Blue Rain Gallery's Artists Under 40
Young artists are crucial in the ever-evolving landscape of art and culture. They bring innovative ideas, fresh perspectives, and bold techniques that push the boundaries of traditional art forms. By reflecting the contemporary social, political, and cultural climates, young artists offer a vibrant and relevant view of the world, addressing issues pertinent to their generation. Their contributions ensure the continuous evolution and adaptation of the art field and foster a diverse and inclusive art community. Young artists inspire and influence others through their work, driving economic growth and enriching the creative economy with their dynamic exhibitions, sales, and collaborations. Blue Rain Gallery is happy to introduce our artists under 40.
Helen K. Tindel (Santa Clara Pueblo)
b. 1987
Helen K. Tindel’s relationship with art is innate. It’s often said that it’s in her blood; however, like all relationships, that between Helen and art has evolved throughout her life. Immersed in art since birth, Helen was born in 1987 to creative parents in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On her paternal side was her father, Greg Tindel, an artist and framer, and on her maternal side were three generations of Santa Clara painters: great-grandmother Pablita Velarde, grandmother Helen Hardin, and mother Margarete Bagshaw. Though born into a family of artists, Helen did not make art for the first two decades of her life. In youth, she felt pressure and confinement in being the fourth in a legendary matrilineal painting dynasty. She aspired to be anything but an artist; she spent her school years playing hockey, snowboarding, and studying, hoping to pursue a profession such as lawyering or accounting. She looked at her family as an outsider at her mother's gallery. Instead of taking an independent interest in her, others would only ask about her following in her dynasty’s footsteps.
Years later, during a summer break from her economics and Spanish studies at the University of New Mexico, 22-year-old Helen often visited her mother at her gallery. It was late July in the hectic weeks preceding Indian Market, and her frantically prepping mother had no time to talk, so she insisted Helen busy herself. She gave Helen a pen and panel, suggesting she draw. It began as a way to kill time, but as the drawing developed, Helen felt a calmness she had never experienced while busy. With encouragement from her parents, Helen created the piece, adding color. Then, her father framed it. By the time the Indian Market show was ready to open, Helen had completed her first work, a painting of her mother’s studio. Her mother hung it in the show, and much to Helen’s delighted surprise, it sold.
Helen later learned that her mother had bought the painting. But it didn’t matter – the delight remained, and as she kept painting, the positive feedback persisted. It felt good to create in her style and to be authentically accepted for it. The discomfort around art that consumed her in youth faded, and she finally felt safe to develop in a way that was uniquely hers. She explored art from Klimt to Basquiat, experimenting with materials and methods in her father’s studio. Creating art brought her closer to her family and herself.
Her relationship with art changed again when her mother passed in 2015. Her mother and her art had always been closely tied, and without her, everything shifted. Helen took a break from painting, beginning again in secret years later with a completely new focus. She connected with her mother through painting; it served as a cathartic way to mourn, process, and reflect. Intentionality and rawness appeared in the new work. Abstract and evocative compositions mirrored the intense emotions she felt. Her art was visceral. Then, evolving again, the flowers appeared, both as an honor to her mother and to her ancestral New Mexico homeland. Flowers became a repeated motif in her work. She recalls her mother telling her as a child, “I love you in the same way the sun shines on the flowers”.
These secret paintings were revealed in her first show at Blue Rain Gallery, where they were hung alongside the work of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. That show opened in 2019, and Helen hasn’t stopped since. While‘artist’ has become integral to her identity, her other passions remain essential, and when she’s not painting, she can be found working her intellectual day job or exploring the outdoors. Today, Helen harmonizes her relationships with art, family, nature, and her homeland in her paintings. For her, painting is a practice in mindfulness. She equates it to journaling; putting herself on a canvas, allowing emotions to boil through in a therapeutic process. Her art exists as a product of perceptions, as her unique interpretation of her experiences. And in the same way that Helen’s emotions influence her art, she hopes that her art influences the emotions of others – an evocation of feeling in the viewer is her mark of accomplishment.
b. 1993
GL Richardson is a self-taught artist living and working out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work is held in private collections internationally and been exhibited in both group and solo shows across the United States. He is best known for his paintings addressing the modern west. This artistic focus came after a transformational year working on a cattle ranch in central New Mexico. Since then, he has continued learning and engaging with the ranching world. Many of these relationships and stories are actively depicted in his work.
