SOLO EXHIBITION | SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Altamira Fine Art Scottsdale is pleased to welcome Dennis Ziemienksi for a solo exhibition, Under the Sun, opening March 28, 2022.
Please join us for the Artist Reception, Thursday, April 7th from 7-9pm during the ArtWalk.
UNDER THE SUN
A ‘46 Chrysler Town and Country Woodie rolls past Saguaro sentinels and a cumulus sky quintessential of Arizona. A cowboy lolls along a similar skyscape, bounded by cacti and clouds. A water skier waves from the spray she’s gleefully carved on the sparkling expanse of Lake Powell. A neon diver, dramatically plunging across a motel’s signpost, delineates with graphic grace the entrance. These vibrant images and more make up the potpourri of vintage-inspired paintings by Dennis Ziemienski.
“It’s a sunny group of disparate images,” Ziemienski says, emphasizing the thematic umbrella of the exhibition’s title, Under the Sun. Taken collectively, the compositions channel memories of effortless and ebullient sociability. “Perhaps they remind us of those great times.”
Times when a trio of dressed-up damsels could perch on vinyl stools, feet and shoulders bare, and coquettishly attract a bartender’s attention. Times when a couple could spend their vacation poolside, dipping periodically into the glimmering expanse—loving, playful, carefree.
Tapping into his former life as an acclaimed illustrator, Ziemienski cultivates telling details in his compositions. A painting centered on a perfectly coiffed sunbather lounging poolside on a striped chaise intriguingly includes a neighbor wearing ruby slippers. Could this be a Dorothy of the desert?
Surrounding himself with reference materials, Ziemienski studies the heroes who have preceded him—Norman Rockwell, J. C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth. “You become so enamored with their compositions, their intelligent brushstrokes, you want to include elements in your lexicon.”
Recent research forays have found him fascinated by the watercolor illustrations of Herbert Paus. Thus inspired, he imagines scenes that are simultaneously nostalgic and prescient. “I add tinctures of inspiration into my cauldron, stir it up, and come out with something that is totally me.”
Pre-sales available. Contact the gallery for more details, (480) 949-1256, az@altamiraart.com.