Ben Steele, "Free Range" 2022

BEN STEELE

July 5 – 16, 2022 Jackson Hole Opening Reception | July 7 | 5:30–7:30pm

BEN STEELE Free Range

Jackson Hole | Scottsdale | AltamiraArt.com

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Roundup Ranch Oil on canvas | 36 x 72 inches Enquire

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BEN STEELE Ben Steele samples wildly in his work all while harnessing a Western state of mind. Barreling across wide terrain, he makes references that elicit both smiles and associations. Whether riffing on Cubism, Crayola or Chanel, his conceptual packaging hues close to the rural contours of his home in Helper, Utah—a coal depot reborn as an artist enclave.

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By Steele’s hand, what could seem conceptually cacophonous reads instead as Western relevance through his technical virtuosity and conceptual accessibility. A Pointillist portrait of Sitting Bull emerges from a vintage typewriter (cheekily labeled Great Plains Typing). The letters form the heroic visage into a layered critique of how history inks itself. Centering a composition on a monumental keytop requires meticulous brushwork, a technical tightness offset by his loose sourcing of subjects.

fits both a Magritte-style Mormon Row and a Cubist cowboy. Forced to reign in his roaming inspiration in the form of an exhibition title, he borrowed a term from the grocery aisle: Free Range.

“I like bouncing between inspirations. It pushes back against the tightness,” he says. Trained in art history and painting, he brings all elements of his studies and self to bear on his practice. In his view, every artist must ask themselves: “What do I have the energy for and the temperament to do?” His answer: To fence a corral that

The variety keeps Steele—and his audience—engaged. “I’m trying to tell stories in one-take. Tiny little stories that are fun for Melanie and me to imagine,” Steele says. “I do more than just represent the object; I’m using it in a way that is hopefully fun.”

Steele maps each show with his wife, Melanie. Together they cast lead roles like Sitting Bull and the Lichtenstein barns.

Then they ask themselves, “Who or what is missing?” Striving for an eclectic mix, they make sure to hit notes from history (Americana, art) and humor.

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Boot in the Park Oil on canvas | 36 x 30 inches Enquire

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Crayon Oil on canvas | 72 x 36 inches Enquire

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Cogburn Cologne Oil on canvas | 55 x 50 inches Enquire

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Fort Yellowstone Mineral Waters Oil on canvas | 36 x 27 inches Enquire

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Great Plains Typing Co Oil on canvas | 60 x 72 inches Enquire

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Modern Cowboys Oil on canvas | 48 x 60 inches Enquire

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Monarch Crayons Oil on canvas | 36 x 24 inches Enquire

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The Magnificent 7 Pack Oil on canvas | 40 x 44 inches Enquire

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The Numbers with No Name Acrylic on canvas | 60 x 36 inches Enquire

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172 Center Street | Jackson WY AltamiraArt.com | 307-739-4700

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