Publisher's Synopsis
Harley Brown, Duane Bryers, Don Crowley, Tom Hill, Bob Kuhn, Ken Riley, and Howard Terpning-"The Tucson 7"-are perhaps the most famous of all living artists who work with Western American and traditional artistic imagery. While there are great stylistic differences in their work, their mutual respect for one another as artists, their shared artistic and aesthetic point of view, their dedication to the hard work it takes to make good art, and their genuine affection for one another make them a distinct group. With one exception, all the artists had distinguished careers as illustrators and left that world in the 1970s for independent careers painting the American West. They all came to the West for inspiration and, because of their friendship and respect for each other, to live in Tucson or close by. While their work has been shown with that of many other artists in group exhibitions, they have never shown together before as a distinct group. This book, in part a record of the 1997 exhibition held at the Tucson Museum of Art, is the first publication to put their work together. The illustrations clearly demonstrate their extraordinary talent and the reasons for their richly deserved reputations. In addition to the work for which these artists have become famous, the book also includes examples from the artists' own collections reflecting their earlier years working primarily as illustrators. An essay by Jim Willoughby accompanies the text.
