by Gregory F;rlotte
The
Circle Acylic, 58. x 60.
"To paint is why I get up every morning:"states artist Dolona Roberts in her Santa Fe studio. "It seems that there are always two more colors I want to add or else another canvas I want to begin:" It has been this passion for art which has kept Roberts going since the age of five. At this young age, her grand- parents hired artist Louise Crow to help bring out Roberts' innate ability to draw and paint. Without question, she was destined for the artist's life.
Roberts attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs and later
the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where she began to develop a
style which would become a blend of representational Southwestern
art and abstract expressionism. Among her teachers were Elaine de Kooning,
Randall Davey and, the most influential, Kenneth Adams. Under Adams' tutelage,
Roberts explored color theory. One of her exercises -and challenges - was
making color the focus of her paintings instead of the subject matter.
Being born and raised in Santa Fe certainly was to her advantage and some
forty-odd years later, Roberts still has no desire to live anywhere else.
The "effects"of being in such a special place permeate every
square inch of her paintings. In the popular "Blanket Series:' her palette
is as crisp and as bold as the environment around her. The blankets on her
faceless wearers radiate with colors seen in the land or the morning and
evening skies.
My palette is never predetermined. I take my colors from those things around
me: the sky, the land, the Native American crafts found in the local shops.
As I apply the first color on my painting, my mind's eye is searching for
the next. And it is not until I have the second color laid that I search
for the third. It is a building process:"
The groupings of turned backs featured in many of Roberts' paintings could almost be the outline of the looming Sangre de Cristo mountains surrounding Santa Fe. In discussing the work Bright Blankets, Roberts adds, " A sense of circular motion is created by the four figures with their baskets hunched to the center of the canvas. These figures represent the four com- pass directions as well as the four seasons, of which winter is the softer-hued blanket:'
On another recent piece, Baskets and Blankets, Roberts explains, "This painting is different from the others in the fact that I chose a dark, intense palette. I was painting this on a winter day by the glow of flames from the fireplace in my studio. Looking out the window, the sky had many colors in it ranging from gray to blue in varying shades. So it was the winter sky which served as inspiration for this:'
A sense of place is established in her work, be it a painting,
a drawing, mono print or lithograph. This has been the lure to the followers
of Roberts. Her Cherokee ancestry and the local Native
American populace have served as inspiration for her prolific output.
In 1988, Roberts was the only American woman represented
in "Biennale des Femmes:' Grand Palais, Paris, an exhibition sponsored
by UNESCO. Other recent exhibitions include San Diego Museum of Man, J 985;
Galerie Calumet, Heidelburg, Germany; J 985-86; Galeria Nichido, Paris,
France, 1986; and Janus Gallery; Santa Fe, J 970-87. Her work is in the
collections of The Heard Museum, McNay Art Institute, San Antonio; University
of Nevada and the Univer- sity of Arizona Foundation, among others. With
dozens of prestigious awards and exhibitions to her credit, Roberts has
established herself as a preeminent Southwest artist.
Yet, she is continually surprised by the desire of her public
to want to know her beyond her paintings. "I believe that the artwork
is what the collector should covet. not the artist." she is quick to
point out. "The art world has been changed permanently
by such luminaries as Warhol and others who made it a point to always be
in the public eye. This has created a desire by the public to feel that
they must know you in order to understand your work. Art must stand on its
own and the viewer needs to develop a personal relationship with it. After
all. when I'm gone. my artwork will remain and it must be my art that does
the speaking to the viewer:.
Roberts refers to Van Gogh's obsession with art as an example
of her own beliefs. She adds. ..Creating art was first and foremost to him
and, because of his dedication, we today are enjoying his great masterpieces:'
Those close to Roberts know of her own dedication to her chosen profession.
And those meeting the artist for the first time are often surprised by her
quiet mannerisms and soft voice.
She says laughingly; ..People expect to find me a large. strong
person as dramatic as my paintings. Instead. I'm an<
FEBRUARY 1990. ART GALLERA INTERNATIONAL