About the Artist

IMG_0292As a native Floridian with a Business degree from Florida State University, I never considered stretching my creative talents until later in life. My post-college choices, however, did much to educate me in the “art of living”.

Serving as a combat commander in the US Marines (Vietnam 1968-69) and thereafter being released from active/inactive duty as a Captain, I then opted for some post-war “cleansing” and pursued global travel…South America, Europe, the Mideast (where, in Tel-Aviv, Israel, I lied my way into a chef’s position at a French/Italian seafood restaurant…menus in Fr/Ital/Hebrew) and Asia. After many thousands of miles logged on sailboats (in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and a trans-Atlantic crossing with a friend on a 30′ sloop), I sought a change of scenery in order to address an intensifying desire to paint…..in the mid-1970’s I packed my seabag and moved to Taos, New Mexico.

After several years of thought, toil, and experimentation, the black and white (acrylic) images began to “come together” on canvas. Although quite diverse in my choice of subject matter, I was known mostly in the Southwest US for my photorealistic paintings of the human face. In my 10 plus years in Taos, I developed a significant chronicle of portraits of the “viejos”…..the “old ones”. These good people, the old cowpoke, the Pueblo Indian, the local Hispanic icon, the wily backwoodsman, were nonetheless just ordinary people; but when rendered with such unflinching realism, their personalities, their life’s experiences seemed stamped on each face as if time had stopped for an instant, frozen. Their personal histories became subtly transparent and prompted a dialogue with the viewer, an uncharacteristic trait known to classic photorealism.

When I moved my family to Albuquerque I was very protective of my “style” of painting (dry brushing white onto black); but as I tried to “grow” in to other areas I realized that I was wasting a lot of time figuring things out on my own. So after taking a few art classes to fill in the technical voids I moved on to color, and then to oil paint. As I did this and as I allowed myself to embrace the fluidity that came from blending oil colors, my subject matter changed as did the size of the canvas. The canvas size in the black and white and the color “portrait” era ranged from 32″ x 40″ up to 40″ x 50″.

As I transitioned to oil paint, enlarged florals and reflective (glass) surfaces proved to be an exciting springboard for transformation…..and the size of the work went through a revolution as well….from 72″ x 76″ up to the largest work at 5ft x 10ft.Along with that revolution in style and size, came an evolution in my creative direction. On the 23rd of November of 2011…..after 42 years of sorting through the personal memories, as well as reflecting on the impact that a polarized America in the Sixties had on the outcome of the Vietnam War,  I took the road less traveled once again and began a major mixed media piece that would become a narrative on canvas that provided a general sense of the mood and the realities of the Vietnam War era, as well as take a look at the attitude and events that typified the happenings back in “the world”.  As I began my research it soon became apparent that this was going to be a complex undertaking and was going to be a lot more than a guy in a foxhole kind of painting. It is dedicated, specifically, to all combat Marines of that era, but also memorializes the veterans of all services, and their families, who sacrificed so much in the service of a country that was not all together in support of their mission. “Vietnam Elegy” was completed on 20 February 2014….Please visit vietnamelegy.com for an in-depth look at the project, the process, and its future.

denhamclementsbwsig

Studied:  Florida State University, BS in Business Administration; Major: Advertising & Public Relations…1962-66 Self-taught (career began in 1975 in Taos, NM.) University of New Mexico, 1986…Oil painting, Art Theory, Modern Art History, Drawing

Books:  1997, Art in the Ambassador’s Residence, US State Dept (color), Exhibition Catalog 1992, New Art of the West, Eiteljorg Museum of Indian & Wester Art (color), Exhibition Catalog 1990, Art of Albuquerque, Albuquerque Museum (color), Exhibition Catalog 1980, Here & Now: 35 Artists in New Mexico, Albuquerque Museum (color), Exhibition Catalog 1979, Reflections of Realism, Albuquerque Museum (color), Exhibition Catalog

HONORS:

  • Who’s Who In America, 2013, 2014

FINE ART DIGITAL REPRODUCTIONS:

  • Some of Denham’s pieces are also available as museum quality digital reproductions (gicleés).

