Ridin' the West: Works by Roy De Forest and Dana Hart-Stone

Ri d i n ’t h eWe s t Wo r k sb yRo yDeFo r e s t a n dDa n aHa r t St o n e J ul y22-Oc t ober1 8,20 1 9

Ed wa r dM. Do wdAr t& Ar tHi s t o r yBui l di ngGa l l e r y SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

Ri d i n ’t h eWe s t Wo r ksb yRo yDeFo r e s ta n dDa n aHar tSt o n e J u l y2 2-Oc t obe r1 8 , 2 0 1 9 Ed wa r dM.Do wdAr t& Ar tHi s t o r yBui l di ng S a n t aCl a r aUni v e r s i t y

248Ut a hSt r e e t ,Sa nF r a nc i s c o ,CA94 103 . c o m ( 4 15)7881050 www. br i a ng r o s s fine a r t

HARDSCRABBL EWI SDOM:Ro yDeF o r e s ta ndDa naHa r t St o ne T hemy t ho ft heAme r i c a nWe s t ,s o me t i me ss o l da sapr o mi s e ,i st ha tj us to v e rt heho r i z o n,j us to v e r t hene x tr i dg eo rpl a t e a u,t he r ei sa no t he rr i dg e ,a no t he rho r i z o npr o mi s i ngne ws t a r t s ,ane wl i f e ,ho pe , a ndr e ne wa l .Co wbo yphi l o s o phe r sl o ngt obea tho mei nt heo pe n,wi t ha l lc a ny o ns ,a r r o y o s ,s i e r r a s , a nds o l i dg r o undbe c o mi nge x t e ns i o nso ft he i rs o l i t a r ys e l v e s .

F r o m Ma r kT wa i nt oCo r ma cMc Ca r t hy ,f r o mJ o hnF o r dt ot heCo e nbr o t he r s ,f r o m So nso ft hePi o ne e r s t oBo bDy l a n,wr i t e r s ,s i ng e r s ,a ndfil mma k e r sha v et o l ds t o r i e sv o i c i ngt heha r ds c r a bbl ewi s do mo fo ur k i ns hi pwi t ht hee a r t ha nda l li t si nha bi t a nt s .L i k ec o wpo k e sa r o undac a mpfir e ,pa i nt e r sRo yDeF o r e s t ( 19302007)a ndDa naHa r t St o ne( b.1956)a l s ot e l lt a l e s .T he i runs t i nt i ngpa i nt i ng sa r epr o v i s i o na l e nc a mpme nt s ,ho no r i ngf a t he r s ,a nc e s t o r s ,a ndt hec o ndi t i o na ls e l fa sfil t e r e dt hr o ug ht hema s c ul i ne my t ho l o g i e so ft heWe s t e r nAme r i c a nl a nds c a pea ndt hes y nt a xo fpa i nt i ng .

Re no wne da ndbe l o v e dBa yAr e aa r t i s tRo yDeF o r e s t ’ sdr a wi ng s ,pa i nt i ng s ,a nda s s e mbl a g e sa r es ui g e ne r i s .Hi si di o s y nc r a t i c ,e v e nv i s i o na r ywo r ks t r a ddl e st het e r r a i nbe t we e nfig ur a t i o na nda bs t r a c t i o n a ndde pl o y saf o r ma ll e x i c o nt ha ti saflue ntmi xo fme t ho dsa ndma t e r i a l s .Co mbi ni nghi sf o r ma lphy s i c a l i t ywi t har a mbunc t i o uss t e wo fc huc kwa g o ni c o no g r a phy ,DeF o r e s tc r e a t e dt e nde r l ywhi ms i c a l f a ux na ï v eo de st ot hea g r a r i a nl i f e .Ra bbi t s ,s t e e r ,c r o ws ,ho r s e s ,a ndhi si c o ni cdo g sa r er o pe di nt o qui r k i l ya ni ma t e ds c e na r i o sdr a wnf r o m pr a i r i es i l ho ue t t e s .

Us i ngv i g ne t t e sa ndc a me o swi t hi nt hel a r g e rf r a meo ft hepa i nt i ng ,“ ACo unt r yL i f e ” ,2005,f o re x a mpl e ,i sde ns e l ypa c k e dwi t hf o l k l o r i cde pi c t i o nso fabo l e r os po r t i ngr a nc he ro rpa t r o n,ar a nc hha nd, ho r s e s ,s t e e r ,a ndbi r dspo i s e dt ot hi e v ef r o m ane a t l ypl o t t e dfie l dg a r de n.T hr o ug ho utt hewo r kDe F o r e s t ’ ss i g na t ur epl o pso fpa i nt ,di r e c tf r o mt het ube ,do tt hee x ube r a nts ur f a c e .J e we lt o ne so fc a dmi um r e d,bur nts i e nna ,a l i z a r i ng r e e na ndc o ba l tbl ues ug g e s ts t a i ne dg l a s s ,t hee f f e c te nha nc e dby t hea r t i s t de s i g ne df r a met ha tbr a c k e t st hewo r k .T hepa i nt i ng ’ sdr o l lc ha r mi se c htDeF o r e s t .

