John Nieto

United States, 1936 - 2018

Place of BirthUnited States of America

BiographyJohn Nieto was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, near the Apache reservation. After high school, Nieto's wanderlust took him first to the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, to study Fine Art, and then to France. Nieto immersed himself in Paris' artistic milieu and studied the work of Ingres, David, and Picasso. He was particularly drawn to the French Fauve painters like Henri Matisse, who were known for their bold use of color. Nieto's experience in France clarified his artistic goals and eventually inspired his return to New Mexico. He remembers a moment of revelation on a Paris subway in 1969; a vision that drew him out of the metro crowds and to an Apache ceremonial in his native Southwest. That vision formed in the Paris subway became Nieto's focus: "I'm going to paint my culture and do it eloquently. I want to make a statement about the universality of man."
Nieto has explored a wide variety of media including sculpture, charcoal, lithography, and etching, but his first love remains painting. Although he sees art as an intellectual challenge, he prefers to paint intuitively and believes that "art is not mere technical representation, but communication of feelings, emotions, values and culture." His images of Native American figures and western wildlife grab the viewer with their striking immediacy, bright colors, and strong linear forms.
An artist of international acclaim, Nieto has shown work in Europe, Japan, Latin America, Africa, and the United States. In 1994, he received New Mexico's prestigious Governor's Award for achievement in the arts. Nieto lived and worked in Corrales, New Mexico, on the banks of the Rio Grande.

Edit: Nieto passed away due to health complications on July 11, 2018.

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