His Art Speaks for Itself

Duke Beardsley doesn’t really have a name for what he creates. “People say things like the new West, contemporary West, all these things,” he says, while declining to offer his own alternative labels. “I never really think about what to call it.”

Instead, Beardsley lets his art speak for itself—and it does, in repeating motifs, pop-art-reminiscent stylings and palettes, and other attributes that defy the conventions and expectations that surround Western art. As his eye-catching pieces find homes in ever-increasing shows and collections, he continues to push the boundaries.

A few months ago, Beardsley was in his studio in Denver, Colorado, hard at work on pieces for the 2025 Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, which will be conducted in Denver from January 6 until January 26. It’s revealing, perhaps, that he uses ranching vocabulary to describe his role as featured artist in the show. “To be their wheelhorse is very exciting,” he says, acknowledging that the term might not be familiar to those who didn’t come of age in a ranching family, as he did. “You put your most reliable horse in that position. Your wheelhorse sets the rhythm for everybody else; you want someone who is strong for the team.”

Read the full article in the January/February 2025 issue.