JOHN COLEMAN SPIRIT • LIVES • LEGENDS O n e M a n S how
John Coleman By Dan Corazzi Chairman of the Prix de West Committee National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum John Coleman truly is a Renaissance Man in every sense of the word. He spent many years as a very successful businessman before he decided to leave that career behind to pursue his “true passion” in life – fine art. At the time that John finally made the decision to walk away from his contracting business, he thought about sculpting, even though as a teenager he was focused on portraiture. Interestingly, the very first time that John touched a piece of sculpting clay he said that he immediately knew he wanted to be a sculptor. His sculpting style of Native Americans is unique in that he does not simply strive to replicate the visage of the figure that he is sculpting. Because of his scholarly interest in history and mythology his goal, whether with individual pieces or with the pieces within a series, is to always tell a fact-based story to the viewer of his sculptures. However, in spite of the success that he enjoyed for twenty years creating highly sought-after bronzes, John always thought of himself first as a painter. John felt a need to incorporate paintings into his body of work as an artist. His unique style of oil paintings and graphite or charcoal drawings immediately caught the attention of collectors. Fortunately for western art enthusiasts, John continues to both sculpt and paint. From the first time many years ago when I initially saw his work I, like most other collectors, very quickly became captivated by his creations and his story telling. After getting to know and understand the person behind those magnificent works of art I have come to consider John Coleman as the American Michelangelo of western art.
JOHN COLEMAN SPIRIT • LIVES • LEGENDS O n e M a n Show Premiering 20 New S c u l p t u r e s , P a i n t i n g s a n d D r aw i n g s Saturday, November 14, 2020 5:00 - 7:00 pm Scottsdale, AZ
9 “Clay to Bronze” a discussion on the creative process by John Coleman and Erik Petersen
Saturday, November 14 th 10:00 am
For more information on additional works please view the entire show online at www.legacygallery.com. Sale will be conducted either on a draw or silent bid auction. Those in attendance at the opening will be given preference on the sale of selected items. Please contact the gallery for details, (480) 945-1113.
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7178 Main Street • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • (480) 945-1113
www.legacygallery.com
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John Coleman: Art on His Own Terms By Michael Clawson
Deputy Editor of Western Art Collector Magazine John Coleman sums up his interest in the West with two words: “American mythology.” “My whole life I loved mythology,” he says. “History is a great tool, but history is not dictated by cold, hard facts. History is written mostly by observation. It can be poetic. It can be romantic. It can be simple, so simple that a child can see it and react to it. That’s where the mythology comes in.” It’s easy to see how this singular idea guides his hand as he paints, sculpts and draws the largerthan-life figures that have brought the West to life. Mythology is the story of not just a people, but a culture, and Coleman gives that culture the care, reverence and respect it deserves. So much so that it has become his passion, and his gift. Coleman’s own story is less American Mythology and more American Dream. It’s the story of hard work, grit and determination, and starting from scratch at the bottom. It’s about a young artist who was nudged away from art as he forged ahead in other careers only to return to art a changed person, one with a new perspective on life, creativity and experience. Born and raised in Southern California, Coleman was a child of the coast—sand in his hair and surfboard under his arm. In his teens he took summer classes at ArtCenter College of Design and Chouinard Art Institute and had every intention of becoming a professional artist, “maybe at Disney, a dream for a lot of California artists,” he told himself. His father was an entrepreneur and had taught him he could make his own success, and the young artist took it to heart and landed an illustration job drawing celebrities for hair stylist George Masters’ syndicated Chicago Tribune column. Later it was Masters, the makeup artist who transformed Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, who told the teen-aged illustrator how difficult art would be as a career. The conversation struck a nerve and he set his artwork aside. In hindsight, Coleman doesn’t see this as a missed opportunity. In fact, he’s grateful. “I don’t know if I would have made it if I started art at that age,” he says. “Some people might see me as getting a late start, but I don’t see it that way. It had to come to me on my own terms, and when it did come to me, which was later in life, I was ready.” By 1968, Coleman’s life would begin to change