A new art exhibition, up now at the Ucross Gallery in northern Wyoming, takes a contemporary look at the image of the horse. Printmaker Mark Ritchie was inspired to invite artists from around the world to submit their work after attending a horse-focused art workshop in Hungary.
Ritchie said the history of humans and horses runs parallel because, as species, they’re both drawn to live at the intersection of plains and forests.
“And if we look at the horse’s history in North America changing Native cultures, it seems like the horse has been important for really socio-political reasons,” said Ritchie. “But there’s something deeper that I hope the exhibition starts touching on from a variety of points—and from a variety of cultures.”
Ritchie decided to invite many of his colleagues from the Hungary workshop to collaborate on a Wyoming show that seeks out unusual approaches to horse imagery, like that of Louisiana artist Lee Deigaard.
“[She explores] the fantasy horse, My Little Pony, glitter, and rainbows with large stickers. As well as, she makes work where the horse becomes one with the landscape. The back of the horse, so the horse is embedded in an image that’s not about the horse. It’s of the horse,” said Ritchie.
The exhibit called “Lineage and Legacy: The Imaged Horse,” also includes photography, printmaking, multimedia, and film—all on the subject of horses. On April 29, Ucross will host a free afternoon workshop at its ranch to learn how to sketch and photograph horses. Interested participants should sign up in advance.
The exhibition runs through June 9.