Taos Art Colony - Modern Art

Modern Art

In the 1940s a group of artists, some able to study under the G.I. bill, came to Taos and influenced by European and American modern art. Without knowing the history of the local art colony, artists came from New York and San Francisco, centers for abstract painting that emerged after World War II. By the 1950s Taos had become one of the major centers for modern art in the country; The artists became known as the "Taos Moderns". Andrew Dasbug came to Taos and was a mentor to many of the new artists. Some of the emerging artists from this period include: Thomas Benrimo, Louis Ribak and his wife Beatrice Mandelman, Agnes Martin, Clay Spohn, and Edward Corbett (artist). Other visiting artists include Richard Diebenkorn, Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt, Clyfford Still and Morris Graves.

Like earlier artists, they portrayed the colorful New Mexican landscape and cultural influences, such as the "timelessness they perceived in Puebloan culture and the deep connection to the land they noted in the everyday life of both Native Americans and Hispanics influence experimentation and innovation in their own art." Rather than capturing realist images of people and the landscape, they sought to capture the true meaning of their subjects.

Until their recent deaths modern-day artists such as R. C. Gorman, Bill Rane and J.D. Challenger made Taos their home.