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS:

    • Albuquerque Museum, part of the Permanent Collection “Common Ground”, Albuquerque, NM
    • Tucson Museum of Art, part of the Permanent Collection “Art of the American West”, Tucson, AZ
    • Vietnam Veterans Memorial (David Westphall Veterans Foundation) Angel Fire, NM
    • Heritage Park Veteran’s Museum Henry County, Georgia

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

      • 2015 – “Vietnam Elegy” at the Plaque Dedication for the 42nd OCC and TBS 4-67; The Marine Memorial Club, San Francisco, CA
      • 2003 – Caesarea Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
      • 1998 – Culiver Cadillac & The Book Vine, Scottsdale, Arizona
      • 1997 – The Book Vine, Scottsdale, Arizona
      • 1981 – P, M & Stein Gallery, New York, New York
      • 1979 – The Foundry, Washington, DC
      • 1979 – Gallery Allene, Annapolis, Maryland

DUET EXHIBITIONS:

      • 1984 – “Two Western Realists” – The Joan Lyon Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
      • 1981 – “Black White & Color” with Marcie McKinnon – S. Rudy Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

GROUP EXHIBITIONS & INVITATIONALS:


      • 2016 – “Vietnam Elegy”, DIGIE (Digital Information Gateway El Paso) Interactive Exhibition, El Paso Museum of History, El Paso, Texas
      • 2015…”Marines in Vietnam”, A Fifty Year Anniversary Commemoration of Marines Landing at Da Nang; Vietnam Gallery, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, VA
      • 2005 – Caesarea Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
      • 2005 – Karen Lynne Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
      • 2004 – Caesarea Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
      • 2004 – Karen Lynne Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
      • 2003 – Caesarea Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
      • 2002 – “Cheyenne Frontier Days”, Western Spirit Art Show, the Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY
      • 2002 – Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Coconut Grove, FL
      • 1998 – “Annual Indian Market Exhibition” – Contemporary Southwest Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico
      • 1996 – “Fine Art of Surgery” – 2nd Annual Invitational, Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico Hospital
      • 1996 – “Art in Embassies” Program sponsored by U.S. Department of State, Ambassador’s Residence, Lima, Peru
      • 1994 – “Gallery Opening / Print Signing” – Buffalo Gallery, Tysons Corner, Virginia
      • 1993 – “Spring Group Show” – The West Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1993 – “Fall Group Show” – The West Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1992 – “New Art of the West” – 3rd Eiteljorg Invitational, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
      • 1992 – “MAGNIFICO!” – Albuquerque Festival of the Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1992 – “Common Ground” – An Exhibition of the Permanent Collection, The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1991 – “MAGNIFICO!” – Albuquerque Festival of the Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1990 – “Spring Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1990 – “Fall Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1990 – “Art of Albuquerque” – Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1990 – “8th Anniversary Invitational” – Dartmouth Street Gallery, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1989 – “Spring Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1989 – “Fall Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1989 – “Black and White” – Santa Fe Spring Festival of Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
      • 1989 – “Annual Miniature Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1988 – “Spring Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1988 – “Fall Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1987 – “Neighbors” – The Museum, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
      • 1987 – “Fall Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1987 – “Air” – Taos Spring Arts Festival, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1986 – “Taos Invites Taos” – Taos Arts Festival, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1986 – “Neighbors” – The Museum, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
      • 1986 – “Fall Group Show” – The Morgan Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1985 – “Taos Invites Taos” – Taos Arts Festival, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1985 – “Photorealism, 1985” – The Joan Lyon Gallery, Aspen, Colorado
      • 1985 – “Landscapes of the Southwest” – Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1984 – “New Art New Mexico” – Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1983 – “Three Western Realists” – Gallery 10, Aspen, Colorado
      • 1983 – “Faces of Taos” – Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1982 – “Taos Rejected” – Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1981 – “Made in (New) Mexico” – S. Rudy Gallery, Houston, Texas
      • 1981 – “Eight from New Mexico” – San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
      • 1981 – “Art of the Southwest” – BFM Gallery, New York, New York
      • 1980 – “Here and Now; 35 Artists in New Mexico” – The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
      • 1980 – “Cowboys and Indians” – The Avarda Center for the Arts and Humanities, Arvada, Colorado
      • 1979 – “Reflections in Realism” – The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM

