Saddle
art gives glimpse of history
by
Jim Crawford
WICKENBURG
– To the untrained eye the saddle is just the contraption
that goes on the back of a horse, the place where the
cowboy sits to ride.
As
true as that may be in most cases, saddles are considered
art by many who study and embrace the western lifestyle.
And, of course, with all things art, beauty is in the
eye of the beholder.
Desert
Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg will display
the works of saddle maker Carson Thomas from March
10 through Sept. 2.
Thomas,
a second generation saddle maker, has been creating
miniature saddles for more than 30 years and says he
never gets tired of creating new pieces.
“My
dad was a saddle maker,” he says. “That’s how I got
to be one.”
The
museum exhibition, entitled “Art of the Saddle: A Leather
Canvas in Miniature” invites the viewer to take a visual
ride through history.
“The
miniature saddles were popular with old‑time shops,”
Carson says. “Salesmen carried them around for samples.
You could carry three or four instead of just one full‑size
saddle.
“They’re
really becoming quite popular now. I’ve been making
them for about 30 years, back when they weren’t so popular.
I always sell them as art. It’s always one of one. I
don’t ever repeat anything I’ve done.”
The exhibition will feature 13 major pieces of Thomas’
work.
“The
pieces will represent saddles from the late 1800s to
modern day,” Thomas says. “It’s been quite a challenge
because I’ve had to build a few saddles to fill in some
gaps. Each style represents about 30 years.”
