Over the past five decades, Gordon Paul Mischke has been quietly making his mark as a talented sculptor and arts advocate who cherishes his local community, the natural beauty of the desert, and his spiritual path, which he describes as “a relentless search for the Divine Mother.”
Mischke, whose friends affectionately call “Gordy,” has created diverse architectural creations that include everything from concrete, steel, copper and stone abstract sculptures to wood carvings, etched glass, gates, fences and doors. One of the founding members of the Cave Creek Crafts Council, which later became the nonprofit Sonoran Arts League, he leads a simple life, stating that he does not produce art to sell, but rather, to express his intuitive feelings and guidance from a higher being.
“I continually attempt to coax the Divine from Her hiding places – from the stone, the steel, the glass, the wood with which I sculpt – using the heart, the mind, the will, [and] the hands, which are the tools She has given me,” Mischke said.
A spiritual draw to Cave Creek
Mischke grew up in “God’s country” in northern Minnesota, where his father worked in the iron mines.
“We were kind of a stoic family,” he said. “My mother sewed a lot of our clothing, she knitted, and she had a loom in our attic that she used to make rugs. She was a wonderful person and a very talented craft artist.”
Mischke earned his bachelor’s degree in art from Valparaiso University in Indiana with an emphasis on sculpture, design and liturgical art. After college, he taught art to elementary school students, but he felt a void. He wanted to pursue art full time.
He moved to Cave Creek in 1974, and lived in a tent at Harmony Hollow, near what is now Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area.
“I did a lot of hiking and marveled at the ambient biology and zoology of Spur Cross. It was so foreign to me, having grown up in northern Minnesota, and yet at the same time there was a spiritual draw, and I knew I was home,” he said.
Mischke found work from architects, designers and builders during the high-end housing boom, which lasted for several decades.
“I wanted to expose myself to as many different media as possible and one of my first big jobs involved carving wood beams, which I had never done before,” he said.
Most of the work took place during the summer, and since the homes were under construction, there was no air-conditioning.
“It was very challenging, both physically and mentally. I had to lie on my back on a La-Z-Boy chair high up on scaffolding to carve the underside of the beams after they were installed,” he said. “The total project lasted six months, and I came very close to burning out.”
Most recently, he has been working exclusively in steel. “I like the permanence of steel, and it seldom rusts in this climate,” he said.
One of his abstract steel sculptures, “Desert Madonna” stands at the entrance of the Town of Carefree’s amphitheater. The whimsical piece features human faces, birds, flowers and other natural elements.
A Cave Creek resident, Mischke will share his evolution as an artist during the “Amazing Artists” series on Monday, May 12 at The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th Street, Bldg. B, in Scottsdale. The event, which is co-presented by the Sonoran Arts League, takes place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This will be the last presentation of the season until a new series begins in October.
Reservations are $10 and all proceeds from admission will benefit the Sonoran Arts League and Holland Community Center art programs. In addition, some artists will showcase their work during the presentations, and 30% of any art sales will benefit the Sonoran Arts League. For more details, visit hollandcenter.org or call 480-488-1090.
The Sonoran Arts League is dedicated to promoting art, artists and art education. To learn more, visit sonoranartsleague.org or call 480-575-6624.