Please join us on September 30, 2023 from 2-4 pm to visit with the artist for “Cowboys of the Grand Canyon: From Silver to Canvas” by Brian J. Magnuson. Brian is a photographer, artist, and art educator who actively continues to produce amazing artwork including several graphite commissions. He currently serves on the McKinny Arts Commission.
Norman Rockwell, Sgt. Howard Brodie, Tom Lea, Andrew Wyeth are artists whose talent with a brush and ability to tell stories astounded him. Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, Margret Burke White, Dorthea Lange, and Edward Weston are photographers who captured a world that gave hope even in the times of great despair with chilling black and white imagery. These artists and the photographers could tell beautiful stories and have inspired Brian to tell stories with his artwork.
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera is a book that inspired Brian with this show. He started as a photographer who used primarily black & white film and printed his work by hand in the darkroom. He then began to draw with graphite and paint in acrylic and oil. He was always taught that artists should only focus on one medium, so they might excel in that medium. He declined such advice as he enjoys expressing himself in different mediums. Later, he discovered many artists have done this such as Edward Steichen who stated he did not believe in “specialism.” Steichen said, “I believe that art is cosmopolitan and that one should touch all points. I hate specialism. That is the ruin of art…”
Cowboys of the Grand Canyon are Brian’s favorite subject to photograph. He thought the images would be enjoyable to paint, so he painted some of his favorite photographs from his Silver Gelatin Prints.
Visit With the Artist – Brian J. Magnuson
