Throughout art history, the horse has stood as one of humankind’s most enduring muses. From the Paleolithic cave walls of Lascaux to the grand equestrian portraits of the Renaissance, artists have been captivated by the horse’s balance of strength and grace – its ability to embody freedom, loyalty, and motion itself. At Gallery MAR, the horse endures as a powerful muse, interpreted through the unique vision of every artist.

Among them, Kenneth Peloke’s paintings evoke a quiet reverence for the power and spirit of the animal. His large-scale works, created from countless layers of charcoal, acrylic, and resin, reveal both the strength and sensitivity of his subjects. In his upcoming exhibition “Battle Tested,” opening December 5th at Gallery MAR, Peloke explores the steadfast spirit of the horses that roam and work across the Western wilds. His equine portraits feel at once contemporary and ageless, rendered in striking hyperrealism and finished with hand-buffed resin that softens the image into something vintage and time-worn – at times recalling sepia photographs, at others crisp and modern in black and white. In his upcoming exhibition, “Battle Tested,” these contrasts converge, offering a stirring tribute to the horses whose endurance continues to ignite Peloke’s vision.

Sculptor Siri Hollander also brings a deep personal connection to her equine subjects. Raised in Andalusia, surrounded by horses and the ancient cave paintings that first captured their likeness, Hollander channels that primal spirit into her bronze and cement sculptures. Her horses are bold and tactile, their surfaces alive with gesture and energy. As she describes it, her work celebrates freedom – the same boundless vitality that has long linked horse and rider, artist and muse. In her hands, the horse becomes not just a subject, but a symbol of the unguarded, untamed self.

Mixed-media artist Miles Glynn brings a modern, narrative energy to his equine imagery. Drawing on his experiences traveling across the American West, he layers collage, paint, and silkscreen to create horses that feel both iconic and personal. Infused with elements of pop art—bold color, graphic forms, and playful compositions—Glynn’s work evokes the cinematic sweep of Western landscapes, presenting horses as living characters within a story that blends history, memory, and imagination.

In the colorful, narrative-driven paintings of Mary Scrimgeour, the horse takes on a more whimsical presence. Her mixed-media compositions combine texture, pattern, and movement, creating equine figures that feel both familiar and imaginative. There’s a playfulness to her work, a reminder that horses can inhabit not only our histories but also our dreams.

Sculptor Jamie Burnes transforms found steel, wood, and stone into powerful equine forms. His horses combine strength and grace, with rusted steel and weathered wood creating a sense of movement and presence. By blending natural and industrial materials, Burnes gives his work a timeless quality, where each horse feels both grounded in the earth and alive with energy.

James Penfield captures the kinetic force of the Western landscape, often weaving riders and horses into scenes of striking motion. His layered compositions, marked by bold color and shifting perspective, suggest the rugged connection between human ambition and natural power.

 

Meanwhile, Matt Flint’s mixed-media horses seem to emerge from mist and memory. His surfaces are built through washes, scratches, and reworked marks, suggesting horses shaped by history and the land itself. The effect is hauntingly beautiful – his horses appear as both spirit and shadow, tethered to time yet moving through it.

Together, these Gallery MAR artists remind us that the horse remains more than a motif – it is a mirror. Across sculpture, paint, and charcoal, the equine form continues to reveal what is most human in us: our strength, our vulnerability, and our desire to move forward, untamed and unbroken.

 

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Written by Veronica Vale

Tags: Battle Tested, Equine Art, Gallery MAR exhibition, horse art, Horses, James Penfield, Jamie Burnes, Kenneth Peloke, Mary Scrimgeour, Matt Flint
Posted in Gallery News