Recent Acquisitions - Western Art Associates of Phoenix Art Museum

Western Art Associates make two major acquisitions to support the Phoenix Art Museum's permanent collection.

Arturo Chavez, "Neapolitan Cliffs" 2011, oil on canvas

James Swinnerton, "Black Mesa, Navajo Reservation" c. 1930, oil on canvas

The two recent acquisitions are an historical work by James Swinnerton (1875-1974) and a contemporary painting by New Mexican artist Arturo Chavez (b. 1949). Both images compliment one another by depicting the dramatic landscape of the American Southwest. Although separated by approximately 80 years, the two images emphasize the beauty of the southwest landscape, each in a realistic manner. Swinnerton's image comes from the northeastern portion of Arizona, while Chavez's painting is of a spot roughly 200 miles to the east in northwestern New Mexico.

Swinnerton's "Black Mesa, Navajo Reservation", c. 1930, features a large Arizona landmark, a mesa, also known as Black Mountain, that derives its name from the seams of coal that run through it. The red-orange canyon walls in the foreground contrast the dark and imposing mass of Black Mesa in the distance. Believable clouds, including a rain cloud in the left distance, float over the land adding great depth to the composition. Swinnerton made several depictions of this area and routinely painted the deserts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico in his unique, thinly-painted style which earned him the nickname "dean of desert painters".

Arturo Chavez's oil painting "Neapolitan Cliffs, 2011, was acquired through the Museum's recently held The West Select Exhibition and Sale, from which WAA has first right of refusal to make a purchase. WAA's collection committee, in collaboration with currator Jerry N. Smith and director James K. Ballinger, selected Chavez's work for its impressive depiction of striated geology west of San Ysidro, New Mexico, between Bernalillo and Cuba.

Chavez, a 13th generation New Mexican, most frequently paints the region in which he grew up and lives. He titled the work based on the cliffs' resemblance to chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla layered ice cream. Chavez observes, "These layers of rock are beautiffully weathered and sculpted to form hoodoo like features: formations sometimes called tent rocks, fairy chimneys, pinnacles or spires. They are an inspiration and a catalyst for us to contemplate the timeless beauty of our planet's geologic history."

"We are excited to help build the Museum's permanent collection with both historical and contemporary Western art" says WAA president, Myra Page. With the opportunity to make a purchase from The West Select each fall, WAA is excited to expand the Museum's already impressive collection of contemporary Western art. "With a broad range of styles found in The West Select by many of the finest artists working today, we look forward to helping grow the collection in coming years," states Page.

Both paintings are generous gifts from the Western Art Associates with funds from the J. M. Kaplan Foundation.

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