Experience the vibrant landscape paintings this September in Santa Fe. On view September 13–29, 2024.
Land Forms, The Paintings of Robert R. Compton
September 13–29, 2024
James Compton Gallery, Santa Fe
The James Compton Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Land Forms, The Paintings of Robert R. Compton from September 13 to September 29, 2024. The artist, Robert R. Compton (1922–2015), was a world-renowned field geologist who, from an early age, enjoyed the great outdoors and developed a passion for art, teaching himself how to draw while serving in World War II.
The mountains, valleys, vegetation, sky, and clouds in Robert R. Compton’s paintings are discernible but distinct from what would be captured by the human eye or a camera lens. Shapes and colors are emphasized or exaggerated in ways that are not realistic, giving them an interpretive power of his imagination, his interior “dream world.” His dream world was built upon the connections he had with the land—its deep geologic history, the shifts in weather and light, the warm colors of earth and cool colors of the plant cover—all of which enhance and suffuse his art. As he would later express it, “These years of geologic studies in the desert led to an understanding and feeling for the landscapes: for their remarkable colors, their structures, and for the broad and deep space around them.”
He pursued his interest in art after becoming a professional geologist, completing an art course at Foothill College in the mid-1960s, and courses in painting and drawing from Joan Brown and Elmer Bischoff at the San Francisco Institute. He greatly admired his contemporary at Stanford University, Richard Diebenkorn, and was heavily influenced by Paul Cezanne’s treatment of form, brush stroke, and space.
After sporadic forays into painting while working as a geologist, he was able to paint full-time in early retirement. He painted over 100 canvases. His work was rarely shown, and in honoring his request for a formal show, his five children are excited to present this extensive selection of paintings.
The solo exhibition opens to the public with a reception on Friday, September 13, 5-8 pm at the James Compton Gallery downtown Santa Fe. On Sunday, September 15 at 2 pm, a talk on mountain landscapes and geology will be given by John Compton, emeritus professor of geology at the University of Cape Town. The talk is free and open to the public.
jamescomptongallery.com
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