NEW YORK, NY.- Rehs Contemporary is presenting A Noble Pursuit: The Majestic Landscapes of Ken Salaz while celebrating the successful release of his book, Landscapes in Oil, a comprehensive guide to classical landscape painting. Salaz, author and painter, assembled a whos who of todays finest artists to accompany him on his mission to elevate the genre of contemporary landscape painting, while bringing awareness to a cause which has always been deeply engrained within him the preservation of our environment.
As a partial descendant of the Yaqui tribe, Salaz spent much of his childhood in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. His fathers Native American roots were wholly responsible for instilling a reverence for nature; exposing him to the mystical aspects of their culture while allowing him to realize, through direct experience, that everything is alive and pulsating with meanings and lessons.
This upbringing only inspired Salaz to develop the skills needed to convey his vision of the natural world. His mastery of technique shows a diverse flexibility of expression, allowing him to capture a wide range of light effects and portray a unique sense of atmosphere. Employing methods used by the Old Masters coupled with tonalist qualities, Salaz is breaking into new ground with his own modern voice of Poetic Realism. While classical painting has always been a passion, Salaz believes it is the function of artwork to be a vehicle that elevates the viewer and all of humanity. As he puts it, landscape painting is a noble pursuit, and the goal of the landscape artist is not to paint pretty pictures but to create compelling images that express our profound connection to nature in all its diversity and grandeur.
It is the potent connection Salaz has to tradition which has shaped his understanding of the utility of art. The first artistic movement that the United States contributed to the world was the Hudson River School Painting movement, which began in 1825. It was in this era where artists, in conjunction with philosophers, poets and naturalists in the likes of Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman, established the foundation of our nations identity regarding its love for and protection of our greatest cultural resource the land itself. In their language, the Land was both physically beautiful and imbued with divinity and spirituality.
This cultural shift was fully embraced by the nation. In 1832, the first efforts were seen by the United States Government to begin protecting the land, but it was not until many years later where we saw official designation of authority. The work of John Muir, who is regarded as the Father of the National Parks, published two influential articles which formed the basis of subsequent legislation - Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress which restricted private ownership of land in the Yosemite Valley in 1864. By 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established; not only the first national park in the United States, but the first in the world. Today, the National Park Service of the United States manages 60 national parks and another 361 protected lands; a testament to our long-standing commitment to these natural treasures.
With the instilled values of his heritage, coupled with the enduring traditions of the artistic movement he so greatly admires, it is no surprise to see how Salazs work has become a modern voice for the founding principle of our nation. In these trying times, our environment is constantly under attack from careless corporations and individuals, and our politicians have failed to take on the same responsibilities as their predecessors. The works put forth in this exhibition were created as a mirror reflection of our joys, sorrows and triumphs as human beings. They seek to evoke questions of who are we?, why are we here?, and how can we live for the betterment of humanity?, with the aim of revivifying our responsibility to protect the land we call home.
Ken Salaz was born in 1970 in southern California and spent his youth living in numerous locations with his family including Mexico, the Southwest United States and the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia. His ancestral heritage is a rich blend of Native American and Irish. As a child and teenage, he constantly drew the changing landscapes and people during his travels with his family. After graduating from Cooper Union, Mr Salaz spent several years traveling the world, through Asia, Central and South America, and Europe painting landscapes and making copies of Masterworks at numerous Museums. He continued his education with Leonid Gervitz of the Repin Academy and Nelson Shanks. He trained three years at The Water Street Studio of Jacob Collins and spent two summers with him at the Hudson River Fellowship in the Catskill Mountains. He is currently a Senior Fellow and instructor at the Fellowship. His mastery of technique shows a diverse flexibility of expression, allowing him to capture a wide range of light effects. In addition, his solid background in traditional techniques used by the Old Masters also allows him the groundwork to create works that have a unique poetic expression. His work is held in numerous prominent collections across the United States. His work and processes have been featured numerous times in notable Magazines and Publications such as Fine Art Connoisseur and Plein Air. Mr. Salaz is seen by many as a new and unique voice emerging from the tonalist tradition, such as George Inness, and breaking into new ground with his own modern voice of Poetic Realism.
In addition to being a masterful Artist, Mr. Salaz is a highly accomplished Magician, Mentalist, and Pick-Pocket, entertaining such celebrities as Bruce Springstein and Jimmy Fallon. He currently lives with his wife and son in the beautiful Hudson River Valley.