Sifting through troves of personal photography, film frames, historical photos and other far-flung source material is the first step in Richardson’s process. He then connects the dots; working these images and their explicit or implied meanings through a visual language that translates between ranching and urban life.
Richardson’s paintings run parallel to his life and while quasi-biographical have been able to strike a chord with a broad audience. These works depicting the West can be found in ranch bunkhouses to high rise apartments. His work rouses the collective unconscious as we are not so far removed from the world that he portrays.
b. 1992
A tangible synthesis of his indigenous roots and an homage to his artistic influences, Jesse Raine Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblo) is a multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, and storyteller. Born in Santa Fe, NM, in 1992, Littlebird's childhood was richly enveloped in art and culture. Jesse's parents were artisans themselves and encouraged their son to pursue the path of an artist from the start.
Littlebird's work marries Western and Indigenous thought elements, extracting inspiration from Southwestern landscapes, Indigenous culture, and historical perspectives. Littlebird's abstract expressionist style incorporates cultural symbols and motifs while promising to deliver archival art references. The art he produces from his unique frame of mind has caught the attention of the Southwest art scene and collectors across the globe.
Littlebird says this about his art, "Teachings, prophecies, and stories common among Earthly rooted people inspire my work. I delve into the inner workings of what makes up thoughts, choices and actions of humankind, past, present and future. I would consider myself a sampler of art history that utilizes détournement as a function of critique of modern-day life and conversations. For example, applying a quote by Vine Deloria Jr. "An Indian never questions whether or not he is an Indian. The query he faces is what kind of Indian. "and juxtaposing that thought with a figure or a mass amount of figures in a landscape of energy and color. A painting tells a story if you listen closely."
Jesse is a Sundance Institute Full Circle Fellow and Andy Warhol Foundation recipient.
Gabriel Mozart Abeyta, Ugly Pie Art (Diné and Taos Pueblo)
b. 1990
Gabriel Mozart Abeyta, known as Ugly Pie Art, draws inspiration from his rich artistic heritage as the son of renowned artist Tony Abeyta and fashion designer Patricia Michaels. Embracing his unique identity, he adopted the moniker"Ugly Pie Art" as a personal expression separate from his family legacy. Exploring themes of beauty in the unconventional and confronting fears through his art, he embodies a fearless perspective rooted in rebellion and style.
Introduced to the world of art and creativity at a young age, Gabriel was influenced by eclectic sources such as the television series Twin Peaks and the stop-motion films of the Quay Brothers. Despite his familial connections, he never felt pressured to conform, instead nurturing his creativity alongside his parents. Raised in the vibrant cultural landscape of Taos, New Mexico, he channels the spirit of his homeland into his music, films, animation, and visual art, infusing his work with a profound sense of place and reverence for the land.
The vibrant colors of Taos Pueblo mountains and the mystical allure of Canyon de Chelly serve as constant inspirations for Gabriel's work, blending with the spirits of his subconscious to create evocative and captivating pieces. Grounded in his connection to his heritage and the land, Ugly Pie Art's creations embody a fearless exploration of the human experience and a celebration of the beauty found in the unexpected.
Leah Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo)
b. 1995
Leah Garcia, born into Blue Rain Gallery in 1995, has been immersed in the world of art from an early age, working alongside her father, Leroy. This unique upbringing has profoundly shaped her artistic vision, and today, she skillfully manages Blue Rain Gallery's marketing team with a keen eye for detail and creativity.
Endlessly inspired by a lifetime in the fine art world, Leah crafts pottery deeply rooted in her familial Santa Clara traditions. Hailing from a distinguished lineage of Pueblo Potters, Leah draws deep inspiration from her mother, Tammy Garcia. While documenting the intricate pottery process through photographs and interviews, Leah felt an irresistible connection to the clay, leading her to create pottery alongside her mother, aunt, and grandmother. "Clay runs in my blood," Garcia passionately remarks.
In a much-anticipated debut, Leah Garcia will present her pottery for the first time at Blue Rain Gallery's Annual Celebration of Native American Art 2024, marking a significant milestone in her artistic journey.
