Philip K. Curtis. Arizona Landscapes

Landscape remains one of the most popular expressions for artists visiting and residing in Arizona. Philip K. Curtis, although not known as a landscape painter, makes extensive use of this theme. Curtis came to the state in 1937 to create the Phoenix Federal Art Center as part of the Federal Art Project, the New Deal program. Two years later, he left to head a similar institution in Des Moines, Iowa, but returned to Arizona in 1947.

The landscapes of Arizona were for the artist a rich source of inspiration, although his canvases do not reflect any recognizable geological features.