Western Artist Chet Culp, "Navajo Rug Weaver", Oil Painting on Masonite, CA 1976 #884

Western Artist

Chet Culp, "Navajo Rug Weaver"

884. Description: Western Artist, Chet Culp, Navajo Rug Weaver, Oil Painting on Masonite. Ca. 1976, Colorful signed original oil on Masonite depicting a Navajo rug weaver. Culp is a noted southwest artist from Tucson.

Dimensions: 30"x 24" (39 x 33 w/ frame)

Condition: Very Good for its age.
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“Chester Culp: It is said that to be a great artist you must have experienced many things. This being the case, Chet Culp more than qualifies as his life reads like a story book. He went from a Private in the Army to a Major in the Air Force with 10,000 flying hours and 34 different awards and decorations. He has been a building contractor, senior engineer in the space effort, art instructor, author, mining superintendent and consultant, athlete and coach of many sports, worked in 15 movies and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, spent seven years of his life in foreign countries and traveled around the world there times.

He paints in the vivid modern colors that weren’t available to the old masters and his westerns always tell a story. Most of his works are made without the help of a photo, model, or actual scene but as he says “Right out of my mind.”

In recent years he has averaged about twenty oil portraits per year which he was commissioned to do. One subject while posing for her picture said that Culp’s eyes were hypnotic as he seemed to see right through you while trying to obtain ones inner self in the portrait. Quite often his backgrounds will show the life story of the subject such as the one of a social worker wherein he painted over one hundred heads of people in the background in addition to a look of compassion in the eyes of the subject.

You cannot compare Culp to Picaso because he paints modern realism. His work is refreshing and you find that he has taken something of the past, whether it be just 10 minutes ago or 1,000 years and given it to the future. His oils move the great depth and understanding of an intellect for his mind must work like a very efficient computer that can retain information as well as use it to advantage. His works will be thoroughly enjoyed for many years to come which must be the reason that people are beginning to add his paintings to their collections. “

Dean Casper

"Comment: Culp has often said that anyone can paint who is willing to practice, can concentrate, and has at least some powers of observation. He has proved this any number of times by making artists of those persons who thought they had not talent whatsoever. Many of his students during the three years he has taught in Tucson have made amazing progress. "