The exhibit To the Finish at the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg sets out to spotlight the art and process of Greg Montgomery. Montgomery uses hard lines and solid colors to create a contrasting effect in his depictions of equestrian sporting events, an activity especially popular in his place of residence, Saratoga, New York.
Montgomery has created a poster a year for the past 31 years for the Travers Stakes event in Saratoga, the longest-running series for a racing event by a solo artist.
The exhibit came about when a member of the museum was vacationing in Saratoga and commissioned Montgomery to create a piece for the museum. “The way to the finish isn’t always a straight line,” Montgomery says, and it’s a sentiment he wished to illustrate with the 35 prints in the exhibition. The works include mockups and sketches that allow guests to follow along with Montgomery’s creative process up until the finished piece.
Montgomery finds his inspiration from his partner, Paula Rosenberg, who partakes in discussion of ideas and subjects for his art and assists in color choice. Next, he works from photographs taken either by him or Rosenberg, though he doesn’t just use one photograph when he illustrates a scene. “I use multiple photos to create the scenes in my work,” Montgomery says.
The completed prints illustrate scenes of equestrian sports with flair of color that captures the viewer’s attention to the action of the piece. An example of this style is Montgomery’s print Wine & Roses, a piece commissioned to celebrate the National Sporting Library and Museum’s sixth annual polo classic. The print portrays two riders on horseback competing in a polo match in the center as spectators on the edge of the field look on. The viewer’s eyes are drawn to the brightest color in the print, a red jersey worn by one of the riders. However, what may not be evident at first glance is the separation among the spectators in the scene. On one side we see an elegant couple seated at a table with a bottle of wine, while on the far side of the field a number of tailgaters are seated on back bumpers and lawn chairs observing the two riders to represent how a separation of class can be brought together for the love of the sport. // Exhibit open through Nov. 26 at National Sporting Library and Museum: 102 The Plains Road, Middleburg
