The definite article introduces each new painting by Dennis Ziemienski: “The Catch,” “The Departure,” “The Kiss.” Such evocative titles frame specific scenes, narrated in immaculate detail. By his design, each snapshot captures a dichotomy of perception: profound in retrospect, the compositions feel casual in the moment. Consider, for instance, a cowgirl riding up to greet her beau at the helm of a prop plane. The romantic scene—age-old thematically—simultaneously hints at the wild transition from cowpoke to pilot. Through these narrative compositions, Ziemienski channels his interest in periods of historical transition—an attunement he considers his “wheelhouse” as a painter. Over the decades, he has honed his eye for spotting juxtapositions from the 1920s through 1960s. Laced with nostalgia, his compositions feel simultaneously classic and interpretative.
