Photographer Monroe Sullivan’s art featured at grand opening of library

STANTON When it comes to his herd of longhorns and the photographs he takes of them, Monroe Sullivan is a purist - he believes neither should be altered, revised or retouched in any way.

The artist, with a growing reputation for his striking photographs of authentic West Texas scenes, will be featured at the opening exhibit of the new Martin County Library in Stanton starting at 2 p.m. Sunday and continuing through May.

In his photographic compositions where nothing seems out of place, like a perfectly proportioned painting, Sullivan manages to capture images that evoke not only historical truths of the West Texas past but the impact of modern Texas dynamics as well. Some photographs depict longhorns in scenes that could have been made over two centuries ago, alongside others of herding by helicopter, and all carry a feeling of being absolutely authentic.

"I would never re-touch a photograph," he says, and carries the same sense of respect to the subject of Texas longhorn cattle, a favorite subject in his photographs. He and his wife, Debbie, are committed to maintaining the pure bloodlines of the authentic strain of longhorns and are active members of the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry.

"The longhorn saved Texas back before and after the Civil War," he said. "They were part of the natural landscape, immune to most diseases, with the toughness and built-in resilience to withstand long trail drives to the market. They deserve every effort we can make to maintain the purity of their bloodline."

That's why the longhorn continues to be a favorite target for his camera.

"We want people to see these cattle," he says. "They're a key part of our Texas heritage."

Sullivan is a one-camera man and keeps his art a simple matter.

In fact, he has never sold a photograph. It was Debbie's enthusiasm for his work that saw his photos entered in the 30th annual fall juried art exhibition of the Midland Arts Association at Midland College, where he was among the winners. There, his work caught the eye of Larry Haggard, whose family has endowed the art gallery in the new Martin County Library, and who was looking for an artist to feature in its first exhibition.

"His photographs stop you in your tracks. They make everyday West Texas scenes a work of art, and we're lucky to find a local artist of his caliber for our grand opening," he said.

The Sullivans have two sons, both of whom seem to have soaked up some of Dad's talent. Brady is a UT graduate in Fine Arts, and Clay, an undergraduate at Tech, is already learning his way around a camera.

The Martin County Library plans a "grand opening" reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Stanton. The public is invited to tour the new building at the intersection of St. Anna and St. Mary streets and meet the artist as well as county librarian Kaye Smith and other officials who actively participated in establishing the new library.

Regular library hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.