Exhibition Preview
Works from the H. Joe Waldrum Trust
by Richard Koteras
Waldrum was in the midst of establishing a studio and gallery in Truth or Consequences when he died unexpectedly in December 2003. His estate was closed in 2014, with the majority of his work at the time of his death going to the H. Joe Waldrum Trust. This exhibition features an extensive number of works from the Trust.
Harold Joe Waldrum (he preferred H. Joe Waldrum or simply Joe Waldrum later in his life) was a highly successful artist in northern New Mexico in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In 1985, he made the decision to buy and live on a working ranch near Socorro, New Mexico. He continued his artistic work, especially in regard to print making, while he lived and worked at the ranch. In 1996, Waldrum began the process of establishing a studio and gallery in Truth or Consequences. He had met and seen the work of Delmas Howe, an important figure painter who lived in Truth or Consequences at the time, and Howe had suggested that Waldrum choose Truth or Consequences as the place to establish a gallery and to enter a new phase in his artistic career. Waldrum began work on the RioBravoFineArt, Inc. Gallery in earnest in 1998, and opened the gallery to the public in July 2001. The gallery now houses the majority of Waldrum’s work at the time of his death.
The exhibition features a broad range of work by Waldrum. He is best known for a superb series of linocuts and aquatints of northern New Mexico churches. These linocuts and aquatints are an important part of the exhibition. A number of paintings by Waldrum will also be on display. For his paintings, Waldrum worked primarily in acrylic on linen canvases. In some of his paintings, Waldrum worked with incorporating gold leaf, and some of these very important paintings using gold leaf will also be on display. There will also be sketches and geometric abstracts on display. Waldrum did a number of geometric abstracts during a period when he lived part time in New York City. Waldrum is not as well-known for his purely, geometric abstract art, and the pieces on display in the style of geometric abstraction will present a unique opportunity to view Waldrum’s evolution and development as a visual artist. Waldrum also did an important series of window images in a variety of media; examples of the window series will include works on canvas, linocuts, and Polaroid photographs. Waldrum experimented with the window image throughout his career. To him, windows (specifically the church windows of northern New Mexico) presented a rich and complex set of interactions of form, color, light, and shadow. (Some of Waldrum’s window images seem to refine and extend the concepts in the famous Homage to the Square of Josef Albers.) The exhibition gives viewers the opportunity to reflect on how Waldrum’s experimentation with window images may have shaped his church images. Several of the window images on display will show the artist at the peak of his abilities.
A variety of Polaroid images using the SX70 format will be on display. Waldrum began using the SX70 Polaroid format in addition to 35 mm slides to record images of New Mexico that could be used as the basis for his work while he was in New York City. Over his career, Waldrum took thousands of Polaroid images. Many of these images were donated to the photo archives at the Palace of the Governor, an extension of the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Waldrum experimented with the SX70 format and a number of works will be on display that show his creativity with this particular photographic format. Also, in the exhibition is a selected set of his 35mm slides, showing the inspiration for some of Waldrum’s linocuts and aquatints.
Waldrum was a many-faceted artist. In addition to his passion and talent for the painted canvas, the finely crafted print, and photography, Waldrum had an interest in historic preservation of the old adobe churches in New Mexico. He felt these buildings were important historic and cultural symbols in our society. To Waldrum, the old churches in small villages of New Mexico had the stature of the pyramids. During his time on the ranch near Socorro, Waldrum established the El Valle Foundation in an attempt to save the parish church in El Valle, New Mexico. Waldrum was a founding member of the New Mexico Architectural Foundation, which exists to this day as an organization to promote appreciation of the architectural legacy of New Mexico and the Southwest. Waldrum also wrote commentary of the art world under the pseudonyms Sister Imogene and Señor Cascarrabias (“Mr. Grouchy”). In 1994, Waldrum published Ando in cueros (I Walk Stark-naked), which features a sampling of images of his work and some of his musings on the art world and life on the ranch. The title for the book was the result of a dream in which he dreamt he was painting while stark-naked. This dream was an epiphany for Waldrum - a realization that he did not want to just copy or imitate the style and work of other artists, but to set out on his own path; Joe Waldrum wanted his art to be his unique vision unfettered by his academic training or many of the artistic influences around him. The dream marked a turning point in Waldrum’s artistic career that lead to a unique style establishing him as an important twentieth century artist.
