Forrest Moses's work showcased by the Lew Allen Galleries below is worth viewing weather your a collector or lover of art. The colors captured bing the landscape to life.
LEGACY OF FORREST MOSES: EARLY WORKS |
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In Santa Fe, 1971. Photo by Charles Gallenkamp. At right, clockwise from top left: at Pratt, 1962; in Carmel, 1969; Santa Fe, 2000, photo by Athi-Mara Magadi; Santa Fe studio, 1984, photo by Herb Lotz. |
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Forrest Moses (1934 – 2021) eloquently translates the transcendent, living pulse of the natural world into brilliant, rhythmic compositions of color and line, firmly establishing his legacy as a master of American abstracted landscape painting. His early works—deeply influenced by the fluid movement of rivers and water—recreate the sublime sensory totalities of the landscape with an evocative, poetic grace. Rather than settling for simple geographical replication, Moses captures the cool whisper of a mountain breeze or the quiet echo of morning birdsong, inviting the viewer into a space of pure, immersive contemplation. |
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Forrest Moses, Tesuque Watershed, Detail #7, 1970s, oil on canvas, 36 x 40.25 in |
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In these foundational years, Moses skillfully balanced a deep reverence for classical landscape traditions with a fiercely contemporary, modern approach. Rejecting the straightforward label of Impressionism, he channeled the lively, pioneering abstractions of John Marin and the expressive, nature-inspired gestures of Joan Mitchell. His canvases deconstruct the physical environment into beautifully orchestrated patches of subdued color and calligraphic marks, transforming literal branches and vistas into profound, spiritual meditations on being present in nature. |
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Forrest Moses, River Run, 1971, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in |
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Born in Danville, Virginia, in 1934, Moses earned his Bachelor of Arts in fine arts from Washington and Lee University in 1956 before embarking on a formative tour of duty with the U.S. Navy. His military service exposed him to the aesthetics of Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, and the Philippines—catalyzing a lifelong affinity for Eastern philosophy and the elegant principles of wabi-sabi. After a year immersing himself in the "art of history" across Europe, Moses sharpened his structural eye by studying architecture and design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. |
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Forrest Moses, Chama Meadow, 1970, oil on canvas, 32 x 36 in |
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It was there, enveloped by the electric Abstract Expressionist movement of 1950s New York, that Moses began painting in earnest, synthesizing a highly disciplined, meditative craftsmanship that allowed his brush to flow directly from an intuitive, open heart. Enchanted by the unique, radiant light and raw majesty of the High Desert, Moses relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1969. This dramatic shift in environment immediately unlocked a profound philosophical and artistic clarity. It is brilliantly evident throughout his early career works of the 1960s and early 1970s—a pivotal period capturing his initial fascination with the Southwest that defines the very origin of his enduring legacy. |
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LewAllen Galleries 1613 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.988.3250 Mon - Fri 10 - 6 / Sat 10 - 5 |
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