Chopper Franklin and Mather Louth Paintings at Far West Art Show

The Far West art show at the Arcadia Contemporary Gallery on September 9th and 10th will feature two extraordinary Chopper Franklin and Mather Louth paintings (of the Heathen Apostles) by Sean Cheetham. The title of the Mather painting is “There in the Ground, My Buried Heart”, and the title of the Chopper painting is “All of our Vows, in Death Did Part”, both lines from the Heathen Apostle’s song “Deadly Nightshade”. Also featured will be Sean’s painting “Us and Them”.

FAR WEST is the brainchild of visionaries Mark Maggiori and Petecia Le Fawnhawk-Maggiori, both of whom share a profound passion for the American West. The concept of showcasing the finest working artists in Western art is not new to them; in 2016, they successfully curated a standout exhibition at Parachute Market. “Early this year, Petecia and I were discussing all the projects we would love to accomplish in 2024 and she brought back the idea of the FAR WEST show, and we thought it would be fun to pull it off again but this time in New York City.”

Their creative journey began when they crossed paths on a film set deep in the Mojave Desert, near Chloride, Arizona. Since that serendipitous meeting, their Western odyssey has taken them from Los Angeles to Taos, and now back to Arizona, where they share their lives with their young daughter.

Sean Cheetham was born in 1977 in San Francisco, studied at the College of San Mateo, in California, and earned a B.F.A. degree with honors from Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. His paintings have been included in numerous significant exhibitions internationally including the National Portrait Gallery in London. He has a devoted following of collectors and art students that are inspired by his work and distinctive technique. Primarily a figurative painter, Sean is known for his technical prowess in achieving accuracy and harmony in his alla prima paintings which he credits to a deep understanding of drawing and his own system of mixing colors which he uses adeptly to govern shadows, midtones and highlights.  In addition to having an exceptional ability to understand, draw, and paint the human form, Cheetham’s selection of subjects typically in familiar urban scenes contributes a truthful and often raw spirit that makes his work distinctive and a contemporary testimony of our time.