Under the Pueblo Sky 2020

Mark Maggiori created this painting, Under the Pueblo Sky, which invites us into a serene moment, capturing the vastness of the American Southwest with an eye towards the traditions of its indigenous inhabitants. I can almost feel Maggiori’s process, the careful layering of paint to capture the shifting light and atmosphere of the sky. It is quite beautiful. The sky isn't one single block of colour, it shimmers and shifts. It reminds me of my own work, figuring things out as you go. I wonder if Maggiori thought about the relationship between the rider and the land, how they are both marked by time and history. It makes me think about how we, as artists, are constantly in conversation with those who came before us. We learn from their techniques, their ideas, and their ways of seeing the world. Just as Maggiori draws on the traditions of Western art, we, in turn, build upon his work. It's a beautiful cycle of inspiration and creation.