouds, and cascading colors of the evening and morning sky.  For Lindy, both land and sky are equally inspiring.

Daybreak Across the Top of Texas by Lindy Severns, pastel, 14"x17"

Sunset Bouquet for the Twin Sisters by Lindy Severns,
pastel, 16x20"

First Rain (Blue Mountain in Davis Mountains)
by Lindy Severns, pastel, 36"x24", 2010

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

East Texas artist, Tallie Moore paints the storm clouds of that region with skill and passion.  Her paintings of billowing gray clouds rapidly moving across the horizon or deeply colored by the setting sun evoke a true sense of place and remind us of the power of nature.

Smiley Meadow by Tallie Moore, oil on canvas, 33"x38"

Nancy Bush often paints the countryside surrounding her Hill Country home and captures the changing atmosphere of that area from the perspective of various times of the day.  Her tonalist impressions of these scenes often blend the land and sky into a single cohesive image, with the depictions of the sky and land working together to form a unified image.  Her treatments of the sky and land blend together seamlessly and enhance the emotional appeal of the painting.

A Summer Sunset by Nancy Bush, oil on canvas, 12"x9"

Westerly Storm by Nancy Bush, oil on canvas, 36"x40"

The Hand Warmer by Tom Lovell, oil on canvas, 30"21 5/8"

Even artists who are best known for figure paintings or for painting narratives of frontier life have utilized a dramatic rendition of the sky to give an extra dimension and impact to their paintings.  For example, Tom Lovell’s painting of two Native Americans warming their hands from the heat of a settler’s dugout home which has been carved out of an icy and snow-covered winter landscape uses the vast overcast sky to underscore the general feeling of the painting.  Here the snow of the foreground is enhanced by the gray, white, and blue cloudy sky to produce an overall image that neatly captures the isolation of the setting and conveys to the viewer a frigid sense of reality.

Many artists use the sky to add a sense of drama to their paintings even when most of the canvas is dedicated to the land.  Walter Ufer’s painting, “Where the Desert Meets the Mountains,” show a lonely covered wagon making its way across a vast high desert landscape.  The wagon is literally engulfed by the rough sage covered desert terrain that covers three quarters of the canvas.  In the distant background are dark mountains with in turn are topped with a drenching thunderstorm.  The rain, clouds, and patches of clear sky that complete the top third of the painting provide the primary drama and focus of the work. At first glance the subject of this painting appears to be the wagon and desert, but a closer examination reveals that it is the sky that has captivated Ufer and he has reproduced it in masterful detail.

Where the Desert Meets the Mountains by Walter Ufer, oil on canvas, 36 1/2"x40 1/4", Anschutz Collection, Denver, Colorado.

Silver Moon by Nancy Bush, oil on canvas, 18"x24"

Storm clouds with their ever changing roiling forms have also long appealed to photographers.  Often those storms change the appearance of the Spring sky in a matter of seconds. Capturing those moments is a matter of skill and perfect timing.  For many years, an exhibition print of Laura Gilpin’s “Storm from La Bajada Hill, New Mexico,” hung in my office at the Amon Carter Museum.  When the museum acquired the photographer’s estate collection, a full scale retrospective of her work was mounted and she was in attendance for the opening.  I was thrilled to meet her and told her that the image in my office was one of my favorites.  She told me that she took the shot in conjunction with her book,  “The Rio Grande: River of Destiny, an Interpretation of the River, the Land, and the People.”  It was not a planned shot.  She saw the storm approaching and knew from what vantage point she wanted to record it.  She raced to that exact spot and was in time to make one exposure.  

It is that combination of timing, talent, and luck that results in such impressive shots as James Fox’s “Clearing Storm, Gillespie County, Texas.”  Like Gilpin, Jim was in the right spot at the right time, but one has to have the talent and experience to know just what vantage point that will be and then the skill to produce an image that captures a moment in time.

I remember well an incident at the opening of that Laura Gilpin retrospective years ago.  She and I stood in the gallery looking out of the floor to ceiling windows of the museum as the clouds of a thunderstorm were building over the city.  She stood transfixed and said to no one in particular, “I wish I had my camera.”

I had neither camera nor brush in hand when I lingered to watch that recent sunrise from my Dallas front yard, which is just as well, since I do not have the talent with either to produce an image that even approaches the beauty of the actual sight.  Thankfully there are painters and photographers who do possess that skill.  I am glad to have seen many of their renditions, glad to have known many, and glad to be friends with many of them today.  I am particularly pleased that they continue to find in the sky just as much inspiration as they do in the landscape, just as many challenges as they do in painting other subjects, and an abiding love of the beauty of the natural world.  Contrary to the belief of that collector who thought that paintings with “lots of sky” should have lower prices, I am inclined to think that paintings and photographs with the sky as the chief subject may even deserve a higher price.

Storm from La Bajada Hill, New Mexico, 1942 by Laura Gilpin
from The Rio Grande: River of Destiny, An Interpretation of the River, the Land, and the People

Red Twilight on the Rio Grande by Wilson Hurley, oil on canvas, 24"x32",1985

Sunset by Nancy Bush, oil on canvas, 20"x20"

Sundown on Mount Taylor by Wilson Hurley,
oil on canvas, 36"x24", 1985

 A new website has recently been created to showcase the art and life of Wilson Hurley.  It contains a complete catalogue raissone of his work, informative video interviews, and a treasure trove of information about this great artist.  The website was created and is maintained by his widow, Roz.  Go to www.wilson-hurley.com to learn more about Wilson.

More art by Lindy Severns, Nancy Bush, and Tallie Moore can be found at these websites:

www.LindyCSeverns.com

Lindy will be a featured artist at Trappings of Texas, an annual exhibition and sale at the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross University in Alpine, Texas.  Opening weekend is April 17-18.  The exhibition will remain on view until May 31.

www.nancybush.com

www.talliemooreartist.com


The work of Lindy Severns, Nancy Bush, and Tallie Moore is also featured in Texas Traditions: Contemporary Artists of the Lone Star State, by Michael Duty and Susan Hallsten McGary, published by Fresco Fine Art Publications.  Available from the publisher and at Amazon.com.