be embellished to the point of sentimentality.”
Along the Distant Mesa will feature two
works by Elliott, both interpretations of Dixon
works, including Home of the Blackfeet, a
1938 painting that currently hangs at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma.
Utah-based Case, is also drawn to Dixon’s
lack of sentimentality in the desert. “Dixon
was clearly captivated by the abstract designs
he found in the West. He was a brilliant
editor in the field and whether on-site or in
the studio, knew how to avoid the sloshy
cliché that flows with much of the Western
monotony. In my opinion Dixon was nearly
always successful at leaving the sentimental
behind for the power of the shapes. Finding the
commonplace, the almost mundane, to be as
beautiful as the monumental dramatic image
in which the West was famous for. I think of
him as the Hopper of the West,” Case says.
“Dixon gave us his honest direct recordings of
subjects. His fieldwork, usually the 12-by-16
and 16-by-20-inch [works] show this the best.
These are some of my favorite paintings...In
these smaller works he goes after the simple
statement using a one-time-and-out approach,
as to save every brush touch and subtle
value change in the first attempt. Saving theCharles Fritz, Santa Fe Traders on the Old Spanish Trail, oil on canvas, 36 x 54”
Greg Newbold, Plateau Geometry, oil on canvas, 30 x 40”