Taos
Pueblo
THE INCREDIBLE LIGHTNESS OF TAOS
by
Bruce Burnett
"For
art to exist," wrote Nietzsche, "for any sort of aesthetic
activity or perception to exist, a certain physiological precondition
is indispensable: intoxication."
But not necessarily intoxication of the alcoholic kind, which may or
may not have stirred the muse of such great writers as Dylan Thomas,
Ring Lardner and Malcolm Lowry.
The English novelist, D.H. Lawrence, became intoxicated with New Mexico
early in this century and he may have explained why, for over 100 years,
artists have flocked to Taos in northern New Mexico at the southern
tip of the Rocky Mountain chain. Lawrence wrote: "[New Mexico]
had a splendid silent terror, and a vast far-and-wide magnificence which
made it way beyond mere aesthetic appreciation. Never is the light more
pure and overweening than there, arching with a royalty almost cruel
... "
When Taos artists are asked what brought them to this remote little
town in the northern New Mexican mountains, they invariably reply: "The
light!"
Taos lives and breathes art. Every other retail outlet it seems is a
gallery. The walls of every restaurant and shop are adorned with the
works of local artists, who all appear to make a surprisingly good living.
Says Taos artist, Ray Vinella, whose painting "Taos Light"
became the official poster for the 1991 Taos Arts Festival, "Taos
is definitely an art center. I love Taos. I think this place is paradise.
It's perfect for an artist - the multiple terrain is uncanny. Forest,
desert, mountains, all kinds of terrain to excite an artist."
With a resident population of only 4,300 Taos is dependent on tourism.
The town and county have much to offer the visitor anytime of the year.
Taos Ski Valley has become renowned for its light powder, bright winter
sunshine and challenging slopes. The world-famous and much-photographed
Taos Pueblo is the largest existing multi-storied Pueblo structure in
the United States. It has been continuously inhabited by the Taos Indians
for nearly 1,000 years.
Taos Plaza, still the center of the town, is the site of the original
Spanish settlement dating from 1790, although earlier Spanish settlers
were in the area in the late 16th-century. Historic walking tours of
the Plaza and district with knowledgeable guides may be arranged.
More recent historical associations may be found in the Kit Carson Home
and Museum, showing the lifestyle of the famous mountain man and western
scout.
Literary and artistic ghosts are everywhere. Willa Cather lived in Taos.
So did Georgia O'Keefe. Just north of Taos in San Cristobal is the D.H.
Lawrence Ranch and Shrine. The writer and sometime painter lived here
for three years.
But it is art that makes Taos tick. The museums in Taos all focus on
art and the art history of the community. The Harwood Museum, on Ledoux
Street, two blocks from the Plaza, collects, exhibits and researches
the art, artists and art history of Taos County. Its collection includes
representative works by many of the most significant artists who have
worked in the Taos area. The Harwood is open daily except Sunday and
there is no admission fee.
The Ernest Blumenschein Home and Museum, also on Ledoux Street, is the
large adobe home of the co-founder of the Taos Society of Artists, organized
in 1915. The home contains antique furnishings and art of the Blumenschein
family and other Taos artists. The house itself dates from the late
18th-century.
The Millicent Rogers Museum, located six kilometers (four miles) north
of Taos, was home to Millicent Rogers (1902-1953), a wealthy socialite
who moved here in 1947. A passionate designer and stunning beauty she
was frequently featured in the pages of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She
collected the Native American jewelry, textiles, basketry, pottery and
paintings that are now the core of the museum. Also on display are permanent
and temporary exhibits of Hispanic and local art.
