PROCESS AND PURPOSE

Bobby Beals presents the first solo exhibition of Coulter Prehm's work in a decade, opening with a special culinary collaboration.

- JOHN O'HERN

In 2008, not long after moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I wrote an article for this magazine on the Ryder Studio School established by Anthony Ryder here the year before. At the time, I met one of the young artists, Coulter (Colt) Prehm, who had recently moved from Iowa to Santa Fe with his wife, Liz, to study at the school. Colt spent several years under Tony Ryder's tutelage as well as a year as his teaching assistant.

Over the years he and I have gotten together occasionally for lunch or breakfast to talk art and to catch up on each other's lives. Recently, we got together to talk about his upcoming exhibition, Observance, at the Horseshoe Gallery at Bishop's Lodge in Santa Fe.

Observance is a fitting title for the exhibition, referring back to Tony Ryder's emphasis on observing and drawing what we actually see. Tony says a student draws "what he thinks he sees. His thought process stands at the very center of his ability to draw. If you wish to learn to draw you must therefore become aware of what you're thinking as you draw." The exhibition is also a celebration of Colt's first solo exhibition in more than a decade-a period of introspection, experimentation and growth.

His college career at lowa State University began badly when, as a biology major, he flunked out. He applied for readmission to the university and decided to apply as a fine art major. Since he had satisfied his education requirements he filled his schedule with art classes, beginning with drawing and painting. After the first day of a drawing class, he called his mother and told her "I think I've found what I'm supposed to do.