The Things We Keep Painting

Curtis Olson’s mixed media artwork recalls quiet vistas of the American west. In his interpretations of landscapes, textural planes of color hint at fields, horizons, and skies, or are broken into soothing geometries. He frequently incorporates his own stark photography, which points away from traditional “post card” imagery, and looks instead toward the simple silos, gates, and barns that reflect the particular vernacular of the area where he shoots each image. In his photography Olson captures the final holdouts of the rapidly disappearing old west. The work frequently incorporates wood or patinaed metal, the metal riveted and rustic and looking as if it has perhaps just been pulled from the structures featured in Olson’s photography. The resulting abstracted landscapes create a distinct feeling of place– with the colors, textures, and photography working to create contemporary work that retains a memory of the past.