On View
Nicholas Herrera Forges Powerful Modern-Day Devotional Art With Salvaged Material—See It Here
Show of the Day: “Corazon Y Alma (Heart and Soul)” is on view at Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe.
NICHOLAS HERRERA
“Corazon Y Alma (Heart and Soul)”
Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe
What the Gallery Says: “Through the use of wood, natural pigments, and mixed media, Nicholas has exhibited works both locally and nationally that reflect the heritage of traditional santero art and address important contemporary social and political views. His strong personality and his independent spirit determine his powerful paintings and sculptures that depict—aside from the religious icons of his Catholic faith—images of the hardship of rural life, the demons of drugs and alcohol, and the horrors of war and terrorism.”
Why It’s Worth a Look: Calling himself a “modern santero,” Herrera upholds the tradition of Catholic devotional art, making retablos (panel paintings of saints) and bultos (hand-carved statues of saints) using scrap materials. The current show, focusing on the theme of the Sacred Heart, is a good illustration of his unique union of sacred and profane.
What It Looks Like:
Nicholas Herrera’s Corazon de Finta, hood of a 1947 Dodge. Image courtesy Evoke Contemporary.
Nicholas Herrera’s Keep Knockin’ But You Can’t Come In (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s Espiritu del Corazón(2016). Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Installation view of “Nicholas Herrera: Corazón y Alma (Heart and Soul)” at Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s St. Valentina. Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s Nuestra de Senora de Guadalupe (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s Cristo (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Installation view of “Nicholas Herrera: Corazón y Alma (Heart and Soul)” at Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s Still Pumpin’ at 51. Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
Nicholas Herrera’s El Mano de Corazon and Por el Amor de Dios (2017). Courtesy of the artist and Evoke Contemporary Gallery.
“Nicholas Herrera: Corazon Y Alma (Heart and Soul)” is on view through January 20, 2018.
Evoke Contemporary is located at 550 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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