"Buckle: The Art and Craft of the Western Belt Buckle" Exhibition
Lyons Wier Gallery
This event has ended.
The gleam of pure silver meets the punch of pop art in a groundbreaking exhibition opening February 13 through March 15. Gallery director and curator Michael Lyons Wier combines the bold, iconoclastic vision of New York painter Matt Straub who takes on the American West with the visceral art-to-wear of ten of the nation’s finest Western belt buckle makers.
The art of the buckle is one of the few bridges between the world of the cowboy, the art of the graphic designer, and the heritage of the European tradition of engraving, mastered by a select few silversmiths who are making award-winning, museum quality pieces. From diverse imagery like Longhorns, broncos, chieftains, and other portent Western icons, to the highly customized shapes and styles of the individual craftsmen, each with his unique signature calligraphy and stamp, these buckles speak volumes. It has been said that “the trophy buckle is the billboard of the American West.”
From Hollywood celebrities to rodeo queens, from rockers to country music kings, the buckle is the undisputed accessory. Among the invited artists’ clients are the Texas Rangers, Professional Bull Riders, Pro Rodeo Cowboys Assoc., Ann Richards, Garth Brooks, the Working Ranch Cowboy Association, Brooks and Dunn, Dwight Yoakum, Andrew Agassi, Britney Spears, Brooke Shields, Donald Judd, and other discerning collectors. Works on display will include ranger sets (buckles, tips and keepers) and trophy buckles in cast, chased and engraved silver, many with inlay, precious stones, pierced, scrolled and filigreed surfaces, and overlays of precious metals.
Media
Schedule
from February 13, 2009 to March 15, 2009
Opening Reception on 2009-02-13 from 18:00 to 21:00