Stranger in These Parts: Recent Paintings by Tracy Stuckey

Exhibition Dates: January 31, 2017 – March 4, 2017

Lecture Presentation by the artist: February 2, 2017, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

“The American West has always been as much an idea as a reality,” notes George Speer, Director of the NAU Art Museum, “and Tracy Stuckey’s paintings investigate the region as a ‘brand’ shaped by romantic images, as an imaginative territory embodied in iconic figures such as John Wayne and the Marlboro Man.”

The American West, with its brief but often romanticized history has become a dominant characteristic of our collective American psyche. Because of its unique history, the Western United States is more than just a location, it is a label, a persona, and most importantly a cultural identity. The word “Western” is a category used to describe films, literature, music, art, and fashion. John Wayne, a Marlboro Man, and Monument Valley denote something uniquely American and iconic; and everyone from fashion designers to advertisers to pop stars use this imagery to sell not only products but also an idea. In my work, I use the cowboy and cowgirl and other stereotypical Western themes coupled with pop cultural depictions of the region to reflect my own interpretations of the contemporary West. I am interested in historian Michael Johnson’s phrase, the “Ralphlaurenization” of the West and its characters.

Tracy Stuckey received his BFA in painting from Florida State University and his MFA from the University of New Mexico. He has exhibited his work extensively throughout the United States, with numerous solo and group exhibitions. He has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. In 2009 he was an artist-in-residence at the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Wendover, Utah. He lives with his wife and fellow artist Erika Osborne, in Fort Collins, Colorado. As well as being an artist, Tracy is a part-time lecturer at Colorado State University, where he teaches painting and drawing. His work can be seen at the Schmidt Dean Gallery in Philadelphia, PA and the Visions West Contemporary in Denver, Colorado.

Articles featuring the exhibition:

“NAU exhibit juxtaposes tradition and changes on the range” – Arizona Daily Sun
“NAU Art Museum to feature paintings that mix pop culture with Old West” – NAU News
“Spring events blossom at NAU College of Arts and Letters” – NAU News