Exhibitionism
CHRIS PAPPAN
Warp Text (2021), mixed media on wood panel
Artist Chris Pappan, of Osage, Kaw, Cheyenne River Sioux, and mixed European heritage, reinvigorates the tradition of Plains Indian ledger art that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Also a painter, Pappan uses his cross-disciplinary practices to reflect on outmoded perceptions of Indigenous people and cultures. A self-described Native American Lowbrow artist, Pappan’s work lies at the intersection of historic tradition and contemporary pop-culture aesthetics. He joins artist Starr Hardridge, an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, for a two-person show that continues through March 20. Hardridge was trained in the disciplines of classical art. He combines a vibrant use of color with geometric forms inspired by Muscogee patterns and designs in his pointillist paintings. Their work is available at the gallery or on the website.
Blue Rain Gallery, 544 S. Guadalupe St., 505-954-9902, blueraingallery.com
WILL CLIFT
Three Curling Back Over Each Other (2020), hardwood, carbon fiber composite, and automotive finish
Santa Fe native Will Clift’s abstract sculptures reflect the balance between motion and stillness, harmony and disruption. Using a variety of mediums, including wood and carbon fiber composites, he creates graceful, organic, linear constructs. A former environmental engineer, he’s been a working artist since 2006. “My sculptures are abstract but evocative, tied to familiar forms,” he says in a statement. “They explore the line between order and disorder, combining intersecting parts into a whole that stands in delicate equilibrium on a small foot.” Clift uses his training in engineering and the sciences to create works of inherent tension and that often appear to defy their materiality, such as steel and highdensity concrete, in their graceful, nimble appearance. A solo exhibition of his work is on view through April 30 and can be seen onsite or on the gallery’s website.
Gerald Peters Contemporary, 1011 Paseo de Peralta, 505-954-5800, gpgallery.com
VIOLA ARDUINI Chimera Manifesto (A Blue Bird Is A Miniaturized Sky/An Endless Array Of Diffused Rays Of Light) (2020), digital photograph
Albuquerque-based artist Viola Arduini’s installation, Chimera Manifesto, takes its inspiration from the mythological chimera, a hybrid creature composed of the parts of multiple beasts. Her installation combines scientific data, artistic invention, and poetic writing as an investigation into the relationships between humans, nature, and technology. “Exploring liminal spaces between disciplines, media, and languages, I create installations that incorporate visual, sculptural, and time-based art,” she says in a statement. Her work is included in Encompass, the annual multigenerational show presented by Harwood Art Center and Escuela del Sol Montessori that includes commissioned outdoor installations, an indoor gallery exhibition, and an online shop and galleries. Contributing artists include Caitlin Carcerano, Ade Cruz, and Lynnette Haozous. The indoor exhibition is available by appointment only. Join the artists for a free virtual reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 25 (register at harwoodartcenter.org/encompass). Interior and online components are currently on view through April 15. Outdoor murals and walking tours begin on March 25.
Harwood Art Center, 1114 Seventh St. NW, Albuquerque, 505-242-6367, harwoodartcenter.org