Arizona Dreamscape
Altamira Fine Art Scottsdale is pleased to present a new exhibition for Dennis Ziemienski, April 9-20, 2024.
Please join us for the Artist Reception Thursday, April 11, 7-9pm and Meet the Artist.
Dennis Ziemienski juxtaposes the classic cowboy life with the increasing influence of Modernism. The scenes in his work accurately depict Western life at the beginning of the last century when railroads, vehicles, motels and rodeos began to dominate the western landscape. Traveling to Europe frequently, he has also acquired an affinity for the architecture, lifestyle and light of the Mediterranean. His strong and richly colored images borrow much of their inspiration from early 20th century paintings and posters. His early influences, J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, Ludwig Hohlwein and Tom Purvis, were all master designers in composition, for which Ziemienski has now also become known.
The new body of work in Arizona Dreamscape explores quintessential scenes of the Sonoran Desert; a towering Saguaro cactus set against a candy-colored sunset, cactus blossoms in full bloom, and a picturesque plane ride over the Grand Canyon as the sun begins to set. The rich palette and strong compositions which evoke feelings of nostalgia and adventure are trademarks of the artist’s work.
Dennis Ziemienski was born in San Francisco, CA and graduated cum laude from the California College of Arts & Crafts in 1972. “Growing up in California and taking car trips with my family allowed me to see a lot of this classic imagery. By the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, I noticed much of it was starting to fade away. All of the things I witnessed then started to make me think that someday I would like to record those things. So now I am.”, says the artist. Ziemienski has work in the permanent collection of the Tucson Art Museum, Bakersfield Museum of Art, The Booth Western Art Museum and the Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, among others.
Pre-sales available. Contact the gallery for details, (480) 949-1256, az@altamiraart.com.
