David B. Smith Gallery is proud to present The Anvil and Other Works, a solo exhibition by Des Moines, IA-based painter Don Stinson. In his third solo exhibition with the gallery, panoramic watercolors and oil paintings on copper, wood panel, and linen are presented in the main gallery and project room. In these times of ecological and cultural flux, The Anvil and Other Works reflects the next page in Stinson’s painterly oeuvre as his subjects shift from one geographical divide to another; from mountain ranges to river basins. After decades spent proximal to Colorado’s mountainous Continental Divide, Stinson’s recent move to Cincinnati, OH has offered insight into the Midwest’s major geographical divide: the Mississippi River. Depictions of contemporary Americana have maintained their place as the center of focus, with Stinson’s iconic retro gas stations and sweeping landscapes at the forefront. Newly incorporated into Stinson’s visual vocabulary are lush deciduous scenes of the Midwest, where the impact of weather and resultant socio-economic tensions visibly mark the landscape. Engrossed in contemporary Western scenes, much of Stinson’s imagery has historically drawn from road trips across the United States. Along dusty, vacant roads the romance of the West is adeptly met by markers of civilization including bridges, wind turbines, and roadways. However, in addition to evidence of humanity via infrastructure there are now the foreboding signs of climate change. In The Anvil and Other Works, the past becomes new again, as rural and urban communities persevere through changing circumstances, redefining the monolithic idea of timelessness as steadfast and enduring.