Morgan Weistling, b. 1964, California, (United States)
Well known for his paintings of early American pioneer life, Morgan Weistling began his art career as a movie-poster illustrator. After 14 years, he left illustration to pursue fine art. Interested in the effects of light, Weistling’s paintings capture the mood and atmosphere of the past. His attention to the historical aspects of his subjects comes from his desire to portray the truth and beauty of America’s pioneering spirit. Weistling and his wife, JoAnn, also an artist, reside in California with their daughters, Brittany and Sienna.
Nothing gets Morgan Weistling’s adrenalin going like telling a story. And, oh, the stories he tells. Focusing on pioneer life in the late 1800s, Weistling’s epic scenes depict the men, women, and children in everyday situations, as they settled the West. Much like a movie director, he carefully stages his characters in scenes that transport time. Through his skillful use of color and light, he leads viewers from one face to another, from one object to another, encouraging them to stop along the way and savor the story.
“I’ve always loved storytellers; I liked art that told stories,” Weistling says, adding that it was storytelling art—from comics to illustrations of the golden age rather than contemporary abstract modernist paintings—that drew him to become an artist. “As I became more aware of art, I was drawn to the art of illustrators who told stories, like N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle. I learned, hey, you can communicate an idea, a story, through a painting.
Morgan Weistling: A Brush with History, Show Preview
It’s been 12 years since Morgan Weistling had a solo show. Not that he wasn’t active— demands for paintings at the Masters of the American West and Prix de West museum exhibitions kept him plenty busy—but now, at the fringes of his first solo show in a dozen years, the California painter is thrilled to have a unique storytelling opportunity knocking at his door. “A solo show offers a great opportunity to present a group of paintings that all go together. It’s a rare chance to do that,” Weistling says. “One painting can stand on its own, but it’s a different feeling when you can offer some insight on a group of paintings that are filled with new discoveries and new revelations.”
I’ve never jumped from a plane while it was being riddled with bullets and leaking fuel and I have no plans to do so. Of course, my father didn’t either and I can only imagine his thoughts of doom that raced through his mind as he helplessly floated down as German soldiers fired at him like a penny arcade target. Though this happened long before I was born, this event affected my own life and still does.
The Jackson Hole Art Auction is pleased to introduce the inaugural Top Tier juried competition this year. Top Tier artists, chosen by invitation, are a select group of contemporary artists with exemplary auction records. Participants include William Acheff, John Banovich, Carl Brenders, Ken Carlson, Jenness Cortez, Martin Grelle, Z.S. Liang, Bonnie Marris, Tucker Smith, Mian Situ, and Morgan Weistling. A $10,000 cash prize will be awarded to the artist whose work is of significant merit, as determined by a three person jury: Peter Hassrick, Director Emeritus & Senior Scholar, Buffalo Bill Center of the West; Jerry Smith, PhD, Curator of American & Western American Art, Phoenix Art Museum; Adam Duncan Harris, PhD, Petersen Curator of Art & Research, National Museum of Wildlife Art. The award will be announced prior to the start of the auction, during which all Top Tier paintings will be sold.
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