Upcoming: Bob & Bob
Opening Reception: 5 - 7 PM | Friday, July 3
Exhibition Dates: July 3 - August 15, 2026
203 FINE ART is pleased to answer an age-old question: What is the difference between Robert Ellis and Robert Ellis? Aside from a middle initial that distinguishes the two artists (Robert C. Ellis and Robert M. Ellis), these two legendary modernist painters have consistently overlapped. From their use of the GI Bill after WWII, their time at the University of New Mexico, to choosing the small town of Taos as home and building international artistic careers that crossed the same borders, both Bobs have long deserved to have their individual stories shared.
Both initially enamored with the Cubism movement of the early 20th century, the Bobs transformed the fundamentals of the genre to fit their unique perceptions of the world around them. Their transformative journeys with Cubism eventually led both of these artists to one of their first muses— the country of México. Robert M. Ellis pursued his BA at the México City College in México City in search of the same knowledge that shaped Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. Robert C. Ellis lived remotely in the state of Chihuahua with the artistic masters of the Tarahumara Indians. While they both shared a profound love for and inspiration from the diverse cultures of México, the surfaces of their work exemplify distinct differences.
Robert M. Ellis was an academic as well as an artist, having taught at the University of New Mexico for two decades before becoming the Director of the Harwood Museum in 1987. This polished professionalism created a perceptible change in his style, as he became more figurative and direct, as evidenced by his 1970s Studio Bay series, which depicts his studio as an architectural abyss. Robert C. Ellis, solely an artist and a graduate of the University of New Mexico, instead fell further into abstract surrealism. Focusing on luminosity and the quality of light in his compositions, the spiritual world is ever present in his pastel drawings and oil paintings. However, whether ironically or not, by the end of each of the artists’ careers, they had found a home in minimalism.
Mirrored by their names and juxtaposed by their paths, when paired together these two artists symbolize how influential each small decision in our life can become in shaping such dramatically different styles of self-expression. This exhibition serves to share the lifelong importance of two powerful artists and patrons. It is created in partnership with the Robert M. Ellis Art Collection Trust and the Estate of Robert C. Ellis.
