Sorrel Sky Opens One Man Show by Contemporary Western Master Billy Schenck
Durango, CO (PRWEB) June 09, 2015 -- Sorrel Sky Gallery in Durango opens a One Man Show of paintings by New Mexico artist Billy Schenck, internationally renowned contemporary painter known for his cutting-edge portrayals of the American West. Schenck will be present at the downtown Durango gallery to meet the public from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at First Thursday Art Walk on August 6, 2015.
Western icons –cowboys, Native Americans, women– find a contemporary context on Schenck’s canvases and serigraphs where composition and color dominate the works. Working in a reductivist style, he distills images into the essential areas of flat, vivid color while omitting the mid-range hues. “What I am doing is not unlike what other outstanding painters of the Southwest have done. Much like Georgia O’Keeffe, I drop out the mid-tones of color,” explains Schenck.
Sometimes called “Warhol of the West,” Schenck’s work is firmly rooted in the art movements of Pop, Photorealism and postmodern appropriation, often incorporating still images from western movies and his own staged photographs into his paintings. By applying contemporary sensibilities and techniques to a traditional subject, and compelled by his interest in the icons and myth of the West, Schenck has led the way in a new genre of art: Contemporary Western Art.
Shanan Campbell Wells, owner of Sorrel Sky Gallery, offers, “Billy is truly a master of color, composition and reinventing the West. Our gallery walls are vibrating with his perspective.”
Schenck’s work can be found in major collections world-wide, including the Smithsonian Institution, Denver Art Museum, The Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Booth Western Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, and many more. His work has been the subject of seven museum retrospectives. The 2013 illustrated book, Schenck in the 21st Century: The Myth of the Hero and the Truth of America, by Amy Abrams, features work produced from 2000-2012. It won the U.S. Literary Award for Fine Arts.
Sorrel Sky Gallery’s fresh approach to Western art presents a select collection of contemporary and traditional fine art and jewelry for the discerning collector. Sorrel Sky Gallery was founded in Durango, CO in 2002 and opened its Santa Fe, NM location in 2014. It represents over 60 painters, sculptors and jewelers including bronze artist Star Liana York, painter Carrie Fell, and former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse, among others.
Jules Masterjohn, Publicist, Sorrel Sky Gallery, http://www.sorrelsky.com, +1 (970) 247-3555, [email protected]
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