Artist's show at Palm Beach gallery provides fresh look at landscapes of the American West

Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
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Artist David Benjamin Sherry has brought his fresh perspective of the American West to Palm Beach.

The photographer and painter, whose work is popular among Palm Beach collectors, is featured in the latest exhibition at County Gallery, on display through Feb. 29 at 375 S. County Road, Palm Beach.

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This is the New Mexico-based artist's first solo exhibition with County, the gallery said.

The show, "Blue Monsoon," features several paintings in vibrant colors that illustrate natural forms by drawing on Earth, the cosmos and the human body for inspiration, the gallery said.

"Footfalls Echo in the Moonlight," by David Benjamin Sherry, is among the artist's works now on view at County Gallery through Feb. 29.
"Footfalls Echo in the Moonlight," by David Benjamin Sherry, is among the artist's works now on view at County Gallery through Feb. 29.

The paintings are part of Sherry's 17-year project to explore the landscapes of the American West with a "uniquely mystical, queer sensibility."

Sherry first photographed the desert on a road trip to Death Valley in 2007, after the death of his closest friend. When he returned to his studio, he experimented with printing the photos using a color enlarger. This created monochromatic images that Sherry imbued with the emotions he felt during his trip.

The array of colors he used was also inspired by filmmaker Kenneth Anger and the concept of "queer magick," two ideas not usually associated with the traditional view of the American West.

"For me, what magick is — personal, queer, mystic magick — is creating the space for my body, my soul and my mind to come together in one thing," Sherry said in prepared statement. "And that one thing is the artwork."

The pieces in the exhibition now at County Gallery provide a softer view of landscapes of the West, creating "a space of mental freedom" for both artist and viewer, Sherry said.

County Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and by appointment on Sunday. For more information, go to county.gallery.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: David Benjamin Sherry brings landscapes of the West to County Gallery