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Underpaintings Blog Reviews “Landscapes of the American West” by Glenn Dean

In Glenn Dean’s second solo show with Maxwell Alexander Gallery, the young Californian expands upon his repertoire by focussing a large portion of his current work on the figure.  Of the more than two dozen pieces in the show “Landscapes of the American West,” more than a third feature peoples of the West – Native Americans, cowboys, and gauchos – interacting with the land that shaped them, as much, if not more than, they had shaped it.  It is a departure for the young self-taught artist, but one that is a welcome addition to his award-winning landscapes:  not only does it show that Dean does not suffer the shortcomings of the early American landscape painters of the East who could paint beautiful landscapes, but could not convincingly populate them, it shows that he is an artist who is willing to challenge himself (and succeed) – a sure sign of staying power in the art world.

“Landscapes of the American West” is currently on view at the Maxwell Alexander Gallery, and will run through the 17th of May.  More information on the show can be found on the gallery’s website, or by contacting the gallery directly at 310.839.9242.  Maxwell Alexander Gallery is located  at 6144 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California, and is open daily, Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 6:00 PM.

Fine Art Connoisseur reviews Glenn Dean’s Solo Show at Maxwell Alexander Gallery

First Figurative Paintings for Western Artist Glenn Dean

Jeffrey Carlson Reporting

Editor, Fine Art Today

Widely respected for his landscapes depicting the American West, Glenn Dean forays into the figurative world with his most recent body of work.Glenn Dean is displaying new works in his second solo show with Maxwell Alexander Gallery, on view through May 17. “Landscapes of the American West” does, indeed, feature Dean’s signature subject matter, but it also includes a group of figurative paintings that portray cowboys in their terrain.

Dean’s figurative paintings represent a new direction for the artist — one that has already proven successful. The artist’s painting “Descending Cowboy” appeared at the Scottsdale Art Auction earlier this month and doubled its high-end estimate, selling for $25,875, and setting an auction record for the artist in the process. At the time of writing, six of Dean’s paintings in “Landscapes of the American West” that feature figures have already sold.

When situated in the landscape, Dean’s cowboys and their mounts seem a natural continuation of the desert plains that have been the artist’s primary subject. Dean has also painted a number of works where they dominate the composition, leaving the eye nowhere else to go, and demonstrating no tentativeness in his approach to the figure. In these paintings, a loose brush, the sidelong glances of the subjects, and the elusiveness of their features contribute to an attractive, mysterious sense of distance that is a defining characteristic of the Western ethos.

The present exhibition also displays a series of verdant green landscapes and coastal scenes, in which the artist’s economy of means is powerfully present.

Glenn Dean will be featured in the June-July issue of PleinAir magazine. To see more from Dean’s “Landscapes of the American West,” visit MaxwellAlexanderGallery.com.

View the original article here: http://www.fineartconnoisseur.com/pages/18826069.php

Glenn Dean’s “Landscapes of the American West” solo exhibition reviewed in Western Art Collector

The arts and crafts movement that flourished around the turn of the the 20th century was known for its celebration of the craftsman/artist. Its influence can still be found today.

Glenn Dean has chosen frames that recall arts and crafts design for his show of small works at Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Culver City, California. He admires their “simplicity and the honesty of their construction. When I approach the landscape, I try to simplify what I’m seeing. It’s a similar aesthetic.”

Dean paints in his studio from studies he has painted in the field. Although he has photographs for reference, he finds his studies are more accurate in terms of color and light.

“I’m attracted to different things in the landscape,” he says. “Sometimes it can seem chaotic and disorganized. I try to reduce the noise and look for nice color harmonies and positive and negative shapes playing off each other.”

Dean paints landscapes of the high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lived for four years, to the coast of his native California. “I enjoy painting everything in the West from the desert to the mountains to the coast. There’s so much variety in those subjects.”

Tranquil Tide is a subtle coastal scene with soft light. “I try to pick different things in the landscape that provide new ideas and new challenges. The moods that occur along the coast with the moisture in the air and the interesting lighting effects are very poetic. The light in the desert is brighter and harsher, but it’s poetic too.”

Dean looks for the spiritual nature of a scene as well. When the artist captures the essence of a landscape, the painting can communicate at more than a visual level with the viewer. “The artists I’ve studied,” he explains, “have helped me see the landscape differently. I hope my paintings cause the viewer to pause the next time they’re in the landscape and see more of what is there.

Western Art Collector Reviews Top Galleries in California

Maxwell Alexander Gallery

6144 Washington Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-9242 www.maxwellalexandergallery.com

Located in Culver City, in the middle of the thriving arts district, Maxwell Alexander Gallery brings a variety of quality Western and contemporary art to the Los Angeles area. With a goal to bring the best Western art to Los Angeles, Maxwell Alexander proudly represents artists such as Glenn Dean, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Jeremy Lipking, and Billy Schenck.

The styles of artwork that can be found in the gallery vary from Dean’s California impressionism to Schenck’s Western pop to Lipking’s naturalistic take on the West to Hagege’s bold interpretations of Western landscapes and the Native peoples of the West.

A group show opening February 9 features 15 artists including Lipking, Dean, Schenck, Hagege, and Phil Epp. An additional solo show featuring Dean’s work is set to open on April 6. Small works, set in craftsman-style frames will highlight “The Desert Southwest,” “The California Landscape,” and “The Seascape.”

On May 11, Schenck’s work, characterized by its unique, Western pop in a “paint-by- numbers” style, will appear. This legendary artist made a splash in the 1970s and ’80s with his bold energetic work, and has recently made a strong return to the contemporary Western art scene with fresh new works.

ArtNoiseLA’s video of the “grand opening” show 12.15.12

This video of Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s “grand opening” show was produced by ArtNoiseLA.

“grand opening” Exhibit Reviewed in American Art Collector