Promised Landscapes

Phoenix isn't exactly a hotbed of spiritual activity -- unless you count praying for rain, Sheriff Joe's resignation, and the permanent demise of photo radar. But local artist Dain Q. Gore found a way to connect this dusty, dry land to something greater for his solo exhibition “Desert Religion.” The...

By Wynter Holden

September 2, 2010

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Phoenix isn't exactly a hotbed of spiritual activity -- unless you count praying for rain, Sheriff Joe's resignation, and the permanent demise of photo radar. But local artist Dain Q. Gore found a way to connect this dusty, dry land to something greater for his solo exhibition “Desert Religion.” The show features oil, acrylic, and encaustic Southwestern landscapes.

Don't worry, Gore isn't about to bore you with dusty cacti, cow skulls, or any of that kitschy tourist crap. His take on the traditional Arizona landscape involves painting wild hallucinations -- the kind Moses might have had after wandering in the desert for forty years.

So is Gore painting from personal experience? "I have never actually been on a vision quest, but I have always wanted to feel some connection to the unknown, to be 'zapped' by the almighty," he says. "I feel that my painting may take me there some day."

Tuesdays-Saturdays; Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Aug. 21. Continues through Sept. 11, 2010

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