Waldrum was also a videographer. Important video works were documentaries about Picuris Pueblo, R. C. Gorman, and the church at El Valle.
Works by Waldrum are included in a number of museums. There are important collections of works by Waldrum at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block in Tucson, Arizona, the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, and the photo archives of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (an extension of the New Mexico History Museum.) Other institutions with Waldrum’s work include the Museum of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico, The American Museum of Western Art (The Anschutz Collection), Denver, Colorado, and The Phillips Collection, Washington, D. C. The Museum Barberini, Potsdam, Germany, has had Important showings with Waldrum’s work. The collection of Waldrum’s work at the Tucson Museum of Art, along with some pieces on loan from the Trust, is on display this summer (2019) through September 2019.
The RioBravoFineArt, Inc. Gallery has been in continuous operation since the death of Waldrum under the auspices of Eduardo Alicea-Moreno. Mr. Alicea started working at the gallery in 1999 as an assistant to Waldrum. He was instrumental in establishing the gallery and overseeing the closing of the estate in 2014. Mr. Alicea is now the trustee for the H. Joe Waldrum Trust; he is also the Director, as President of RioBravoFineArt, Inc., and Curator of the gallery. You may contact Mr. Alicea by mail at RioBravoFineArt, Inc., 110 North Broadway, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico 87901, by phone at 575-894-0572, and by email at riobravofa@gmail.com.
Harold Joe Waldrum (he preferred H. Joe Waldrum or simply Joe Waldrum later in his life) was a highly successful artist in northern New Mexico in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In 1985, he made the decision to buy and live on a working ranch near Socorro, New Mexico. He continued his artistic work, especially in regard to print making, while he lived and worked at the ranch. In 1996, Waldrum began the process of establishing a studio and gallery in Truth or Consequences. He had met and seen the work of Delmas Howe, an important figure painter who lived in Truth or Consequences at the time, and Howe had suggested that Waldrum choose Truth or Consequences as the place to establish a gallery and to enter a new phase in his artistic career. Waldrum began work on the RioBravoFineArt, Inc. Gallery in earnest in 1998, and opened the gallery to the public in July 2001. The gallery now houses the majority of Waldrum’s work at the time of his death.
The exhibition features a broad range of work by Waldrum. He is best known for a superb series of linocuts and aquatints of northern New Mexico churches. These linocuts and aquatints are an important part of the exhibition. A number of paintings by Waldrum will also be on display. For his paintings, Waldrum worked primarily in acrylic on linen canvases. In some of his paintings, Waldrum worked with incorporating gold leaf, and some of these very important paintings using gold leaf will also be on display. There will also be sketches and geometric abstracts on display. Waldrum did a number of geometric abstracts during a period when he lived part time in New York City. Waldrum is not as well-known for his purely, geometric abstract art, and the pieces on display in the style of geometric abstraction will present a unique opportunity to view Waldrum’s evolution and development as a visual artist. Waldrum also did an important series of window images in a variety of media; examples of the window series will include works on canvas, linocuts, and Polaroid photographs. Waldrum experimented with the window image throughout his career. To him, windows (specifically the church windows of northern New Mexico) presented a rich and complex set of interactions of form, color, light, and shadow. (Some of Waldrum’s window images seem to refine and extend the concepts in the famous Homage to the Square of Josef Albers.) The exhibition gives viewers the opportunity to reflect on how Waldrum’s experimentation with window images may have shaped his church images. Several of the window images on display will show the artist at the peak of his abilities.
