Ansel Adams
Select work by
R.C. Ellis at 203 Fine Art
203 Fine Art has recently acquired a group of paintings and works on paper by R.C. Ellis from the collection of the artist’s wife, Rosa Ellis Clark. “These works are significant pieces by the artist, chosen by Rosa for her personal collection, and displayed in her home,” according to a gallery press release. “Rosa has long been a patron of the arts in Taos, collecting the work of local artists, and supporting the Harwood Museum by donating to fund the Ellis-Clark Taos Moderns Gallery. We are pleased to present a selection of these works to our clients as part of our offerings for the Holiday season.”
Included in this selection are works
ranging from the artist’s first visit to Taos in 1942, when Ellis attended the University of New Mexico Summer Field School with Andrew Dasburg.
“These early studies of historical Taos landmarks display Ellis’ mastery of drawing,” the release continues. “Works from the 1950s reflect the period of time when the artist lived intermittently with the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Sierra Madre, whose colorful artwork profoundly inspired his painting. Pieces from the 1960s were created upon the artist’s return to Taos in 1961 for a Wurlitzer fellowship. Paintings and drawings from Ellis’ Spain Series, made after a visit to Spain with Michio and Yaye Takayama in 1969, move towards a minimal approach, with balanced gradations of color and geometric compositions. Other works from the 1970s, such as the Volcano Series, show Ellis’ interest in paring down the landscape into its elemental colors and shapes.”
203 Fine Art is at 1335 Gusdorf Road, Taos. For more information, email art@203fineart.com or call (575) 751-1262.
New Mexico prints by outspoken environmentalist and landscape photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984) are being offered in upcoming lots by Sotheby’s Auctions. Born in San Francisco, California, Adams is considered the preeminent landscape photographer of the 20th century, who captured the American West, particularly the Southwest, like no other. Adams served as the director of the Sierra Club for almost 40 years and helped establish the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A three-time Guggenheim Fellowship recipient (1946, 1948, 1958), he was named to President Johnson’s environmental task force in 1965. In 1980, President Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, his photographs reside in numerous permanent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York; National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Victoria and Albert Museum in London. For more, go to sothebys.com/en/artists/ ansel-adams.