Dana estimates that she buys an average of two to four pieces a month, when she can afford it. And her house is one big gallery/art installation, with themed rooms arranged and designed to best show off her growing collection. Over the coming weeks, we'll be exploring the individual works and why they belong to Dana Cain.
Today's selections focus on a couple of Plus Gallery artists:
Riva Sweetrocket: Comfort Food
This is a favorite purchase of Dana's, and it's not hard to see why. After all, she's the kind of person who, in her own words, "has peak experiences at the drop of a hat." It's a large-scale work, six feet tall and rendered in soft pastel, placed in a prime spot on a pink wall in a room carpeted with AstroTurf, and it is splendid. "The first time I saw it was in a little tiny one-by-two-inch, black-and-white image in Westword. I had no idea how big it actually was or what the colors were or any of that, but I just loved it. I gravitate toward utopian imagery, and I love the quality of seeing magic in common everyday things. I love the way she venerated the ramen noodles to a holy status - - I really find that inspiring. I love all of her work, but I gotta tell ya, man, this one is still my favorite." Ours, too.
Susan Meyer: Hot Springs
"I love mod, and this is so mod. I love the juxtaposition of the cut lucite and geologic strata. And then she infused it with those tiny naked people doing all these perverted things. I had seen a lot of her work, and I could only afford a small piece, but when I saw this one I knew it was for me. The lime and green color palette just blows my mind. It reminds me of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Other little known facts about Dana: She's fascinated by geology and science. Her brother is a geologist, and for thirty years, she's edited the World Geophysical News.
Like what you see? Future installments are imminent. Watch Westword's Show and Tell blog for more.
