by Annette Hinkle
As an artist, Valta Us is on a constant journey. His travels have not only inspired him to paint landscapes as diverse as those found in Montana, Arizona and Mexico, but they have also caused him to reflect and re-evaluate where he has been and where he is going, both personally and artistically. And right now his focus is firmly set on a style of painting well over 100 years old.
“I’m coming to an end of something,” confides Us in his Sag Harbor studio where a selection of his most recent work hangs on the walls. “This happened with my interest in the Hudson River School painters.”
“I always overlooked it and went through the American Wing at the Met quickly,” adds Us, who admits he has a newfound appreciation for 19th century American painters like George Inness and John Kensett, one of the founders of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“The way he painted the skies, everything was very flat, but when you look at it, you look into the space, it’s contemporary with a 19th century sensibility,” says Us. “That attracted me. The detailed oriented precision and beautiful lines.”
Indeed, many of the paintings in Us’ studio do reflect that earlier sensibility. While just a few years ago, Us was focused on big skies and nearly abstract works of expansive views with a small horizon, that has changed. In his current work, it appears he has come down to earth a bit. Yes, the skies are still ever-present, but they have migrated upwards, and now emphasize subjects like dense woodlands, urban cityscapes, or expansive fields and inlets of the East End. All are representative of Us’ latest, but certainly not his last, revelation in his work.
“There are undercurrents and overlaps for me,” says Us. “When I’m going through changes in life, I’m looking for freedom.”
Part of that freedom has been to explore, and create paintings based on what he has seen on the open road, be it deserts, mountains or national parks. In his way, Us is replicating the experience of those Hudson River School painters he so admires. Though today, landscapes painted by these 19th century artists is accessible via a quick drive up the New York State Thruway, in their time, these artists gave the public a glimpse of scenery which most could not readily see for themselves.
“That’s a tradition of American culture that is very rooted in the 19th century,” explains Us. “The idea of preserving the land — it was the wilderness. You had to work to get up there.”
Somehow, it seems fitting that Us would reach back to American painting in order to further his artistic future. He finds he often looks to his own past to incorporate collective experience with the newly discovered. He also notes that he is constantly challenging himself to create paintings unlike those he has done before.
“I’m interested in a lot of different things. I don’t mind leaving things and coming back to them,” he says. “That’s me. I’m still the same person.”
“I’m looking for something that moves time in a way that’s spontaneous,” adds Us. “I understand paint color, medium, all that stuff. Now it’s time to experience a new way to approach the painting.”
Us is one of a trio of painters whose work is featured in “Three Points of View” an exhibit curated by Julie Keyes opening this weekend at North Main Street Gallery in Southampton. Also showing will be Brian O’Leary and Toinette Gay, and Us notes that the exhibit came about through his friendship with these other artists.
“We were looking at each other’s work and Brian said, ‘What brings us together is we’re all dealing with nature in some visual form,’” recalls Us.
Having a close circle of artistic friends off whom he can bounce concepts, conundrums and theories has been an important aspect of Us’ artistic life on the East End. The ability to get together with peers and discuss issues related to art helps guide him in his creative pursuits.
“It’s a vital part of life — getting together and chatting to figure out things you’re trying to do on your own,” says Us. “I’m always excited about the next thing – the stuff I’ve done is under repair in a way, and the stuff I’m going to do is balled up energy. I’m trying to create something that has a life of its own. It feeds me in a way that surprises me.”
“For me, painting has always been a long journey, and I have to keep moving. It’s a constant learning process.”
“Three Points of View” opens Saturday, February 13 with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at North Main Street Gallery, 4 North Main Street, Southampton. The show runs through February 26. Call (917) 859-5179 for details.
Above: "New London" a painting by Valta Us.