Anunt i t l e dpa s t e ldr a wi ngf r o m 1978i sat o urdef o r c eo fg r a phi ct o uc h.T hede l i c a t e ,de f t l ye ne r g i z e d,y e ts e e mi ng l yt hr o wa wa ys ur f a c eo fs c r a wl e da nds c r i bbl e dc ha l k ybl ue g r e e nsi sg i v e nc r e de nc e byt hec a r t o o ni s hl ydr a wnj a c k r a bbi t ,ho r s e ,a nddi s a ppe a r i ngpa s t o r a ll a nds c a pe .I ti sno t hi ngl e s s t ha nal y r i c a l ,buc k a r o oEde n.

Da naHa r t St o ne ’ spho t oba s e dpa i nt i ng sa r ec i ne ma t i cna r r a t i v e so faWe s tt ha ts hi mme r si no urc o l l e c t i v epa s t .Wo r k i ngf r o m hi se nc y c l o pe di cc o l l e c t i o no fv i nt a g epho t o g r a phso fr o de or i de r s ,dus t bo wl po l i t i c i a nso nt hes t ump,a ndba r ny a r dhi j i nx ,Ha r t St o nema ni pul a t e st hepho t o g r a phsi nt oc o unt l e s s i ma g e sa ndpa t t e r nsbe f o r epr i nt i ngt he mo nc a nv a swi t hUVc ur e da c r y l i ci nk .Heo r g a ni z e shi smo t i f s i nt os e r i a l l yr e pe t i t i v es t r i ps ,we a v i ngv e r t i c a la ndho r i z o nt a lba ndso fi ma g e r yi nt oc i ne ma t i ct a pe s t r i e s o fapo s t c a r dwo r l dl o c a t e di nt hepa s t .F o ra l lt hewo r k ’ swi ta ndr o us t a bo uthumo r ,i t sde e pe rme a ni ngi so fat r a ns i e ntl a nds c a pea ndt r ueg r i tc ul t ur edo g g e dbyl o s s . “ Ho r s ePo we r ” ,2018,ho we v e r ,c e l e br a t e st heg r e a tAme r i c a nr o a dt r i pa ndt he19t ha nde a r l y20t h c e nt ur ye x pa ns i o no fhi g hwa y sa ndby wa y s .V i nt a g ea ut o mo bi l e s ,wo r k ho r s e s ,a ndt ho r o ug hbr e dsmul t i pl ya c r o s sa ni nt r i c a t epuz z l eo fs e que nt i a li ma g e r y ,c a l l i ngt omi ndt hedr i v e byt o ur i s mo fr o a ds i de s t a ndsa nddus t ymo t o rc o ur t s .Ha r t St o nei sas e ns i t i v ec o l o r i s ta ndma s t e r f uli nhi sma ni pul a t i o no f di s s o na nc e .T hepa i nt i ng ’ sha z e ypa l e t t eo fa ne mi cs i e nna ,a c i dy e l l o ws ,a ndv e r mi l l i o ne v o k e st he no s t a l g i ao ft i nt y pe s ,butt hes e que nc e so ff r a c t ur e d,s pl i nt e r e d,ne a r s i g ht e d,f a r s i g ht e dmo t i f so f s pa c er e c a l i br a t et hes e nt i me nt a ll e nsa ndr e f r e s ht ho ug ht .

A2016wo r k ,“ Ho r s eo fCo ur s e ” ,c l e a r l ye mpha s i z e st het e x t i l ec o nc e i to fHa r t St o ne ’ swo r k .F r o ma di s t a nc e ,r e s pl e nde nt l yi nt r i c a t ea nduni f o r mv e r t i c a lc o l umnss ug g e s tunf ur l e dbo l t so fa bs t r a c t l ypa t t e r ne df a br i c .Se e nc l o s e ,t heRo r s c ha c he s quemi r r o ri ma g e ss e r v eupf a de dv i e wso fac o wbo yho l di ngat e a mo fho r s e s ,dr a wi ngv i s i o ni nt ot hewo r k ’ sk a l e i do s c o pi cde pt hs .