drastically: he married Sue, his high school sweetheart, and they moved to Arizona, first to Parker and then several years later to Prescott, where they currently reside. His career veered wildly away from art, from mobile homes and mini-storage to real estate development. Like his dad had taught him, he started with nothing and slowly built a career, and then used that to launch the next endeavor—the American Dream in action. By 1991, Coleman had found success by every measure: his businesses were a success, his two daughters were starting their adult lives and the future looked stable. But something was missing. “I was helping a friend and he had this little expression he would use—the ‘if only’ disease. It’s where you tell yourself, ‘If only I would have done this or that.’ I didn’t want to be [4]
the victim of ‘if only’ disease,” he remembers. “At the time I was three months into this huge job and it fell apart. To me it was a sign I should return to art. I went into town and brought back supplies for sculpture. Sue was surprised because she had only known me as a painter. And that’s how it started.” Coleman hit the ground running. He started applying to every art show he could, and he logged countless hours in the studio. His first big break came with a three-quarter-sized bronze, Man’s Prelude to Honor. He put an ad for the work, along with an 800 number, in Southwest Art. He lived in a four-story house at the time and he can still remember the “happy footstep” sounds of Sue racing down the stairs to tell him the piece had sold. Later came another big break, a chance encounter with Howie Alper, who was so struck by John’s work he agreed to purchase the first edition of every bronze he made, an agreement the two men share to this day. By 2001, he was in the Cowboy Artists of America after being urged to apply by friend Ray Swanson. “When they voted me in I walked in and there was Howard Terpning, Ken Riley, James Reynolds…these guys were my heroes,” he says. Since then, Coleman’s ascendency through Western art has continued. He’s won countless awards at the annual CAA exhibitions, as well as at museum exhibitions such as the Masters of the American West and Prix de West. Recently he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Desert Caballeros Western Museum and the Artist of Excellence Award from the Booth Western Art Museum. In 2016, Legacy Gallery hosted the solo show Spirit • Lives • Legends. Not only did it sell out on opening night and produce staggering sales numbers, it became a white-hot spotlight on Coleman’s oil paintings. Like Remington and Russell before him, Coleman was instantly recognized as one of the great painter-sculptors. Today, Coleman is one of the leading statesmen of Western art. He’s quick to greet young upand-coming artists, eager to discuss the artwork he appreciates and he’s a giving teacher, who intersperses his careful instruction with everything from poetry to film to history. He believes in what he’s creating, but he also believes in the power of art and artists. And while his own work honors American mythology, Coleman’s presence in the art world has only expanded, enriched and deepened the mythology of the American West. And Western art will forever be grateful for his presence.
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1876, Gall - Sitting Bull - Crazy Horse 45'' x 66 ½'' Oil on Canvas After a trip to Montana and the Badlands of South Dakota where I toured some of the famous reservations and battle sites, I became enthralled with the battle of Little Bighorn. My painting, 1876, Gall – Sitting Bull – Crazy Horse, was inspired by that trip and depicts three men who are considered by many to be the most prominent principals involved in this battle. Since I began painting, I’ve always wanted to put those images on canvas. Gall, who was a giant of a man led some of the earliest charges. In this painting, he is holding a weeping heart axe. Legend has it that he used this axe to avenge the killing of his family by the cavalry the year before. It is said that Crazy Horse, who is the most revered by the native people today, was responsible for the decisive attack that may have killed Custer. He is portrayed holding a Winchester repeating rifle. It was noted by my guide at the Little Bighorn Memorial, that the advantage the native people had over Custer was that the 7th Cavalry carried only single shot rifles. Sitting Bull was a medicine man who in his mid-40s, was considered to be an elder. Although Sitting Bull did not participate in the battle of Little Bighorn, it was his dream of a great victory during a vision that brought the Sioux and Cheyenne together on the banks of the Little Bighorn River. I have shown him holding a ceremonial pipe and pipe bag and wearing a full eagle headdress that he was gifted for his earlier role in the Bozeman battle. Sitting Bull and Gall were well documented in photographs, but Crazy Horse never had his picture made. I relied on photographs of his descendants and their descriptions of what Crazy Horse looked like to create his likeness.
