Inherent in the collection of new works by Arizona artist Tony de Luz is a deep connection to his subject – that nearly mythic byway known as Route 66, a road deeply linked to previous eras shaping the way West, and to an American dream of exploration and a better life.
Originally from Boston, the artist’s own life changed exponentially once he encountered the big skies and open spaces of New Mexico and Arizona in 1978, a physical and spiritual encounter that would influence his future. Later, driving on that same route all the way to California, absorbing the nuances of landscape, small town life, and especially signage, de Luz began to see the world, in his own words “at street level”, something not possible when cruising down a super highway.
That road-borne viewpoint clearly translates to compositions which are often cropped, as if seen from a car window on the fly. A strong background in graphic design and illustration lend his highly realistic paintings structure and detail, but unlike his own photos of the same scenes, his images are highly selective. Many evoke another time when people loved to travel by car and trailer, camp, and seek adventure.
Of note are two striking works featuring the words “Fur” and “West”—out of context, meaningless— but within de Luz’ automobile-centered vision, part of the ever-fleeting urban landscape. In another, a corner diner, “Lindy’s”, rendered in purple and turquoise, honors a bygone era in downtown Albuquerque on Route 66, then and now. The building’s Art-Deco feel and 1920’s lettering evoke nostalgia, awash in brilliant color. Alternatively, vivid desert views and billowing clouds reveal a fresh, looser approach.
The paintings in “66 and Beyond” connect us not only to a hallowed time and place, but also to the journey— wherever the road may lead.