A variety of Polaroid images using the SX70 format will be on display. Waldrum began using the SX70 Polaroid format in addition to 35 mm slides to record images of New Mexico that could be used as the basis for his work while he was in New York City. Over his career, Waldrum took thousands of Polaroid images. Many of these images were donated to the photo archives at the Palace of the Governor, an extension of the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Waldrum experimented with the SX70 format and a number of works will be on display that show his creativity with this particular photographic format. Also, in the exhibition is a selected set of his 35mm slides, showing the inspiration for some of Waldrum’s linocuts and aquatints.
Waldrum was a many-faceted artist. In addition to his passion and talent for the painted canvas, the finely crafted print, and photography, Waldrum had an interest in historic preservation of the old adobe churches in New Mexico. He felt these buildings were important historic and cultural symbols in our society. To Waldrum, the old churches in small villages of New Mexico had the stature of the pyramids. During his time on the ranch near Socorro, Waldrum established the El Valle Foundation in an attempt to save the parish church in El Valle, New Mexico. Waldrum was a founding member of the New Mexico Architectural Foundation, which exists to this day as an organization to promote appreciation of the architectural legacy of New Mexico and the Southwest. Waldrum also wrote commentary of the art world under the pseudonyms Sister Imogene and Señor Cascarrabias (“Mr. Grouchy”). In 1994, Waldrum published Ando in cueros (I Walk Stark-naked), which features a sampling of images of his work and some of his musings on the art world and life on the ranch. The title for the book was the result of a dream in which he dreamt he was painting while stark-naked. This dream was an epiphany for Waldrum - a realization that he did not want to just copy or imitate the style and work of other artists, but to set out on his own path; Joe Waldrum wanted his art to be his unique vision unfettered by his academic training or many of the artistic influences around him. The dream marked a turning point in Waldrum’s artistic career that lead to a unique style establishing him as an important twentieth century artist.
Waldrum was also a videographer. Important video works were documentaries about Picuris Pueblo, R. C. Gorman, and the church at El Valle.
Works by Waldrum are included in a number of museums. There are important collections of works by Waldrum at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block in Tucson, Arizona, the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, and the photo archives of the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (an extension of the New Mexico History Museum.) Other institutions with Waldrum’s work include the Museum of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico, The American Museum of Western Art (The Anschutz Collection), Denver, Colorado, and The Phillips Collection, Washington, D. C. The Museum Barberini, Potsdam, Germany, has had Important showings with Waldrum’s work. The collection of Waldrum’s work at the Tucson Museum of Art, along with some pieces on loan from the Trust, is on display this summer (2019) through September 2019.
The RioBravoFineArt, Inc. Gallery has been in continuous operation since the death of Waldrum under the auspices of Eduardo Alicea-Moreno. Mr. Alicea started working at the gallery in 1999 as an assistant to Waldrum. He was instrumental in establishing the gallery and overseeing the closing of the estate in 2014. Mr. Alicea is now the trustee for the H. Joe Waldrum Trust; he is also the Director, as President of RioBravoFineArt, Inc., and Curator of the gallery. You may contact Mr. Alicea by mail at RioBravoFineArt, Inc., 110 North Broadway, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico 87901, by phone at 575-894-0572, and by email at riobravofa@gmail.com.
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Definitions:
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching.
In intaglio printmaking, the artist makes marks on the plate (in the case of aquatint, a copper or zinc plate) that are capable of holding ink. The inked plate is passed through a printing press together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink to the paper. This can be repeated a number of times, depending on the particular technique.
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a brayer, and then impressed onto paper using a printing press.
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching.
In intaglio printmaking, the artist makes marks on the plate (in the case of aquatint, a copper or zinc plate) that are capable of holding ink. The inked plate is passed through a printing press together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink to the paper. This can be repeated a number of times, depending on the particular technique.
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a brayer, and then impressed onto paper using a printing press.
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