An exhibition of new work by Luis Tapia opens at Owings-Dewey Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 18, 2008. In the exhibition catalogue, Lucy Lippard writes: "As a New Mexican santero, Tapia is famous for breaking away from stylistic confinement while maintaining cultural continuity. He has disrupted the expectations of his genre while creating an art responsive to its own times, a complex task acknowledging and exploring the contradictions of modern life, or la vida loca. The vatos who populate his work are not saints, but they bear saints tattooed on their bodies, printed on their t-shirts and on their minds, whatever else may be blocking their paths toward sanctity. Their lives are often as tragic as those of the beleaguered religious, and Tapia celebrates them for their survival, their spirit, their existence." Marking twenty years of Tapia's representation with Owings-Dewey Fine Art, the exhibition is replete with innovative and exciting new work. An opening reception will be held Friday July 18, from 5 to 7 pm. For further information please contact Laura Widmar at Owings-Dewey Fine Art (505) 982-6244, or lwidmar@owingsdewey.com