In the Curator’s Words: In Laguna Beach, a vibrant portrait of artist Conrad Buff’s legacy

Artist Conrad Buff, born in Switzerland in 1886, fell so in love with the American Southwest that he made it a lifelong passion to capture it in his work.

Work by the highly prolific Buff, who died in Pasadena in 1975, has been described as “blending elements of California Impressionism with Modernist structure and composition,” creating “striking imagery that was unconstrained by the conventions of his time.”

Now, a major retrospective offers a glimpse into his world, courtesy of the Laguna Art Museum, the first major museum to do so. The exhibition, titled “Silence and Solitude: Conrad Buff and The Landscapes of the American Southwest,” features dozens of paintings, including ones on loan from San Diego art collectors Patricia and Richard Amtower and Sandra and Bram Dijkstra, all longtime supporters of the arts in the region.

The exhibition was curated by art history professor and art appraiser Deborah Solon, who took some time to answer questions about the show and Buff’s legacy as an artist, especially in Southern California and the Southwest.

Q: This exhibition is the first major retrospective dedicated to someone many consider to be a pioneer in the depiction of the American Southwest. Can you tell us more about why Conrad Buff is considered to be one of the most significant artists of this genre.

A: Buff was one of the most important modernist painters in Southern California in the 20th century, yet he remains relatively unknown to many. His talents spanned various media, including easel and mural painting, lithography and book illustration.

From the 1920s through the 1940s, Buff extensively exhibited his work and was highly regarded by art critics, who praised his unique style. One critic noted that his paintings introduced “a new note of dignity in Western art.”

Buff explored little-known parts of the American West, hiking, camping and traveling with pack mules throughout the Sierra, Utah and Arizona to capture his vision of the American landscape. He sketched en plein air and returned to his studio in Eagle Rock to create monumental works using his meticulous cross-hatch style.

Trained as an embroidery designer in his native Switzerland, Buff translated that exacting technique into a remarkable painting style. While he was never a non-objective painter, his landscapes were not topographically accurate. He interpreted the landscape, pushing the boundaries of realism.

Q: Buff came up in an era when Surrealism was catching on, but he resisted jumping on that trend. Instead, he remained committed to his love of the American landscape. In your opinion, why was he so devoted to the American landscape?

A: Buff was a modernist painter, a term that encompasses a wide range of styles. In the 1930s and ’40s, he worked alongside artists in California who experimented with non-objective and Surrealist art. Among his friends were some of the most daring modernist architects in Southern California. While he did not oppose avant-garde movements, he remained personally committed to his interest in landscape painting throughout his career. Although an able portrait and still life painter, he held a romantic vision of the American Southwest that never waned. Buff grew up in the Swiss Alps, but his passion was for the scenery of his adopted country.

Q: Since he was a prolific artist whose productive years spanned decades, did you notice a shift in his artistic style or approach as he got older? And if so, what was that shift?

A: Buff’s work changed dramatically in the later years of his life. The tight, cross-hatched application of paint morphed into the architectonic, reductive works that focused on primary colors. His work was always informed by geometric elements, but shapes became dominant. He began to paint in broad strokes with a shorthand notation. The color palette brightened. The subject matter remained the same, but the execution was entirely different. The attention to precise detail and manual dexterity required for his earlier work might have been too rigorous at that stage of his life. He could now work quickly and more spontaneously.

Q: Of all the pieces in this exhibition, do you have a favorite, and if so, why?

A: This exhibition is a retrospective, making it difficult for me to single out a favorite work of art. Buff’s signature style evolved, so his later paintings reflect a different aesthetic. His murals are particularly fascinating. On a technical level, I am drawn to what I term his “middle period,” where he developed his mature style. The acuity required for his minute cross-hatching and his understanding of color relationships was remarkable. Although his style can be understood within the larger framework of Divisionism, his approach was unique. His interpretations of the American landscape were highly personal and expressive. (Divisionism is a painting style where artists apply small dots or dabs of pure, unmixed colors side-by-side on the canvas.) 

Q: What do you hope the viewer takes away from seeing this exhibition? 

A: Conrad Buff was one of the most significant modernists in California who has remained relatively unknown — until now. His work has been collected, but his place in the canon of art history has never been solidified. I want viewers to be surprised. Many of the works are large and impressive. I hope viewers will appreciate his brave and innovative approach to painting and gain newfound respect for his place in the history of California painting.

Laguna Art Museum presents ‘Silence and Solitude: Conrad Buff and The Landscapes of the American Southwest’

When: Through Jan. 25, 2026

Where: Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach

Admission: Free admission through the end of November 2025. After November, normal admission prices apply. $15 general admission, $10 students 20 years old and older, seniors and military, free for youth 19 and under. Free on the first Thursday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. Free to museum members.

Phone: 949-494-8971

Online: lagunaartmuseum.org