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Daughter
of the
Plains
29 1/2'' x 20' Oil on Canvas
He Who Jumps Over Everyone 7'4'' H edition of 5 Bronze
In the early 1830’s while a guest of the Crow, George Catlin was being entertained by some of the men and he expounded on their flamboyant exuberance as they performed on their horses. Catlin painted one such individual, He Who Jumps Over Everyone, who rode his horse back and forth, rearing and jumping as he showed off his extraordinary skills of horsemanship. Dressed in full Crow regalia, his horse was also heavily adorned and wore a matching war bonnet which demonstrated the prestige and close relationship between them.
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Maiden from Second Mesa 11'' x 7'' x 4'' edition of 35 Shown in Clay for Bronze
Coming of age and seeking a husband, Hopi girls wore their hair in a style called Squash Blossom.
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Daughter of the Plains 29 1/2'' x 20'' Oil on Canvas
For me, the word daughter represents the spiritual center. In this painting I feel the pose of my model has an ethereal feel that exemplifies the spiritual essence of these people.
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Daughter of the Forest People 45 1/2'' x 30'' Oil on Canvas
The ancestral Crow were sometimes referred to as People of the Forest. This particular painting brings to mind for me, the romantic mystery that can consume a scene and make it feel like a European fairy tale
This catalog represents just a portion of works available at the show. For more information on additional works, please call (480)945-1113 or view the entire show online at www.legacygallery.com.
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C razy Horse, 1876 27'' x 18'' x 12'' edition of 20 Shown in Clay for Bronze
Crazy Horse was one of the Sioux’s most prominent and spiritual leaders. Although there was never a photograph taken of him, his descendants offer clues as to how he may have looked. My sculpture represents how he might have looked during the time of the Custer Battle. There is historic evidence that Crazy Horse had an affinity for the kestrel which he is wearing as a headdress.
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Weeping Heart 27'' x 17 1/2'' Oil on Canvas
Based on an early Crow Warrior, the title refers to the type of trade axe he is holding, which is embellished with a heart symbol popular during the period of the 1850’s and was known as a Weeping Heart.
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Sisters of the Greasy Grass 29 1/2'' x 20'' Oil on Canvas
The river that runs near where the Custer Battle took place is called the Greasy Grass and was so named due to the greasy appearance of the grass growing there. My crow model comes from this area where she feels a certain kinship to her doll.
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Council of the Little People 30 1/2'' x 20'' Oil on Board
It is very natural for a child to mimic activities they see their parents engaged in. In this case, a little Crow girl is engaged in a council with her little friends.
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Mother’s Blessing 48'' x 34'' Oil on Canvas
Dressed as if she came out of the 1870’s, a Crow mother lays her baby in his cradle board, gently reaching down as if to offer a blessing. The environment in which she is enveloped carries the history in the form of pictographs of the exploits of her ancestors. This will set a path for her child’s future.
This catalog represents just a portion of works available at the show. For more information on additional works, please call (480)945-1113 or view the entire show online at www.legacygallery.com.
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The Oracle II 64'' x 38'' Charcoal on Paper
The subject of my drawing would be most commonly known as a Medicine Man – a term so iconic, I felt it would be more interesting to find another title. As an example, I’m reminded of George Catlin’s comment describing a subject for one of his paintings in 1832, whose name was White Buffalo. This Medicine Man of the Blackfeet, was described as “A mystic, a soothsayer and otherwise Sir Oracle of his people”. I found the use of Oracle to be a refreshing alternative.
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N ight Spirit 26'' x 17 1/2'' Oil on Canvas
To a lot of native people, the falcon spiritually represents the universe, including the moon and the stars. The portrayal of a plains warrior with a kestrel headdress invokes the spirit of the night.
