A bit 'Off-Center': From Taos to TorC and beyond, Vladem Contemporary brings together New Mexico art from 1970-2000

New Mexicans know about the Cinco Pintores, the Taos Society of Artists and the rich tapestry of Native American art so crucial to shaping New Mexico’s artistic identity.

They may be less familiar with the more than 125 works in Vladem Contemporary’s “Off-Center: New Mexico Art, 1970-2000” exhibition. The show gathers artwork from more recent decades in a testament to the magnetic pull that draws artists to the state.

A bit 'Off-Center': From Taos to TorC and beyond, Vladem Contemporary brings together New Mexico art from 1970-2000

“This is the first major showing of artwork from New Mexico as a whole,” said Christian Waguespack, head of curatorial affairs. “No one’s ever done that.”

It was an era where creativity flourished as never before. From the bustling streets of Albuquerque to the tranquil retreats of Taos, the exhibition ventures beyond the well-trodden paths, uncovering hidden gems in communities like Galisteo, Silver City, Las Cruces, Gallup, Truth or Consequences and Roswell playing unexpected roles in shaping the state’s artistic history. The exhibition will undergo five partial rotations over the course of a year to capture as much of the thematic breadth and as many of the influential artists as possible.

“Our museum has done a lot of work to capture the history of the 20th century,” Waguespack said. “Now it’s time to put together a history for the next generation. We’re doing for contemporary art what we’ve been doing for modern art from the turn-of-the century through World War II.”

The exhibit will open in five iterations covering a different era set against the state’s rugged terrain, vibrant cultures and bustling art scene. This New Mexican tapestry is divided into thematic groups of “Place,” “Spectacle” and “Identity.”

Woody Gwyn’s 1982 painting “Highway and Mesa” examines the way car travel changed the way we look at painting.

“You get the sensation in moving across that road,” Waguespack said. “It’s also about the reintroduction of realistic painting.”

Luis Tapia’s 1992 “Chima Altar, Bertram’s Cruise” uses a traditional Hispanic santero carving format and brings it into contemporary life. Its cactus-spiked steering wheel looks out on an endless road, watched by figures of Mary and Joseph on the dashboard.

“It’s also a nod to low rider culture,” Waguespack said.

Jerry West’s oil on canvas “Prairie Homestead with Approaching Cosmic Storm,” 1989, romanticizes the concept of ranch culture sitting beneath menacing storm clouds.

“It’s a heroic painting about the rancher, and he’s using magical realism with this big, cosmic storm,” Waguespack said. “It’s as if you’re looking above it.”

Kiowa artist T.C. Cannon’s 1976 “Washington Landscape with Peace Medal Indian,” acrylic on canvas, comments on the politics of living on Native land.

“Even though this is a portrait, it’s the Capitol building through the window,” Waguespack said. “That is made from a tribal photograph where members received peace medals; the government gave them a pat on the back to be compliant.”

Larry McNeil’s (Tlingit/Nisga’a) 1977 “Real Indians” photograph of the souvenir building near Kewa Pueblo checks a number of boxes.

“He’s talking about what it means to be Indian on this land,” Waguespack said. “He’s straddling both the Indian land and the road section. It lets us get outside of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.”

Minnesota Chippewa artist David Bradley often parodies historical or “pop culture” icons, such as the “Mona Lisa,” “Whistler’s Mother” and “American Gothic.” In “El Farol: Canyon Road Cantina,” 2000, acrylic on canvas, he gives viewers a snapshot of life in the old hangout. Georgia O’Keeffe and Juan Hamilton huddle to the left while the band plays and Vincent van Gogh passes out on the bar. Zozobra and a Spanish colonial church stand in the background through the picture window, while a Native woman sells jewelry to the tables.

“They’re all kind of co-mingling,” Waguespack said. “Santa Fe was too small for people to be in their own silos.”

Patrick Mehaffy created his 1988 sculpture “Desert Song #2” using dirt from the Galisteo Basin and barbed wire.

“It’s very literal,” Waguespack said. “It references classical sculpture like Venus and ancient Egyptian sculpture. There’s that air of the ancient.”

Vladem is the only Santa Fe Institution that collects contemporary art, he added.

“We want to show our commitment to contemporary art,” Waguespack said. “This is our first attempt at capturing that moment.”

“Off-Center” is accompanied by an oral history project, including video interviews with many of the living artists featured in the exhibition.