New Paintings by Frank Buffalo Hyde and Ryan Singer Make Contact with Humans in 'Para-Native Activity' on June 3

The public’s interest in the unexplained is as old as Humanity itself. Every generation, as if through osmosis, embraces the paranormal—from Bigfoot to “Nessy” the Lochness Monster, to Mothman and the speculated alien crash in Roswell, New Mexico. These are the stories that titillate and give us reason to believe and propagate the existence of these cultural legends.

In a refreshing departure from typical contemporary Native American art fare that many aficionados have come to expect in the Santa Fe art scene, rising legends themselves, Frank Buffalo Hyde and Ryan Singer, have shifted the focus of their work to celebrate figures deep-rooted in crypto zoology and the paranormal, which science has yet to explain. The result is a new show, which opens at Legends Santa Fe Gallery on June 3. Aptly titled Para-Native Activity, Frank Buffalo Hyde describes the exhibition as “contemporary work by visual artists who happen to be Native American.” Initially, Legends Santa Fe planned to host two separate shows for each of its featured artists, but when a conversation took place in which both Buffalo Hyde and Singer realized they shared a passion for the same subject matter, it seemed natural to team up for a joint exhibition.

The seed for this show began two years ago when Buffalo Hyde mounted a similar show in Santa Fe that received a great deal of press and drew a wide variety of collectors, including great minds from the scientific community who were obsessed with all things paranormal. The artists are hopeful that the public’s ongoing fascination with the unexplained will also elicit a strong response for Para-Native Activity. Buffalo Hyde’s connection to all things unexplained runs just as deep.

“As a child, I was always fascinated by this stuff,” said Buffalo Hyde. “It is has been a lifelong hobby of mine to keep up with all the developments in the paranormal world—tracking progress on the hunt for Bigfoot and other figures such as the mysterious soul called Mothman, who pops up to warn people about impending doom.”

Though, preoccupied with a whole different roster of the strange and scientifically unproven, Singer shared the same enthusiasm as Buffalo Hyde while a young boy.

“As a child, I was always captivated by the paranormal. It plagued my nightmares and consumed my daytime fantasies,” says Ryan Singer. “Everything fantastic and unexplained always made me wonder if humans know and understand everything. This show has given me the opportunity to explore those childhood fantasies and dreams.”

Buffalo Hyde and Singer alike are thrilled to be creating works in which they are able to express themselves without being conscious of their Native American identities. Both agree that Native artists expel so much energy trying to add distance between them and the label of contemporary Native American artist, but as the title suggests Para-Native Activity (“Rising above all that is Native”) none of that context is relevant for this work.

Para-Native Activity will feature pieces by Buffalo Hyde that are more streamlined than the rest of his body of work. Gone will be the busy nature of varied themes and the focal point will be the iconic subjects themselves—“cool, scary and unsettling,” according to Buffalo Hyde. His paintings will merely pay honest homage to the mythical legends that inspire our culture.

Singer’s contributions to the exhibit will include ghosts, the Chupacabra, the Cracken, aliens, UFOs and even the Thunderbird, a Southwest icon. Singer is especially influenced by contemporary non-Native American artists, as well as pop art and works by the masters. Each piece will have its own style and speak for itself. Singer, accustomed to working with bright and bold colors has taken on the challenge of capturing the doom and gloom of the paranormal using a subdued and limited color palette.

Para-Native Activity opens at Legends Santa Fe Gallery on Friday, June 3 with a reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. The show runs through June 27. Legends Santa Fe is located 125 Lincoln Avenue Santa Fe. For more information, call 505.983.5639 or visit the gallery online at http://www.legendssantafe.com./

An 'Ode to Mother' on Mother's Day

Today it's time for a post that isn't about art.  Life happens, and it's a special day--Mother's Day to be exact!  So, since I’m not near my family, I thought my mother deserved her own Mom’s Day post:

ODE TO MOTHER

My mother’s not the typical mother. She wasn’t the best cook in the world when she was younger (I think she actually taught us to fend for ourselves so we could cook for her later!). But, ya know what? That’s okay…I forgive her.

My mother used to be the typical mother. When I told her I was gay (twice…we call it the “second coming out!’), she blamed herself and wondered what everyone would think of her. Now, she’d fight for my right to love whomever I choose because she’d never want me to go through all the pain I went through ever again.

My mother’s not the typical mother. She couldn’t have children with my father, so she was brave and took on the child of someone else and gave me a home where I could learn and thrive. Okay, so we didn’t always understand one another, but she put a roof over my head and gave me what I needed…perhaps, more.

My mother is a typical mother. She worries about the safety and well-being of her children. And although she didn’t, and still doesn’t, agree with all my life choices, she has tried, and still tries, to let me grow and make my own mistakes in life. After all, we are both works in progress, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be until we leave this Earth.

My mother is not a typical mother. Overall, she’s as unselfish as she can be. After all, what adoptive mother would not only aid her child in the search for his and her biological parents but then research the genealogy all the way back to the beginning of time?

My mother is a typical mother. She can be exasperating, controlling, meddling and probably more adjectives that I can’t recall at the moment, which is the way it’s supposed to be. All her good qualities outweigh the bad--The same goes for me too. It’s comforting that we can be exasperating together, since that’s what unconditional love is all about.

My mother is not a typical mother. Most mothers get hugs and “I love You”s which I stopped doing years ago and never should have. Most mothers get the respect they are due, but I forget to do that a lot (Being independent takes a lot out of you!). Most mothers aren’t expected to be their child’s therapist, but mine does. I seem to demand a lot from her, sometimes to her detriment. Most mothers don’t have to experience their children’spain day in and day out, but mine does. The fact that she internalizes it shows just how much she loves me.

My mother is a typical mother. She is the rock of the family. She is strong for all of us because we have yet to learn all the wisdom that she has acquired in her lifetime. My mother is a typical mother because she knows, in spite of all the words that go unspoken, that we love her (in our own way), and would never have another mother in the whole wide world (we now know the alternatives). She is, of course, truly our mother and made us who we are today, both the good and the bad. That’s the way it is and that bond can not be broken.

My relationship with my mother is not typical. One thing the Universe has taught me is trust in what life brings you…always! After all, how could it be that a childless woman and an infant so in need of love found each other in a sea of people only to discover decades later that they are biologically related? If that doesn’t send a clear message, I don’t know what does. Undoubtedly, she was meant to be my mother and I her son.

So, on this Mother’s Day, I celebrate my mother—the only one I’ll ever have and hope that she knows exactly how much I love her. Thanks for everthing, Mom!

Copyright 2011 Paul Niemi