Lyle Carbajal: Art For My People

Here’s art on the wall that might look familiar—only not from another wall. Lyle Carbajal is known as an illustrator for The Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News and the Gallivan Center. This showcase of his paintings is the culmination of his extensive journey through several major U.S. cities, ending with six months in Buenos Aires. After exploring the South and Western United States—as well as Mexico, Argentina and parts of Africa—the travel has gone into his art, in a style possessed of a primitive energy as well as sophistication of detail that’s incredibly diverse and unique. The show coincides with the release of his book Urban Primitive: The Art of Lyle Carbajal, a collection chronicling impressions these places and people have made on him. It’s not just an art book; it’s a discursive look inside the mind of the artist and a challenging look at history. It’s also an exploration of his extensive knowledge of these places, his observations and questions he poses. The work is the artistic sensibility at its best: ceaselessly curious, inquisitive and fascinated by the world at large. He’s something you don’t see much anymore: an artist with the drive to create a project that’s all-encompassing and almost encyclopedic. Whatever page you open the book to, you’ll find passion for the subject matter. Explaining the title of the show, he states, “Everywhere I’ve lived, these are all my people.” (Brian Staker) Lyle Carbajal: Art For My People @ Tanner Frames, 230 S. 500 West, 801-483-2501, through May 31. LyleCarbajal.com, TannerFrames.com