‘Third Nature’ will be on exhibit at the West Hartford Art League’s Clubhouse Gallery from Aug. 2-30, 2026.

Submitted

Andrés Montiel came to the United States more than 20 years ago and fell in love with the Connecticut landscape.

The West Hartford resident was inspired by the landscape of the Hartford area, and its stunning reservoirs and forests reminded him of Bariloche, Patagonia in his country of origin, Argentina. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in the United States and Argentina, and he has received numerous accolades. More recently he received the “Juror’s Choice” award for the NorEaster Annual Juried Exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Montiel’s paintings can be found in private collections around the world including Argentina, United States, Israel, Canada, Spain, France, Australia, and Germany.

His latest work will be on exhibit at the West Hartford Art League’s Clubhouse Gallery for the month of August. An opening reception for “Third Nature” will be held on Sunday Aug. 2, from 2-4 p.m., and the exhibit will run through Aug. 30.

The following is Montiel’s artist statement for the show:

We live in unprecedented times, in a digital era that has enriched our lives and has given us a level of comfort beyond the dreams of kings.

The examples are numerous. We can fly above the skies and cross oceans in a matter of hours.

We can see and talk instantly to people from other continents. We conquered diseases that decimated entire populations not too long ago.

If we need something, we don’t even need to leave our house. We can get it shipped directly to our door in no time.

There is no doubt we have benefited immensely from the advances in technology. But unfortunately we haven’t keep up at the same level on our spiritual journey on this Earth.

People feel isolated and lost, going through the days aimlessly, looking for excitement to fill the hours.

We have forgotten that we are more than just a brain and a body. We are unique creatures, capable of immeasurable feats. We posses the power of imagination, we can create new things.

I choose to create art. I like to think of my art as a bridge between the ordinary world and the unknown realm that we all intuit. Art in general is for me a gateway to the infinite in front of us. And this is important because in these times of shiny surfaces, bright lights and endless ways to entertain ourselves, we have learned to numb our senses to the outside world.

We have lost our ability to contemplate and reflect.

Our lives are imbalanced. We need to reconnect with the other side. And how do we do that?

By going back to our roots, to our nature. We need to remember that we are here to experience life. To explore. There are many doors that we haven’t opened yet. These gates could be anywhere. We just have to let ourselves in by staring at a painting of a tree, for instance. Or better yet, by gazing at a real tree, or a forest, or a lake. Anything that awakens our senses of wonder has the power to shake our senses of ordinary existence into something bigger.

My work is an effort to close that gap. My hope with these paintings is to encourage the viewer not to be simply a spectator but to attempt the same journey I go on while painting them.

The West Hartford Art League is located at 37 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

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