B. 1936 - John Nieto is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and exciting contemporary artists in the United States. An innovative interpreter of his native southwest, Nieto's dramatic compositions and bold use of color translate classic American themes into unmistakably modern images that somehow escape the boundaries of time. While Nieto maintains that his art "is the result of an emotional involvement with my subject matter rather than a cerebral one," his powerfully evocative paintings reveal a seamless blend of instinct and keen intelligence. His deft handling of Western motifs - including Native American tribal representatives, warriors, and ceremonial dancers, as well as legendary frontiersmen or indigenous wildlife - demonstrates why these icons still loom large in the national consciousness. Wielding his brush with precision and control, Nieto invests each figure with a mesmerizing presence.