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Sister Moon 35'' x 10'' x 11'' edition of 20 Shown in Clay for Bronze I came across a symbol of what a medicine woman might carry. It is based on a digging stick that connects her to the earth and has symbols that represent the universe which connect her to the spirit. My sculpture represents a young medicine woman with her spiritual digging stick.
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Pretty Eagle 21'' x 16 1/2'' Oil on Canvas
Revered for his many war deeds against tribal enemies, Pretty Eagle was one of the last war chiefs and a member of the Fox Warrior Society. I’ve always been fascinated by certain names that can belie the character of an individual.
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Honors and Awards:
2019: • • •
Artist of Distinction Award - Booth Museum. Lifetime Achievement Award - Desert Caballeros Western Museum. James Bowie Sculpture Award, Night of Artists - Briscoe Museum for He Who Jumps Over Everyone.
2018: • • •
Jackie L. Coles Buyers Choice Award - Prix de West Exhibit & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for the lifesize of The Healer. James Bowie Sculpture Award, Night of Artists - Briscoe Museum for the lifesize of The Healer. Coming Home: A New Retrospective brings John Coleman back to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.
2016: • •
Retrospective, “John Coleman: Past/Present/Future”, Scottsdale Museum of the West. One-Man Show, “John Coleman, Spirit • Lives • Legends”, Legacy Gallery.
2015: •
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Gold Medal, The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation Award for Sculpture – Masters of the American West Exhibit, Autry National Center for Honeymoon at Crow Fair, Monument. Marjorie and Frank Sands Patron’s Choice Award, Masters of the American West Exhibit, Autry National Center for Honeymoon at Crow Fair, Monument. Gold Medal, drawing – Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Navajo Dolls. Silver Medal, painting - Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Oracle of the Crow Nation. Silver Medal, sculpture - Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for The Healer. Ray Swanson Memorial Award - Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for The Healer.
2014: • • • • •
James Earl Fraser Sculpture Award – Prix de West Exhibit & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Honeymoon at Crow Fair, Monument. Jackie L. Coles Buyers Choice Award – Prix de West Exhibit & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Honeymoon at Crow Fair, Monument. Gold Medal, sculpture – Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Two Ravens. Gold Medal, drawing – Cowboy Artists of America Annual Exhibit, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for First Chief. Signature Member – California Art Club.
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Major Collections: Howard & Frankie Alper Collection Alan Gerry Collection Tom and Mary James/Raymond James Financial Collection Scottsdale Museum of the West National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Green-Wood Cemetery Joslyn Art Museum The Booth Western Art Museum Briscoe Western Art Museum Desert Caballeros Western Museum Gilcrease Museum Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Fort Mandan Phippen Museum Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art Phoenix Art Museum The Pearce Museum Magazine Articles:
2020: • •
“In The Studio: From Intrigue to Discovery,” Western Art & Architecture, November issue. “Visual Feast, John Coleman: 1876, Gall - Sitting Bull - Crazy Horse,” Western Art Collector, March issue.
2019: •
“Transcending the Image,” Art of the West, January/February issue.
2018: •
“Coming Home: A New Retrospective brings John Coleman back to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenbury, Arizona,” Western Art Collector, December issue.
2016: • • • •
“Crossing Over,” Western Art & Architecture, September/October issue. “Soul Connections,” Southwest Art Magazine, November issue. “The Return,” Western Art Collector Magazine, feature article, November issue. Monarch of the Buffalo Nation, Oil on Canvas, Western Art Collector Magazine, Cover, November issue.
2015: • • • •
“Honeymoon at Crow Fair; An Inside Look at John Coleman’s Large-Scale Masterwork,” Western Art Collector Magazine, feature article, January issue. Oracle of the Crow Nation, Oil on Canvas, Art of the West Magazine, Cover, September/October issue. The Healer, Bronze, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Cover, December issue. “Today’s Masters: Bringing History Alive”, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, December issue, included in article.
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7178 Main Street • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • (480) 945-1113
www.legacygallery.com