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Gordon Snidow enjoys breaking rules – the rules of art and the rules of convention. His paintings frequently break the rules of composition in unusual ways, guiding the viewer’s eye toward the bottom corner, for example, rather than focusing attention on the center of the action. Figuring out the composition of a painting is one of his favorite activities. “Breaking up space is one of the most creative things that an artist can do,” he says. For him, determining what to put where, how to best use the shape of the painting, and how to direct a viewer’s eye are the most compelling aspects of being an artist.
Snidow first saw the works of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at an early age. He has been painting the West for most of his life, and his subject matter ranges across a wide spectrum – from images of hard-working cowboys to homeless people adrift in the modern Western world. Several years ago, he began a series of paintings that focused on a competent and thoroughly Western ranch hand – who also happened to be a cowgirl.
Snidow’s subject matter springs directly and completely from his imagination. His paintings convey his very personal view of the West and of life in general. When a collector recently described a subject in great detail for him to paint, Snidow said, “That is a good idea, but I can’t paint it.” When the collector asked why, Snidow replied, “Because you have already created it, and I have to paint what I create.” For the past forty-four years, Snidow has created and painted his own chronicle of the modern West.
Snidow has been associated with the Cowboy Artists of America since before the group’s first exhibition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1966. He has received twenty-seven awards at the annual shows including three Best of Shows, and has served three terms as CAA president. He took emeritus status in 1998. His work hangs in several prominent museums throughout the country. In February 2003, a retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. |
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Small Talk
gouache, 28" x 34"
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