Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ January 12-February 3
In William Haskell’s new show Winds of Western Change at Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, he focuses his contemporary style on a subject in which he is deeply rooted: the Southwest.
“The work in this show embraces a lot of the Southwest area and things that I love about it, things that really inspire me,” the Santa Fe-based artist explains. “Much of that is in the shapes of the plant life and structure of the landscape. I look for things that have a natural, modern sentiment to them, things that almost look sculptural.”
Take WOLF MOON, a new 14-by-11-inch acrylic on panel painting that features a saguaro cactus. Not only is it one of Haskell’s favorite succulents, but it is also an important plant to the dessert ecosystem that is currently under stress due to unseasonable drought. Haskell painted this landscape as a nocturne, highlighting a unique palette with geometric shapes that rise like gems from the earth. “It is almost like daylight out, but everything is blue under the moon,” he says. “It’s beautiful in the desert when that happens.”
When using the Southwest as his muse, Haskell says it is the shapes that inspire him, not so much the place itself. “I look for the right set of shapes that I want to see in a composition, and that’s my beginning point,” he explains. “It may not actually look like a particular place, but it gives that sparkle of inspiration.” It has been said that there is a feeling of Americana in Haskell’s work along with his modernism touches, and his technique of using altered perspectives can be clearly seen within Winds of Western Change.
Although trained as a realist, the artist’s style became much more modern as his career progressed. Leaving the reference photos behind around 12 years ago, Haskell says he has freed himself to focus on a more emotional center in his work. He adds, “I want the viewer to feel the emotion that I feel when I’m painting. And I want that emotion to tell a story—but not necessarily the story I have in mind. I think it’s successful if it speaks to them on a personal and emotional level.”
For the Medicine Man Gallery show, Haskell says he started work on roughly 25 possible new designs, then narrowed down to a more refined and diverse body of work. What remains are glimpses into the emotion of the Southwest through Haskell’s modern lens. The shapes of a winter desert, the drama of both day and night, and a broad range of colors that stroke the senses with bold shapes of emotional chords.
The artist will be present on opening night, Friday, January 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. The show will hang until February 3. —Doreen Manning
contact information(800) 422-9382medicinemangallery.com
This story appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.
The post Show Preview | William Haskell appeared first on Southwest Art Magazine.