JURIED EXHIBITIONS:

      • 2014 – The VA’s “National Veteran’s Creative Arts Festival,” Milwaukee, WI   First Place: “Military Combat Experience” Category; Best of Show
      • 2005 – 38th International Exhibition, International Museum of Art, El Paso, TX
      • 2001 – “Traditional Fine Art 2001”, juried exhibition at The Art Center at Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos NM
      • 2000 – “Seen/Unseen”, 9th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Runnels Gallery, Eastern New Mexico University, NM
      • 2000 – “Free Spirit Juried Art Show & Sale” – The Hubbard Museum of American Art, Ruidoso, New Mexico
      • 1999 – “Gateway National Juried Art Show” – Division of Cultural Affairs, Farmington Museum Gateway Park, Farmington, New Mexico
      • 1998 – “Free Spirit Juried Art Show & Sale” – The Hubbard Museum of American Art, Ruidoso, New Mexico
      • 1997 – “MAGNIFICO!” – Albuquerque Festival of the Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico – The Lewinger-Hamilton Award
      • 1997 – “Fall America Art Show & Sale” – Museum of the Horse, Ruidoso, New Mexico – Best of Show Award
      • 1986 – “The Spirit in Art” – Taos Spring Arts Festival, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1985 – “Taos Today” – Taos Arts Festival, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1984 – “Lubbock Arts Festival” – Lubbock, Texas
      • 1983 – “Lubbock Arts Festival” – Lubbock, Texas
      • 1982 – “Taos Today” – Taos Art Festival, Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1982 – “Photographers of Taos” – Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico
      • 1982 – “Evolving Images” – Santa Fe Festival of the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
      • 1979 – “Taos Open Awards; Stables Gallery, Taos, New Mexico

LECTURES & DEMONSTRATIONS:

      • 2016 – “Vietnam Elegy: The Story behind the Painting”, Keynote presentation at OASIS, Albuquerque, NM
      • 2014 – “Vietnam Elegy: The Story Behind the Painting”, A Keynote presentation at Meadowlark Senior Center, Rio Rancho. New Mexico
      • 1992 – “Painting Demonstration” – Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
      • 1984 – “Professional Ethics in Museums” Seminar at The Museum, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

