About
AD EQUUS is a solo exhibition created to show at The Nicolaysen Art Museum from October 2021 through January 2022. It showcases a collection of stylistically diverse works celebrating the horse in the context of the American West, with oil paintings and ink illustrations taking center stage.
AD EQUUS, a Latin phrase referring to the horse, is a nod both to the subject matter as well as to the philosophy behind the art-making approach. The Latin used in the show is a way of connecting the work to the long cultural history of the horse, including how it pertains to art. It is a way of grounding the contemporary, the traditional, and the historical influences used in the work itself. The exhibition transverses art styles used through the generations, including works on hand-prepared birch panels painted using techniques like those used by Renaissance masters and ink illustrations evocative of 20th century graphic novels. The work is meant to transport viewers, to make them reflect on their experience with and relationship to the horse through a stylistic journey. It is meant to stimulate memories and personal stories in one’s own mind.
For acquisition information, contact The Nicolaysen Art Museum.
Show Statement
For millennia the horse has been a companion, compatriot, and accomplice to the efforts of humankind. Its impact is so profound that it has become embedded within cultures and mythology the world over. From the nomadic peoples of the eastern steppes to the chivalric orders of central Europe and the horse tribes of North America, the horse has left its mark on those who thought to domesticate it. Through the use of oil paintings, illustrations, and mixed media pieces, this exhibition explores the horse in the context of the American West, of its spirited place within the western mythos and the ethnological underpinnings of its iconic status within the American zeitgeist.
—Nick Thornburg
