Canyon Road in Santa Fe is an excellent place to take an evening stroll, with galleries lining both sides of the street as far as the eye can see, and friendly people to visit with. Anna and I walked up there on a Sunday, so some of the galleries were closed, but there were still a good number we were able to stroll through. Of those galleries my favorite had to be Canyon Road Contemporary Art. Not only was the gallery owner Debbie Brody very nice, patient, even playing with our dog Scout, but there was also some exceptional artwork on display. Two artists in particular at the gallery stood out for me:
Jean Wallin
There is something about featureless figures that is fascinating to me. Figures that imitate human life. Like mannequins caught in time, forever experiencing the same moment. There is something incredibly spooky about that, but also seducing and beautiful at the same time. Jean Wallin captured those feelings of unease and enchantment in her work.
Jason Roberts
Jason Roberts’ artwork is just fun to look at, with new colors and shapes constantly capturing the eye. You find yourself uncovering something with each glance. Even though it is hard for me to put into words, I can relate to what he is doing, and it makes me want to clap my hands and dance around for a little bit. He paints sophisticated figures and colorful landscapes, filled with bright shapes and amazing texture. He also had a bunch of painted boxes at the gallery that you can stack on top of each other, allowing you to interact with each piece, while bringing the artwork out into three-dimensional space (a photo of the boxes is shown at the top of the post). We enjoyed Jason Roberts’ artwork so much, I got Anna one of his landscapes as a present and we have it hanging in the front room. It’s a beauty!
