Horses in Art Magazine - Art for the Horse Lover

Anna Noelle Rockwell: Discipline, Power, Submission

by Sarah Crampton

Nexus – Oil on canvas, diptych, each panel 15 x 30, by Anna Noelle Rockwell.
“Dressage and its origins are based in the military. We have war and destruction today but horses are obsolete on the battlefield. I see the horse as a symbol of control, submission, power, fear, innocence, freedom restrained, discipline and conflict. They symbolize, to me, the inherent conflict of our own modern psyche. However, they also embody beauty, freedom, movement and purity of emotion and, well, for me, hope and regeneration of a sort.” — Anna Noelle Rockwell
The notions of discipline, power and submission are explored continually by those who ride and train horses. To the outside world they are contrasting forces, but in the horse world they must be successfully blended to produce the thrill of forward motion that riding a horse in harmony can provide. Anna Noelle Rockwell’s oil paintings express these concepts with creativity and boldness, while remaining accurate in her portrayal of the horse. Without backgrounds for reference, Rockwell’s focus on energy is intensified and instantly observable.

When you view Rockwell’s diptych titled Nexus, it is no surprise to learn that Rockwell has studied the art of dressage. She portrays for us the channeled power of forward motion from the energy-driving hocks that travels through the back, rounding the body, neck and head. The energy and motion are palpable, but unlike some other paintings by Rockwell that suggest conflict, Nexus exudes harmony. The reaching front leg, the soft ears, and content expression of the beautiful bay horse is a portrait of relaxed movement.

Anna Noelle Rockwell’s artistic background involves a large variety of medium and subject matter and she continues to produce oil paintings and drawings reflecting contemporary events. However, horses have been a continual focus and have led to commissioned works of everything from horses and dogs to goats and rhinos. She has also been producing new works about the horse in war reflecting our current conflicts.

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