      • Klaus, Peggy. “Artist Paints Expanded Realism”. THE TAOS NEWS, March 3, 1977
      • Landis, Ellen. REFLECTIONS OF REALISM Exhibition catalogue, The Albuquerque Museum, 1979
      • Raether, Keith. “Museum of Albuquerque Opens Realism Show”. Albuquerque Journal, October 24, 1979
      • Daigh, Janice. “Realist Shows” THE TAOS NEWS, December 27, 1979
      • Landis, Ellen. “Here and Now: 35 Artists in New Mexico” (Exhibition catalog) The Albuquerque Museum, 1980
      • Loniak, Walter. “Heartstoppingly Real” THE SANTA FE REPORTER, January 10, 1980
      • Mills, James. “Arvada Center Relives ‘Cowboys and Indians’ West”. THE DENVER POST, August 10, 1980
      • Barrett, Marjorie. “Arvada Sets Major Art Series” ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, August 10, 1980
      • Chaffee, Katherine. “Art of the American West”, MUSE, Sept/Oct 1980
      • Chaffee, Katherine. “Peculiar the the West”, ARTSPACE, September 1980
      • Daigh, Janice. “Clements Portraits Real”, THE TAOS NEWS, September, 1980
      • Press Release: “Ellen Landis; Here and Now”, ARTLINES, December, 1980
      • Press Release: “Realist Art Exhibit at Albuquerque Museum”, ARTISTS OF THE ROCKIES & THE GOLDEN WEST, Winter, 1980
      • Review: “Here and Now” at the Albuquerque Museum. ARTSPACE, December, 1980
      • Press Release: “Top of the Line: Denham Clements”, ARTLINES, January, 1981
      • Gilbert, Lois. “Denham Clements; Photorealism with Soul”, ARTLINES, Feb, 1981
      • Review: “Eight From New Mexico” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, SAN FRANCISCO TRIBUNE, March 10, 1981
      • Dunham, Judith. “A Review of Eight from New Mexico” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, ARTWEEK, March 21, 1981
      • Wilson, Wendy. “A Review of the Season’s Opening Exhibit, S. Rudy Gallery, Santa Fe”, SANTA FE REPORTER, May 22, 1981
      • Braun, Moira. “Life in Black & White: A Profile on Denham Clements”. SANTA FE PROFILE MAGAZINE, Sept. 1981
      • Chaffee, Katherine. “Visions of the West”, ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAGAZINE,
      • December, 1981
      • Review: “Living Portraits at the P, M & Stein Gallery”, NEW YORK GUIDE, through December 20, 1981
      • Pellicone, William. “Fantastic Performances… Photorealists?”, ARTSPEAK, New York, December 24, 1981
      • Forman, Joanne. “Faces of Taos”, review of Invitational Exhibit, Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico. THE TAOS NEWS, January 20, 1983
      • Winston, Steve. “More Alive Now (a Profile on the Artist’s Past)”, THE TAOS NEWS,
      • February 3, 1983
      • Preview: “Gallery 10 Features Western Realists”, THE ASPEN TIMES, March 3, 1983
      • Preview: “Photorealistic Art to be Featured at Gallery 10″, THE SNOWMASS SUN, March 4, 1983
      • Cooke, Regina. “Art Notes (Denham Clements)”, THE TAOS NEWS, March 17, 1983
      • Preview: “At the Galleries”, THE ASPEN TIMES, February 23, 1984
      • Preview: “Western Realists Exhibit Set”, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Feb 24, 1984
      • Preview: “At the Joanne Gallery”, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Art Page, Feb 28, 1984
      • Cooke, Regina. “Art Notes (Denham Clements)”, THE TAOS NEWS, March 15, 1984
      • Bell, David. “The Heros Live On”. Review of “New Art / New Mexico”, Stables Art Center, Taos, New Mexico, September, 1984
      • Price, Max. Preview of “Photorealism 1985″, DENVER POST, August 16, 1985
      • Preview: “At the Joanne Lyon Gallery, Aspen”, THE BOULDER CAMERA, August 23, 1985
      • Scherch, Meg. “Taos’ Best”. Review of the 11th Annual “Taos Invites Taos” exhibit, TAOS NEWS, October 10, 1985
      • Clements, Denham. “Few Cast Stones”, response to review by Meg Scherch, THE TAOS NEWS, June 12, 1986
      • Cooke, Regina. “Art Notes: Clements to Exhibit at The Museum at Texas Tech University…”, THE TAOS NEWS, January 1, 1987
      • Preview: “The Art of Albuquerque: Study in Diversity”, supplement to ALBUQUERQUE MONTHLY magazine, April, 1990
      • Duty, Michael. “The West That Was and The West That Is” Exhibition catalogue 3rd Eiteljorg Invitational “New Art of the West”, 1992
      • Pulkka, Wesley. “Cultures in Collision”, review of the rehanging of the permanent collection at the Albuquerque Museum, THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, March 12, 1995
      • Jett, Dennis. “Art in the Ambassador’s Residence” Exhibition catalog, ”Art in Embassies Program”, 1996
      • Pulkka, Wesley. “Magnifico! Portrait”, review of Albuquerque Festival of Arts exhibition, THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, May 18, 1997
      • Kunich, Gary J “From the Jungle to the Art Studio”, Feature Article in ARTSGRAM, “2014 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival”, 2014
      • Front Cover and Feature Article, Spring 2015 Issue, American Legion AUXILIARY Magazine, 2015
      • Tania Casselle, “The Art of Healing,” Feature Article in New Mexico Magazine, May 2020

Born: 1944 (Miami Beach, Florida, USA) Lived/Active: New Mexico Profession(s): Painter Known for: Portrait, Western, Botanical Style(s): Photorealist, Contemporary, Mixed Media Medium(s): Oil, Acrylic, Collage



Denham’s Work