A SEA in the Desert Gallery: July 2018

July 19, 2018

Ardell Rainwater

New Show Opening: Ardell Rainwater

A SEA Gallery Presents:

A "Pop Up" show for outsider, self-taught artist Ardell Rainwater.

Opening reception Friday, August 3rd, 5 - 7:30 pm; Closing Celebration August 18th, 3 - 5 pm.

"Hidden Gems Revealed"

Ardell Rainwater was born in a small town in Utah and has lived in several different states, including Alabama, Colorado, and California. Now a resident of Albuquerque, he is a self taught artist, who began with graffiti at the age of 14, and later stumbled upon canvas painting in a chance encounter.

"My subject matter is usually based on what is going on in the world at the time of painting . I often juxtapose original images and pop culture images together to convey my message. I've used images from television sitcoms like "The Simpsons" or the DeLorean from ''Back to the Future,'' all the way to reinterpreting childhood books like ''Where the Wild Things Are''. Because I'm using references of current culture and events, I feel like one hundred years from now my artwork may not be relevant or it may not matter to anyone, but I know right now my art is new and is a new wave."

(excerpt from artist statement)

About our Gallery

A Sea Gallery has gone through several stages over a 10 year period. A Sea stands for "Association of Socially Engaged Artists" which began about 2002 with meetings of artist discussing the state of art in Santa Fe as well as politics of the United States and the world at this time. Most of the artists either were or had been political activists, against war, corporate exploitation, empire, etc. and committed to honoring the earth. Over the years since that time I have thought a lot about the artists roll as mirror to a society, addressing social ills and aspirations. It seemed the Santa Fe ‘art scene’ had become increasingly commercial: ‘successful artists’ making a recognizable product for wealthy private collectors or corporations. Much of the art shown was about prestige and investment. The art I was drawn to in major art centers in the USA and in Europe was deeper and more challenging than that. While Santa Fe may have more art galleries than the current economy can support I felt there is room for one more: a gallery of challenging work supported by the artists themselves- a Collective (rather than a cooperative) as the structure is evolving. It’s aesthetic philosophy: Art is shown because of its merit rather than salability. It has an owner (Monika Steinhoff) but no profits are taken out of the gallery. Artists participate in paying expenses, gallery sitting and decisions about running the gallery. Proceeds from sales are between 50 and 70% to the artist, depending on artist involvement. The gallery is small and can have up to 10 members. It has existed at its present location in the Railyard since July 1st 2011.