Distinctly Montana Magazine

"D From the Mountains to the Prairies olack is not averse to using "magical realism" to inspire viewers to open their minds to aspects of daily life they either take for granted or are otherwise oblivious to." head Albert Einstein, a toy figure of Superman holding a pencil in his hand, a wizard, and a plastic dodo. "Altered States" mines the dichotomy of both artifice and the eternal. Innovatively, as a tie-in to the age of the Copper Kings, Dolack is making his paintings for "Altered States" on surfaces of copper plates. Among some of the rich subjects he's plying: the profusion of wind generators with giant blades producing clean alternative energy on the prairie though churning inside flyways used by raptors; the legacy of the Berkeley Pit in Butte where the sculpted remains of a toxic pit shimmer surreally in the light like the travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs; and the natural gas and oil boom sweeping across the Bakken Formation in eastern Montana. Distinguishing elements of Dolack's work include humor, satire and paradox, the juxtaposition of human interactions with animals (evident in Dolack's acclaimed "Invader Series") as well as the dynamic of unspoiled landscapes versus those that have been subdued and transformed. A pastoral piece, View From Elk Ridge, presents a wapiti overlooking the course of the Clark Fork intersected by In- 22 terstate 90, the cloverleafs of on-off ramps, linear paths of power utility corridors and the sprawl of development, all knitted together into a mesmerizing composition. Like famed Latin writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Spanish painter Salvador Dali, Dolack is not averse to using "magical realism" to inspire viewers to open their minds to aspects of daily life they either take for granted or are otherwise oblivious to. In Midnight Rainbows, part of Dolack's vaunted "Mythical Landscapes" series, he presents a metaphorical glimpse at a nocturnal feeding frenzy which he describes as "supernatural." One of my favorites is the original Dangerous Liaison, a provocative fish painting created with trash and other found objects — crushed Coke and beer cans, fishing lures and other detritus — that he harvested while walking his favorite streams. Dolack says he's not intending to preach but he finds more meaning in the metaphysical over the accumulation of stuff. Consider From the Mountains to the Prairies, a self-portrait of sorts featuring the artist himself, lounging in a sofa chair with a beloved dog at his side. Positioned in front of them is a retro television. But instead of being transfixed by electronic media, they are Yellowstone Falls D I ST I NCT LY M ONTANA • SU M M E R 2013

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