EARL JONES, LARRY ELSNER, & ROLAND MILLER

OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13
Phillips Gallery is pleased to present new work by three artists whose careers span more than half a century of looking hard at form, place, and the traces people leave behind.

Earl Jones (1937–2024) was part of Phillips Gallery’s inaugural exhibition in 1965, the first show at the first commercial gallery in Utah, and the gallery has represented him ever since. This exhibition covers 53 years of his work, from 1973 onward, including re-acquired pieces and paintings newly released from his estate. Jones painted the Western landscape on site and quickly, finding in abandoned homesteads and open water the story of his own family’s ties to the land. The show includes many small, intimate paintings, in keeping with his belief that art should be affordable and meant to be lived with.

Larry Elsner (1930–1990) taught at Utah State University for 30 years and showed with Phillips from 1974 until his death. His hand-built, minimally glazed ceramics, carved wood, and metal sculpture blend Japanese aesthetics with a playful, Western sensibility. Much of his large body of work has rarely been seen in public, which makes this a welcome chance to see it.

Roland Miller, a USU-trained photographer, has spent more than 35 years documenting America’s space program. His acclaimed series Abandoned in Place records the remains of early launch and research sites. His work is held by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the NASA Art Collection, and dozens of other collections, and has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art. Together, these three artists show us the remnants of the American West, from homesteads to launch pads, in paint, clay, and silver.