DEAN WEST »ESCARAMUZA« AT CAMERA WORK VIRTUAL GALLERY

At the heart of the portrait series are the Escaramuza riders. This women’s equestrian tradition is regarded as an important part of Mexico’s cultural heritage, with a long history in which the riders perform intricately choreographed routines. Combined with their elaborately embroidered dresses, these performances create an aesthetic interplay of elegance, discipline, and strength.

Dean West portrays the Escaramuza riders in monumental, painterly images. In his characteristic visual language, the artist depicts the women beyond their usual setting. He reduces the background and uses an interplay of light and shadow to aestheticize the figures. In doing so, he particularly emphasizes the sculptural beauty of the dresses. The resulting works convey a profound sense of calm and dignity: a tribute to a tradition that embodies female self-assertion.

You may order an artwork overview featuring all works from the exhibition from CAMERA WORK Gallery.

»Escaramuza« An extension of the »American West« Series

For several years, the artist has engaged intensively with the cultural history of North and Central America. Drawing on his sculptural aesthetic, which is rooted in forms, lines, and a precise interplay of light, he succeeds in creating a unique approach to the cultural groups he portrays.

Complementing »Escaramuza«, the exhibition at CAMERA WORK Virtual Gallery also presents works from the equally new series »Ikebana«. In this cycle, Dean West turns his attention, in meditative silence, to the centuries-old Japanese art of flower arranging. As distant as the equestrian tradition of Escaramuza may seem from the contemplative floral art of Japan, at their core both series speak of traditions shaped by women, of discipline finding expression in form, and of beauty emerging from the highest degree of precision.

The exhibition concludes with two works from the »American West« series.                

CAMERA WORK Gallery

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