Review

This week’s posts were about things I was looking forward to writing about, especially the art caves by Ra Paulette. I have been excited to share some of my hometown’s culture by writing this blog, and I had a good time coming up with ideas and exploring Santa Fe. As I have said before, I think I will keep blogging in the future, but I will probably write about something different. While I could come up with countless other things to write about in Santa Fe’s art world, I feel I have covered all of my favorite things that I find most interesting in this subject.

            I really like being able to share my interests in the blog. The only thing I didn’t like was that I didn’t always get to see the art firsthand because of money and time constraints. Ideally I would be able to see everything myself, and therefore I would have a lot more to say about those things. But I’m happy with the overall result of my blog. I think it’s a good way to tell stories.

          As for the class, I think it was pretty fast-paced. I would have liked it to be a little longer, but only for practice purposes. I think I have a much greater understanding of blogging now, and I’m a lot more comfortable with this type of writing now that I’ve gotten this experience.

The Caves of Ra Paulette

In the sandstone mountains just north of Santa Fe, a man named Ra Paulette has been carving large, cathedral-like caves alone with his dog. These artistic, beautiful caves have been relatively unheard of until recent years, when an Oscar nominated documentary called “Cavedigger” brought Paulette’s work to the light in 2014.

            “I see this as an environmental project. I’m trying to open up people’s feelings,” he told CBS in a 2014 interview.

            The caves themselves are large and well lit with hand carved skylights. Driving through the area, one can see holes in the hills that serve as windows, and the inside of the caves have high columns and detailed patterned engravings. To say the least, they are breathtaking and they give a sense of serenity, just as he intended.

Photo courtesy of CNN.

            He said in the same interview that if there was anything he wished people would take with them from his work, it would be “at least a moment or a length of time in which they had a deeper feeling or a deeper understanding of themselves and life.”

            Though some of his caves are private commissions, there is one that is currently available to the public. Visitors are able to take a tour to see the beauty of the meditation cave, just down the street from a popular hot spring called Ojo Caliente.

            Paulette, who only uses hand tools for his laborious work, still carves away at caves today. He is completely self-taught, and has no schooling in architecture or engineering. These caves are born from his imagination alone.

Ra Paulette outside one of his caves. Photo courtesy of demliked.com.

            Of all the art in New Mexico, Paulette’s is in my opinion the most unique and introspective. Based on what information is published about him, it would seem that he is an artist through and through – someone who does not make these caves for money, or for any tangible effect. He said in the interview I referenced that he takes the most pleasure in the act of creating the caves. It is by doing so that he feels he is able to fully express himself. He may look like a common man on the outside, but thanks to his drive and passion for his work, we are able to explore the inner workings of his mind. In essence, I think this is what art amounts to. 

Photo courtesy of CBS.

Revival of a Ghost Town

Santa Fe is known as the “city different,” and for the most-part it is pretty different. But out in Santa Fe County, nestled in the Cerillos hills, is a revived ghost town called Madrid that is even more eclectic than the average Santa Fe. Down Turquoise Trail is a place where a unique mix of bikers, hippies, and artist have populated the picturesque little streets, and created a laid back culture hinging on enjoying the land’s beauty and history.

Madrid at night. Photo courtesy of Aljazeera. 

            Madrid has its fair share of galleries, featuring folk art and fine art, but the town itself has turned into a piece of art throughout its revival. Houses that have been reclaimed and painted in bright colors line the streets and large murals adorn some of the walls of the businesses. It’s a great place to go for inspiration, since it is possible to find material for art of your own in Madrid. There are a lot of interesting places to take photographs with friends, or even just scenic shots. There are also a lot of notably artistic signs in Madrid that give the town an antiquated aesthetic.  And finally, there are festivals in Madrid year round, from bike rallies to Christmas parades.

A theater in Madrid. Photo courtesy of alamy.com.

Speaking of surreal...

I couldn’t write about the surrealist art of Santa Fe without mentioning two galleries that make it their specialty: The Longworth gallery and the Pop gallery. These galleries represent artists with a peculiar, colorful vision of the world and want to share their perspectives through attractive, sometimes bizarre works of art.

            One of the major artists featured in the Pop gallery is St. Victor, a self-taught painter who has honed a recognizable and highly characteristic style of painting people in surreal scenery. The moodiness and odd proportions of some of his characters leads the viewer to wonder what these people would be like and where they came from. What exactly influences the expressions on their faces?

Bumbelina by St. Victor

            My favorite artist at the Longworth gallery is Vladimir Kush. He paints large scenes filled with tiny, intimate details. There is a remarkable light to his paintings that reflects the care that he puts into each one – a style born from the darkness he encountered during his upbringing in Russia, according to the gallery’s owner, Lisa Rogers. 

Walnut of Eden by Vladimir Kush

            Both galleries represent many other artists with surreal and unusual styles, and are also an interesting change of pace from the art that Santa Fe is known for. While these two galleries are certainly not the only ones which feature such varieties of art, they are the places where the surreal and the bold concentrate.