129SHOW PREVIEW4
can emerge.” In Chutes and Ladders a girl
balances in midair at the edge of a cliff
while her friend pedals his bike up a hill
having already navigated the treacherous
path—abandoning her to her fate of which
she is oblivious?
Cone parallels Tarahteeff, stating,
“I emphasize visual impact over narrative
context, focusing on the subtle orchestra-
tion of my subject within a framework
of design.” Known for her anonymous
full-length female figures that straddle
the line between representation and
abstraction, she is represented in the
exhibition by head-and-shoulder portraits
of women representing the seasons. The
figure in Summer gazes directly at the
viewer aware of both who she is and what
she represents.
Bergt’s History Lesson re-presents
Picasso’s graphic Guernica as the back-
ground for multiple references to art
history. “The two central female figures
turn towards the two reaching female
figures in Picasso’s painting,” Bergt
explains. “They are rendered representa-tionally, as if reality is looking back at a
powerful internal, emotional expression.
The most forward figure is posed as a
nod toward Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’herbe.”
He continues, “We live in a time where
visual imagery confronts us everywhere.
To have set references, such as those in
this painting, enables us to construct and
deconstruct what we feel and understand
about what we see and how we think.”Nüart Gallery 670 Canyon Road • Santa Fe, NM
87501 • (505) 988-3888 • http://www.nuartgallery.com