American Art Collector – August 2019

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COLLECTOR'S FOCUS: PORTRAITS

aspects of the time-honored genre. They
discuss their working methods, what they
hope to convey and provide insights on the
market for these works.
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is
Nüart Gallery, which represents the works
of Bergt and Erin Cone.
“The thing that seems to really resonate
for me is when any artist—in any field,
whether it’s music or literature—can take
some references from history and incorpo-
rate them into something in contemporary
life, and make you see it completely anew,”
Bergt explains. “I’ve always been craft
oriented, and very methodical, precise in

my rendering, so I’ve always looked toward

the early Renaissance as an infl uence or

inspiration.”

Cone is drawn to the stories the fi gure

tells, how there is subtlety and complexity

in pose, gesture and expression. “I refi ne

this story with details omitted and details

augmented, deliberately incorporating

visual glitches which question the logic of

the painted reality while forming a record

of my selective perception,” she says. “This

selective coalescing of infi nite possibilities

into a finite vision is the essence of the

creative process—a process which continu-

ally fascinates me as I seek to convey

something open-ended within the limits

of my canvas.”

Located in Franklin, Tennessee, is

Haynes Galleries, which represents a

number of contemporary portrait artists.

Gallery owner Gary R. Haynes says,

“Having been involved in the Portrait

Society of America for 18 years and having

represented many award-winning portrait

artists both for commissioned work as

well as fi ne art sales, I have seen a range

of styles and approaches in all media. It

still boils down to capturing the essence

of the character of the subject whether the

portrait is of a person, place or thing. As

10. Nüart Gallery, Infanta, colored pencil and gouache on toned paper, 15 x 13", by Michael Bergt. 11. Haynes Galleries, Judy, oil on linen, 46 x 32", by Ellen Cooper.


11. Haynes Galleries, Nocturne on the Reservoir, oil on linen, 48 x 24", by Casey Childs. 13. Haynes Galleries, In Recent Days, plaster on walnut wood base, 22 x 9 x 10",
    by Alicia Ponzio. 14. Nüart Gallery, Portrait, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48", by Erin Cone. Private collection. 15. Nüart Gallery, Under the Sea, colored pencil and gouache on
    toned paper, 17 x 13", by Michael Bergt. 16. PoetsArtists, Patience, oil on board, 24 x 18", by Heather Brunetti. 17. PoetsArtists, You’ve Got Everything Now, oil on linen on
    board, 11¾ x11¾", by Alessandro Tomassetti. 18. PoetsArtists, Holding on Tightly, oil on wood panel, 16 x 20", by Patrice Robinson. 19. Lotton Gallery, Glancing Back, oil on
    canvas, 12 x 16", by Gianni Strino.

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