Greg Overton & Robert Duncan
Culture and connection
Trailside Galleries is hosting a two-person exhibition for the artwork of Greg Overton and Robert Duncan, known for their Native American subject matter among other themes. Native Spirit — Two Voices will bring 15 to 20 new paintings in front of collectors for nearly two weeks, and for Overton, this is his first time showing with the gallery.
“I want this show to be special,” he says, “so I’m kind of just trying to imagine painting Native [content] that doesn’t have a lot to do with conflict in the West, but rather just celebrating the culture. The mystery, the connection to the earth, the connection to the animal spirits. I’m trying to imagine, ‘what was this culture like when it was untouched, pristine, pure?’” Overton discusses the many ways in which he’s had the opportunity to form relationships with Native American people, learning about their familial and cultural traditions, as well as who they are as individuals. He tells of his travels to South Dakota, where he became good friends with a Lakota family. The artist adds that he also has a lot of friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico, several of whom invited him to the Navajo Nation
to watch a ceremony making peace with the Apache. “All of the people I paint, I’ve met,” says Overton.
Duncan’s paintings in the exhibition also explore the less tumultuous side of Native culture—one unmarred by Western interference. His paintings focus on the connection between human beings and nature. “I really believe in the healing power of nature and feel like we are often our best selves when we continually make nature part of our daily lives. And at the same time, I think we find aspects of our own strength and goodness when we face the challenges that nature throws at us,” says Duncan. “There is a peace and rest that only is found in nature and it doesn’t cost much. So I always hope that my paintings might inspire someone to remember the feelings that nature might have brought them and protect it where they can.”
Native Spirit - Two Voices will be up from March 16 to 28.