About Us
We are passionate about our art and our gallery. We first opened our doors in 2008 in Truchas, but as soon as this lovely old adobe became available in Peñasco we moved in!
It has been a labour of love on many fronts: the old building was neglected and beginning to melt back into the soil it was built from. Walls needed to be repaired and plastered (thanks to Michael Vigil), the beautiful wood floor had to be restored after years of abuse, and the roof was replaced. New wiring and a water supply were installed, and during Covid shutdown, we took the opportunity to install a new hanging system - no more filling holes in the walls!
The back gallery room is now the home of Gaucho Fibres - dedicated to showing local fibre artists, and of course - Lise's work.
We also meant from the very beginning to provide a place where some of the outstanding local artists could show and sell their work - that has been a great success.
Gaucho Blue has been likened to 'New York on the High Road' by so many visitors, that it's tempting to rename it, but our name is now too widely recognised!
Come visit us and be surprised by the ever-changing and stimulating work on show.
Nick and Lise
Nick Beason - PrintMaker
BIO:
1980s & 1990s: I started printing in the ’80s, pursuing an etching class at Winchester art college in England. I moved to California in late 1987 and joined the Pacific Arts League of Palo Alto (PALPA), where I pursued monotype printmaking under the direction and encouragement of Adele Seltzer. While in California, I participated in three of the annual student group shows at PALPA, and the annual Silicon Valley Open Studio tours. As from 1991, I made many visits to Taos, meeting Michael Vigil, and printing monotypes with him at his Graphic Impressions studio.
2008/2009: I became a permanent resident of the Taos area and continued printing at Graphic Impressions. I opened (with my wife, fibre artist Lise Poulsen), the Gaucho Blue Fine Art Gallery. Initially in Truchas, and since 2011, based in Penasco, on the High Road to Taos. Since 2009, I have participated at Gaucho Blue in the annual group shows, two-man shows with local artist, Gerd Bianga, and the annual New Mexico High Road Artisan Studio tours.
2010/11: I switched back to etching, pursuing, with Michael Vigil’s deft guidance, photogravure etchings engendering more politically motivated, harder edged prints than I had shown in California. I participated in group shows, & the High Road Artisans studio tour at the Gaucho Blue gallery.
2012/13: Working with local artist, painter and sculptor Alberto Castagna, I organized and participated in our two-man show, “De La Otra Banda” at the Stables Galler in Taos, featuring our paintings and prints. I participated with Gerd Bianga in our “Toxic Behaviour” show at Gaucho Blue. I also started to experiment with silk screen printing, resulting in a series of small edition serigraphs inspired by our admiration for Warhol’s work.
2014/16: I participated in the ‘Taos and Beyond: Studio Tour at Taos Town Hall’, and with Gerd Bianga in our “Copy-Riot” show of serigraphs at Gaucho Blue. I returned to monotyping, experimenting with incorporation of stenciling, and stamping. I pursued further serigraph work, a series entitled ‘Samurai Skateboarders, with the intent of reflecting two significant loves and inspirations; Ukiyo-e (a genre of Japanese art that produced woodblock prints and paintings), and Manga. I participated with Gerd Bianga in our “Joint Separations” show of serigraphs at Gaucho Blue, and also the large, juried group show “Pressing Through Time” held in Taos 2015/2016. I was invited to participate in the Print Matters show in Santa Fe, Print Matters II in Taos, the TAO show at 555 Taos, the ‘Pressing On 6’, a group show at Stables Gallery in Taos, and the Mash-Up shows and High Road Artisans Studio Tour at Gaucho Blue Gallery, and a show with Gerd Bianga and Scott Randolph at the Stables Gallery.
2017: I participated in the ‘Taos and Beyond: Studio Tour at Taos Town Hall’, and High Road Artisan studio tour. I pursued a series of short edition serigraphs, ‘Kabuki DJs’. Inspired, again, by my love of the Ukiyo-e wood block prints, and shown at Jason Rodriguez’ 555 Editions in Taos, Gaucho Blue Gallery, and the ‘Mash-Up 2’ show at the Stables gallery in Taos.
2018: This year I was shocked by being reminded of it being 50 years since the murder of Dr Martin Luther King. Earlier that same year I had been revisiting my love of African masks and sculpture, the art of Jean Michel Basquiat, and experimenting with layering of masks and portraits of contemporary African people. Out of this came the idea for a series of prints, ‘Displacement and Defacement’ – reflecting the long running & oppresive displacement & defacement of countries and peoples of our world. I participated in the 2018 ‘Taos and Beyond: Studio Tour at Taos Town Hall’, and the High Road Artisan studio tour
2019/21: I continued working on my ‘Displacement and Defacement series, I also revisited my love of Ukiyo-e, returning to my earlier ‘Water World Dreams’ series of monotypes, adding chine colle, and a dash of (respectful) humour. I was surprised & honoured to be selected as one of the three Taos 2019 Visionary Artists (together with fibre artist Lise Poulsen, and longtime friend & renowned artist, Michael Vigil), and had a set of my work on show at the 2019 Taos Fall Arts Festival, and High Road Artisan studio tours at Gaucho Blue Gallery
2020/21: I started a new series reflecting my love and respect for jazz musicians, with a focus on those that played on Central Avenue, LA., with Horace Tapscott and Art Pepper amongst them. Also a homage to Miles Davis in his ‘electric’ period.
2022/23: I continued my jazz musician series, with homages to Roland Kirk, and John and Alice Coltrane