Two Colorado painters were asked to document their unique perception of the ever-evolving Western landscape in a new exhibition at Ann Korologos Gallery. How did they perform?

The earth is an ever-maturing entity that changes its appearance due to both natural and man-made occurrences. Whether we marvel in awe at the tectonic folds of our nation’s mountains or at fields of majestic wind turbines, the discerning artistic eye can find profound beauty in both. Exploring themes from bygone days to the modern West, artists Peter Campbell and Terry Gardner have done just that in an exhibition at Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt, Colorado. “The View: Past & Present” features 29 of Campbell’s and Gardner’s interpretations of the changing Western landscape.
 

Terry Gardner, “Winds of Change II,” oil on canvas, 28 x 28 in. Ann Korologos Gallery

 
Campbell, a Georgia native, is exhibiting 14 works. He suggests, “My interpretation really alludes to the passage of time and the transient nature of the landscape instead of a contemplation of nostalgia.” Continuing, he writes, “I hope the viewer can revel in the simplicity and honest exploration of the beauty that the land and sky provide us daily and see a reflection of their own recognition of that essence in my work.” Indeed, there is a noble simplicity found within the planes of color and winding rows of wheat in “Field of Gold.”
 

Terry Gardner, “Red Hill Pass,” oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. Ann Korologos Gallery

 

Hailing from Missouri is Gardner, who says, “My intention was to paint contemporary images in which the subject helps tell the story of the changing face of the American West. The color choices, edge work, and tones are intended to elicit emotion and contemplation about an earlier time.” There is a noticeably feathery touch to Gardner’s work, which seems to allude to a memory, with well-defined edges but hazy details. Towering man-made wind turbines dominate the landscape in “Winds of Change II,” and they grab our immediate attention without upsetting the entire scene.
 

Peter Campbell, “Sunset Clouds,” oil on linen, 20 x 20 in. Ann Korologos Gallery

 
“The View: Past & Present” opened on July 10 and will remain on view until July 31.
 
To learn more, visit Ann Korologos Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.


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Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

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