Ri di n ’t heWe s ti sabr i l l i a ntpa i r i ngo ft wog e ne r a t i o nso fa r t i s t s .Bo r ni nNe br a s k a ,DeF o r e s ta r g ua bl y i nha bi t e dal a nds c a pet ha t ,f o rawhi l e ,s t i l lma ni f e s t e dt hev i r t ue sa ndv i c e so ft heAme r i c a nWe s t .On t heo t he rha nd,Ha r t St o nel o o k sba c kt hr o ug hal e nsda r k l y ,o f f e r i ngpo i g na ntr e fle c t i o nsi npr a i s eo f ha r s hl a nd.Bo t ha r t i s t so f f e rde e pl yf e l tr e v e r i e sf o ral a nds c a pet ha tno we x i s t sa sas t a t eo fmi nd.

-J ULI ACOUZENSi sa na r t i s ta ndc o nt r i but i ngwr i t e rt os qua r e c y l i nde r . c o m.He rwo r kha sbe e nr e c o g ni z e dwi t haLo ui sCo mf o r tTi f f a nyFe l l o ws hi pa ndi sr e pr e s e nt e di nnume r o usmus e um a ndpubl i cc o l l e c t i o ns .

RoyDeF or e s t , ACo u n t r yL i f e , 2 00 5 a c r y l i conc a n v a s , pa i nt e dwood , a rs t de s i g ne df r a me , 6 5x7 1x8i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , Bl a c kHo r s eMe a d o w, 2 0042 00 5 a c r y l i ca ndv i n y l onl i ne n, pa i nt e dwood , a nda rs tde s i g ne df r a me , 6 2x7 33 / 4x8i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , T e x a s , 2 00 2 a c r y l i ca ndmi x e dme di aonc a n v a sa ndwood , 48x4 2x1 2i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , Unt l e d , 2 00 1 mi x e dme di aonpa pe rwi t ha rs t de s i g ne df r a me , 403 / 4x7 51 / 4x31 / 2i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , Unt l e d , 2 00 7 a c r y l i conpa pe rwi t ha rs t de s i g ne df r a me , 3 61 / 2x5 1x41 / 2i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , T h eHo r s e , 2 000 a c r y l i conboa r dwi t ha rs t de s i g ne df r a me , 2 6x2 6x2i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , Unt l e d , 1 9 8 1 , pa s t e l onpa pe r , 2 2x3 0i nc he s

RoyDeF or e s t , Unt l e d , 1 9 7 8 , pa s t e l onpa pe r , 2 21 / 2x3 0i nc he s

Da naHa r t S t one , AWe s t e r nT r i p , 2 0 1 6 , UVc ur e da c r y l i ci nkonc a n v a s , 1 2 0x1 6 2i nc he s

Da naHa r t S t one , Ho me s t e a dRa n c h , 2 0 1 7 , UVc ur e da c r y l i ci nkonc a n v a s , 7 8x60i nc he s

Da naHa r t S t one , Ho r s eP o we r , 2 0 1 8 , UVc ur e da c r y l i ci nkonc a n v a s , 7 8x1 2 0i nc he s

Da naHa r t S t one , Ho r s eo fCo u r s e , 2 0 1 6 , UVc ur e da c r y l i ci nkonc a n v a s , 60x48i nc he s

Da naHa r t S t one , Wo r kHo r s e , 2 0 1 1 , UVc ur e da c y l i ci nkonc a n v a s , 60x48i nc he s

Copy r i g h t2 0 1 9Br i a nGr os sF i neAr t , I nc .

Al l r i g h t sr e s e r v e d.

E s s a yCopy r i g h t2 0 1 9J ul i aCou z e ns .

S CUl og oa ndt e x tCopy r i g h tS a n t aCl a r aUni v e r s i t y .

I ma g e sCopy r i g h t2 0 1 9E s t a t eofRoyDeF or e s t/L i c e ns e dbyVAGAa tArs t sRi g h t sS oc i e t y ( ARS ) , NY ; a ndCopy r i g h t2 0 1 9Da n aHa r t S t one De s i g n : Gr e gF l ood Noporonoft hi sdoc ume n tma yber e pr oduc e dors t or e d wi t houtt hee x pr e s swr ie npe r mi s s i onoft hec opy r i g h thol de r ( s ) .

248Ut a hSt r e e t ,Sa nF r a nc i s c o ,CA94 103 ( 4 15)7881050 www. br i a ng r o s s ямБne a r t . c o m