Chasing Santa Fe: Zaplin - Lampert Gallery

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

The Zaplin - Lampert Gallery sits along Canyon Road, its' inviting portal filled with understated charm.

The word venerable comes to mind when I think of how it feels to step inside. Established in 1987, the gallery quickly became known for artists that plied their talent in the early years of Santa Fe, Taos and the American West.

A walk through will turn up gems by Gerald Cassidy, Gene Kloss, Ernest Blumenschein, Gustave Baumann, Thomas Hart Benton and scores and scores of established 19th and 20th century artists.

The current exhibition - UNIQUE IMPRESSIONS - got my attention and I dropped by to see the rare and lovely monotypes produced by members of the legendary Taos Society of Artists.

What, pray tell, is a monotype?

The diminutive catalog that went with the show explained that a monotype is singular and spontaneous. It seems that the artist paints or draws an image directly on a metal or glass plate with oils or printer's ink. The surface is then manipulated with brush strokes, a palate knife, fingers or a rag until the final image emerges. The finished plate is run through a press and the image transferred onto paper. And after all of this, only one handmade print emerges.

Joseph Henry Sharp

Two Moons - Cheyenne - Monoprint

But, there is so much more to the Zaplin-Lampert Gallery - paintings, furniture, weavings and sculpture. Here's what caught my eye...

And for a fascinating glimpse into the homes and lives of some of Santa Fe's earliest artists, pick up a copy (available at the gallery & Collected Works) of Stacia Lewandowski's new book - Light, Landscape and the Creative Quest - Early Artists of Santa Fe.