An Exhibition Featuring Artworks by Mark Rohrig and Bert Poling
Sponsored by Gail & Barry Tuohig

March 7-April 25
Opening Reception: March 7

This exhibition brings together figurative paintings and prints by Mark Rohrig and mixed media wood-turned vessels by Bert Poling. The two mediums complement one another in both color and form and convey similar themes in Native American style and culture.

Rohrig is one of the Western Slope’s most celebrated figure painters working with Native American themes. In his paintings, he seeks to illustrate a spiritual connection rather than historical representation, which is common in realism. He refers to his style as “Mystical Realism.”

The fusion of the “ideal” and the “real” is emblematic of the synthesis of artistic formulas dating back to the Renaissance and re-emerging in the French Realist Movement. Rohrig states, “I’ve always felt moved by the culture of the Plains/Southwestern Plains Indians. I loved the creativeness of their whole life. I was moved by their spirit.” Bert Poling is a woodturner and vessel maker who uses precious stones to accentuate the character and appearance of natural woods. He finds beauty in the simplicity of form and natural characteristics of the material.

Poling states, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve found inspiration in the natural world—wood and stone in particular. As a self-taught woodturner, I enjoy creating vessels that are simple in form yet finely detailed. I frequently work with materials that exhibit defects from their natural environment—weather, fire, insects, etc. I use minerals such as turquoise, malachite, agate, and lapis for inlay work, along with a variety of finishes.”