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| R.C. Gorman |
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| All About Mutual Respect |
During the late twentieth century, from about 1980 to 2001, or so, the Taos Art Colony
was dominated by two very different personalities who, nonetheless, held great respect for each other. R.C. Gorman
was the internationally known powerhouse of the American Indian Art scene of the time. Well known and sometimes
called the "Picasso" of the American Indian Arts. Bill Rane had little of the type of internatinoal attention
that sometimes came R.C.'s way. On the other hand, R.C. did not enjoy the same deep respect of the entire art
colony that came Bill's way as an "artist's artist". But the two of them had a quiet secret based in respect that
they liked to keep just to themselves. It was as if Bill knew that R.C. was much more than a "commercial artist" as he was sometimes so attacked and R.C. knew that Bill was a powerful artist whose legacy
was likely to move far beyond Taos ultimately.
Together, one with an elegant home, expensive and meticulously kept, on the North Side and
the other with a genuine Bohemian abode of chaos that came to order, simply and hand made, on the South Side, they dominated
the Taos Art Colony and while they did little to have an overt association, they both knew the importance of the other to
the community.
As each gazed across the Taos wetlands, in the direction of the other, perhaps they felt each
other's presence on matters of the vision of the community as a whole.
There are many stories that come out of their relationship.
The first might well have to do with a certain gallery opening when Bill first blazed onto
the Taos Art Scene. R.C. was accustomed to Taos artists giving him their art pieces in order to further their
reputation by being a part of his well regarded collection. R.C. came to an early opening at Bryan's Gallery for
Bill's new work. As a new artist Bill was expected to bow. R.C. wanted a deep discount on a particular
painting--the best of the show. The gallery representative rushed Bill to say that R.C. must be accomodated--the politcs
too great to take on. Bill refused--no discussion. Thus R.C. was on notice that Bill Rane was
not your everyday situation of a newly arrived Taos artist and the respect of R.C. for Bill was birthed.
Later, during yet another cold Taos winter, Bill instructed one of his sons to visit R.C.
and to offer R.C. three paintings (that R.C. might pick one) for sale at a slight discount--money was low and Bill had come
to respect R.C. also--Bill figured it was finally time. Thus three paintings were presented to R.C. in R.C.'s
home by the son without Bill present. R.C. picked a particular one and paid by check. Bill's
son returned to Bill's studio, after the bank, cash in hand, and told Bill that R.C. did not select what he, the
son, thought the best painting--but another lesser painting passing up the best.
Lovingly, Bill told his son that he, the son, was simply wrong and that R.C. had indeed
selected the very best painting offered. Bill thus served notice to all, even his own family, that R.C. was to be respected
on matters of artistic taste.
R.C. eventually became a great collector of Bill's work and presented proudly his Bill Rane
paintings directly next to original works of the Eurpoean masters--Picasso and Chagall, for example. He kept his
very best wall space for Bill's work and thus the Rane Paintings always displayed with his most prized treasures.
So R.C., by example, was a leader in establishing the significance of Bill's work.
R.C. was also careful to overtly express to all that he regarded Bill as his
"favorite" of the Taos painters. Together these two defined the era in Taos as a sort of "Black Horse,
White Horse"[to borrow a phrase from the title of one of Bill's paintings--White Horse, Black Horse, Viallicitos, New
Mexico. R.C., as a great visual mind in his own right, recognized well--early and instinctivley--that
Bill's work was important and would endure--on this, and of Bill, he was certain. His grace lay in the fact that
he embraced Bill, ultimately, and without jealousy in spite of the fact that it was he, R.C., who in his day was the more
financially successful and, beyond Taos, the more broadly known of the two. R.C. did not have to
accomodate Bill but he did and this alone is a measure of R.C.'s decency and a reflection of his own creative stature and
confidence.
Late into the year 2005, when both Bill and R.C. would die, at the last public party that
R.C. held, Bill was unable to attend the party--he was too weak. R.C. asked Bill's family, who was in attendence, if
he might be able to visit Bill soon--one last time. The visit never came as the progress of Bill's illness
intervened and prevented it. R.C. then sent Bill an enormous precious orchid in full flower. Bill was delighted
to receive it--as sick as he was--it lifted his spirits mightily. Those arround Bill could not escape the obvious
message of love and respect.
Very very soon thereafter it was R.C. who entered his last and final illness too. But,
there would be no return gift from Bill--Bill was already dead. It is indeed notable that the both died that
same fall only a few weeks apart.
Fall 2005 thus defined the end of an Age in the Taos Art Colony. These
two who together defined an entire era left it behind as a single brush stroke laying two different but related
colors of only a single texture.
These two men; so very different--one never married, the other with eight children, for example;
were not so different after all--each a very gentle soul, each focused on visual expression and each committed to the Taos
Art Colony in their own unique and differing ways.
Once again the so called "opposites" were, perhaps, only the opposite sides
of single coin. While Bill was certain that the "next artists" would come up the horseshoe curve into the
Taos Valley, the Taos Art Colony has never been the same since that fatefull Fall of 2005 when these two titans
of the Colony, with long established and well regarded galleries right next door to each other on historic Ledoux Street,
both fell leaving only their stories and their work.
Bill and R.C. were the "left bank" and "right bank" of that now gone era. They
both understood intuitively that Taos needed both of them and that along with Taos they shared, partially, in a
common destiny.
We will never know exactly what R.C. wanted to say to Bill in 2005 in that final requested
meeting that never came. Likely, however, Bill already understood the respect that R.C. carried for him
and that, in fact, was quite reciprocal. For these two men of symbols, that grand orchid, sent by R.C. to Bill
in his illness, spoke all that need be stated--words entirely unnecessary.
The depth of their faith for each other's work and the full understanding that each had
for the other's art ultimately was a somewhat private matter that together they have taken with them to the other side.
We are left seeing only the surface of that relationship and it is best summed up with two words: mutual
respect.
The Bill Rane Story is saddened to learn of the death of Virginia Clark, long serving director the
historic Navajo Gallery, home of the R.C. Gorman Collection. Visit the Navajo Gallery here.
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