Valton Tyler

Homage to Galileo

1970

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintings, prints and drawings, whose style defies convenient labels. Abstract, surreal, cartoonish, sci-fi fantastic, metaphysical, apocalyptic-Baroque - all of these fit but also fall short of fully describing his art." (The Living Arts, June 13, 2000, p. B2) Valton Tyler was born in 1944 in Texas, where "the industrial world of oil refineries made a long-lasting impression on Valton as a very young child living in Texas City. He was three years old when the terrible explosion occurred there and can remember the terrifying confusion and 'the beautiful red sky and objects flying everywhere in the air.'" (Reynolds, p. 25) While growing up in Texas City, Valton's father worked in auto repair, and was known for his skill in mixing colors for paint jobs. After leaving Texas City, Valton made his way to Dallas, where he briefly enrolled at the Dallas Art Institute, but found it to be too social and commercial for his taste. After Valton's work was introduced to Donald Vogel (founder of Valley House Gallery), "Vogel arranged for Tyler to use the printmaking facilities in the art department of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where the young artist essentially taught himself several demanding printmaking techniques. 'It was remarkable,' Vogel says. 'Not only did he learn complicated etching methods, but he was able to express himself powerfully in whatever medium he explored.' Vogel became the publisher of Tyler's prints. Among them, the artist made editions of some 50 different images whose sometimes stringy abstract forms and more solid, architecturally arresting elements became the precursors of his later, mature style." (Gomez, Raw Vision #35, p. 36) “World of Watermelons” is plate number 19, and is reproduced in "The First Fifty Prints: Valton Tyler" with text by Rebecca Reynolds, published for Valley House Gallery by Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, Texas, 1972. Of “World of Watermelons”, Tyler said “The title here does not represent my own associations with this print. Friends simply began referring to it as ‘the watermelon print...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...

Finely balanced etching by Benjamin Vasserman (Estonian, b 1949). A squash sits atop a small black box with a latch. There is a drapery behind the squa...

Candle day. 1984. Paper, linocut, 25x34 cm imprint size 13x25,5 cm total page size 25x34cm Dainis Rozkalns (1928 - 2018) Artist, graphic artist, illustrator of folklore and fiction...

Mikelis day. 1984. Paper, linocut, 25x34 cm imprint size 13x26 cm total page size 25x34cm Dainis Rozkalns (1928 - 2018) Artist, graphic artist, illustrator of folklore and fiction ...

Signed, titled, and numbered from the edition of 15. Japanese still life of flowers and vase. While the images have some resemblance to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, their sense of whimsy, satire and irony relate more closely to contemporary life and western sensibilities. Young women and their relationships to shoes, food, and fashion provide much of Hiratsuka’s subject matter. Another group of his prints focus on landscape, flowers, and floral patterns. Hiratsuka’s graphic work has been exhibited in the Americas, Europe and Asia. He has received numerous awards in international competitions. During the last four years he has had 14 solo shows in the United States, and international solo shows in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, Munich, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland. Partial list of public collections: The British Museum, UK Tokyo Central Museum, Japan Panstwowe Museum, Poland The House of Humor and Satire, Bulgaria Cincinnati Art...

Signed, titled, and numbered from the edition of 15. Japanese still life with vase and flowers on a table, with a large glowing orange moon in the backgrou...

Signed, titled, and numbered from the edition of 15. Large multi-layer cake with sprinkles. While the images have some resemblance to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, their sense of whimsy, satire and irony relate more closely to contemporary life and western sensibilities. Young women and their relationships to shoes, food, and fashion provide much of Hiratsuka’s subject matter. Another group of his prints focus on landscape, flowers, and floral patterns. Hiratsuka’s graphic work has been exhibited in the Americas, Europe and Asia. He has received numerous awards in international competitions. During the last four years he has had 14 solo shows in the United States, and international solo shows in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, Munich, Germany and Geneva, Switzerland. Partial list of public collections: The British Museum, UK Tokyo Central Museum, Japan Panstwowe Museum, Poland The House of Humor and Satire, Bulgaria Cincinnati Art Museum, OH Jundt Art Museum, WA The Portland Art Museum...