Timothy Mietty is a lifelong artist and designer who started taking painting “seriously” in 2018. Working primarily in acrylics on canvas, Tim’s work has been in online and in-person art shows, and has been purchased by numerous private collectors.
A childhood visit to ancient Native American ruins gave Tim a fascination for archaeology, in particular the cultures of the American Southwest. After nearly a decade as a professional archaeologist, Tim returned to his art passion. The combination of art and archaeology gives Tim’s work a unique take on the landscapes and ancient sites that are depicted in his art.
Tim invites the viewer to contemplate the layers of history and geology represented in his work, and to consider the ways in which we are all products of what has come before us.
Statement
I find my inspiration in the American Southwest.
I love the landscapes. The deserts, mountains, and badlands are moody, and always changing from bright to dark, from inviting to foreboding in the blink of an eye. In this land, the ancient past and the modern present are equally on display. No carpet of grass blankets the surface. In some places, the very bones of the earth seem to be laid bare. It’s not for everybody.
The human cultures follow the water, and sometimes retreat for a time. The ancient still lives and breathes, while the future encroaches everywhere. The present seeks to balance the two. There is a blending of cultures which is unique, beautiful – but also painful and unequal. It’s not for everybody.
Visit any of the region’s ancient sites to understand, to feel, that you are standing in a giant work of art, a sacred landscape. There, you sense that you are a small marking on a map that includes four dimensions, with time being the ultimate vector. It demands introspection. It’s not for everybody.
The goal of my art is to interpret the Southwest, the four dimensions, in a beautiful, thoughtful way. The art represents a biased viewpoint, incapable of approaching the sublime sense of being there. I seek to find a balance between experience and representation. The images sometimes reach beyond what is visible, to include what is usually held only in the mind. They may not be for everybody. But if you’ve been there, they just might be for you.