Artists from Altamira’s stable consider the fearless resolve inherent in the character of the cowgirl — she who rides and roams a region both symbolic and specific.
“I've always been drawn to painting cowgirls in a desert setting,” says Dennis Ziemienski, who fashions Modernist takes on the Western imaginary. “Cowgirls stand out for their strength and independence in a traditionally cowboy world.”
Beyond spotlighting female grit, a playfulness pervades the paintings on view. As Ziemienski says: “I also enjoy adding a little mischief, with a twinkle in their eyes.”
In this thematic excursion, Ziemienski is joined by Geoffrey Gersten, Duke Beardsley, Kenneth Peloke and Bradford Overton.
Throughout the show, tropes are turned on their heads, such as Gersten’s imagined Marlborough Girl. Or when Overton considers the merry, mischievous side of empowerment: “I’m interested in the cowgirl as an expression of pure freedom!” he says. “And freedom is dangerous and fun!”