Lot 180A
Lockwood "Woody" Dennis (American, 1937-2012). "Navajo Peak" oil on canvas, 2002. Signed at lower right. A splendid painting by American artist Lockwood Dennis depicting the rocky crags of Navajo Peak in northern Colorado. The gray stone of the mountain is dominated by varying shadows conveying a rugged terrain, as well as scattered hues of violet, slate, tangerine, and apricot. A petite patch of snow is shown to the right, interrupting the strong silhouette of the summit, that stands out against the rainbow tones of the sky, indicating a sunrise or sunset. Size: 14" W x 11" H (35.6 cm x 27.9 cm)
Dennis's paintings of landscapes frequently feature a sunrise or sunset in the background, as seen here. Aside from the painterly aesthetic this naturally grants a piece, it also places the scene in a liminal space, occupying the transitional time between day and night; perhaps dually reflecting Dennis's own beliefs on the ephemeral nature of painting, once stating: "A principle impetus to paint is to make experiences more lasting, but paintings don't last either, and if you can't remember the experience, a painting won't do much anyway."
Lockwood "Woody" Dennis was driven to paint throughout his 45 year career and each canvas reveals new aspects about him as a person - his approaches to life, the environment, and art. During the early years, Woody was most influenced by the works of Post-Impressionist pioneers of early Modernism such as Cezanne and Matisse. As he evolved, Woody developed a graphic style that was informed by the style and imagery he created for his woodblock prints.
Dennis was quite eloquent and insightful when asked about his art. The following is an excerpt from the "On Impetus" section of his "Philosophical Musings on Painting": "The impetus to paint is always an experience - a specific place, weather, ordinary things remembered. A celebration of just being here, experiencing the world. The experience itself is somehow lost in the process, and, anyway, it's not intended that it should be conveyed. The result is a picture animated by that experience."
Dennis continued, "A painting starts with an exuberance. It's good to be alive. The work is a wonderful place. The feeling seems to cover everything, but it relates especially to past experiences, beginning further back than I can remember. It becomes specific in associations with past experiences: Portland, Eastern Washington, Africa; but not with an exact description. The memory of a precise place and time - a moment of past reality is too terrible to bear, there is such a sense of loss, of things gone forever. So it is a present experience, based on the past. And perhaps the cartoon character adds the levity to remove it from the past, or 'animate' it in the present."
Lockwood Dennis paintings have been collected by the following museums and organizations: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington; Seattle Art Commission, Seattle, Washington; Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, Oregon; Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington; Swedish Medical Center Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, Washington; Jefferson Museum of Art and History, Port Townsend, Washington; Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington; Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, Washington; Clallam County Historical Society, Port Angeles, Washington; Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Winslow, Washington; US Library of Congress, Washington, DC; US State Department, Washington, DC.
Provenance: Lockwood Dennis Art Estate, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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#188037
- Condition: Painting is in excellent overall condition. Signed at lower right; date and inventory number on verso.
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