Colorado River Series

In the spring of 1980, David Andres was awarded an Artist-in-Residence through the Arizona Arts Commission. During the five-month residency, he completed twenty-five paintings on sewn rice paper while conducting extensive field study across northern Arizona and southern Utah.

The residency supported sustained hiking, drawing, and visual research within the stark desert landscape. During this period, Andres also participated in a river expedition along the Colorado River from Mexican Hat, Utah, to Lake Powell near Page, Arizona. Direct exposure to the river corridor, its tributaries, and surrounding geology provided the foundation for this landscape series.

The work reflects careful observation of light interacting with canyon walls, cliff faces, and visible geological stratification. These elements were later reconstructed from memory in the studio, resulting in paintings that emphasize atmosphere, scale, and the sensory experience of place rather than literal description.

Most of the series was exhibited at the Tucson Museum of Art in a five-person exhibition in the spring of 1981. A small number of works from this body of work remain extant. The series continued through 1984, marking a pivotal period in Andres’ practice prior to his transition into underwater research and photography.

Landscape has remained a central mode of inquiry throughout Andres’ career; this series represents an early investigation into the relationship between Arizona light, land, and perceptual memory.