Full Moon Rise on the Table Country 2015

Mark Maggiori made this painting, Full Moon Rise on the Table Country, in oil. He brings the feeling of the old west to life through careful mark making and a muted color palette. The painting feels nostalgic, like an imagined memory. The texture in the rockface is built up, contrasting with the smooth, blended sky. Notice how Maggiori renders the horse; it's solid, almost sculptural, with a tangible weight. The cowboy on horseback is seen from the back, facing away from us, his identity obscured. It's a choice that makes the landscape the true subject. The setting sun has a striking similarity to the work of Maynard Dixon, another American painter, who was interested in the play of light on geological formations. But here, the mood is contemplative rather than epic. Art, like the setting sun, shifts and refracts through different lenses. There is no single way to see it.