April 2014

Apr 30 2014

****Review, 2014

‘Finding Vivian Maier’

Can’t get enough of Vivian?

I’ve been obsessed with the mystery of photographer Vivian Maier since I first read about her, probably a year ago. The documentary is now showing in Denver at the Esquire Theater.

Thank God, John Maloof bid on a box of negatives at a Chicago storage unit. He casually sifted through them but was hoping to find historical references for the book he was writing. Once he determined there was nothing of significant historical value he put the box back in the closet. Curiosity forced him to open the box a second time and scan some images. What he found were hundreds, thousands of photos that suddenly seemed to be not only great photography but a treasure trove of art snapped by an absolutely unknown person, Vivian Maier.

The mystery expanded as her art unfolded, her photos and life story loosely pieced together. The woman behind the camera was a secretive person who took care of other people’s children and entertained herself and her charges by trekking through the worst parts of Chicago, her camera around her neck.

The results are astonishing, fascinating and beautiful. Vivian Maier, (b. 1926-2009) was an artist. Unraveling her story is part of the art and mystery of this strange and lonely woman. The documentary sheds light on a small piece of the puzzle. The questions asked like who was she, why did she take so many photos and never develop them, who was this woman who gave her name as V. Smith, among other aliases, inferring at times that she was ‘sort of a spy;’ she was born in NYC but had a noticeable French accent, who was she?

‘Finding Vivian Maier‘ is captivating. I still can’t get enough of Vivan. Fortunate for people like me who love stories like this, and thanks to John Maloof the world is still developing hundreds of thousands of her photographs. She was a curious soul who found art in the down and out back streets of Chicago. Her camera focused on people living through a bad day or a woman out on the town. Through her camera she was passionate, stylish, compassionate, friendly, social, happy. Vivian more than any one, was aware her subjects had a story that was far more interesting than the one she could tell. She didn’t need words.

Now, we get to piece together her photos and the woman who lived through her Rolleiflex lens. Vivian Maier, a 20th century artist with the eye of an Otto Dix, Diane Arbus, Rembrandt, Nan Goldin. Her photos tell us what she knew. We’ll never know all we want to know about Vivian Maier.

Tagged Denver, Esquire Theater, John Maloof, Photography, Vivian Maier

Apr 27 2014

Leave a comment

Artist to Watch

Love always, Paris on the Platte

Paris on the Platte is an unusual name for a coffee shop that sits at the edge of I-25 and downtown Denver. When Faye opened the shop in 1986, Platte Street was still part of a decaying industrial area and hard to find. There was nothing significant about the street excepting, the legendary My Brothers Bar sat kitty-korner at the end of the street. People didn’t just go down there, but, it was a little known back-street-route to the highway from downtown Denver. You probably remember when the 16th Street viaduct was still there, then it was gone. I can’t even remember where it stood now.

PoP is funky and cool. The old used books section is gone replaced by a solid wooden bar and dining area lined with original brick walls. I still cherish a book I bought there in the early 1990’s, Best of Vanity Fair, 1930-1940’s, with the original cover sleeve, tattered & torn, but so lovely.

The grit and bricks have been power washed. The original atmosphere has remained the same by utilizing few changes in the once dark coffee house. The Paris has stayed in step with the now hip Platte street restaurants, outdoor patios, Colorado Outdoor shops, dress stores, the REI anchor store, Natural Grocers, the Kayak shop, bike shop. There’s colorful public art tucked between the high-rise apartment buildings. When you’re there, you’ll want to end your errands at the park along the Platte, relax on the steps and benches which line the sidewalks and river. The REI deck is perfect for sipping Starbucks, watching bikes, babies, tubing, kayaking and dogs enjoying a hidden playground in the middle of Denver. P.S. there is a dog park on the other side of the Platte on Little Raven.

The Paris opened with artists in mind. Nowadays, the coffee shop, wine bar and cafe continues to display art by local artists. Friday & Saturday nights feature live music. The Paris has shifted slightly to accommodate the local trends on the street which is teeming with people day and night. People live, work and play there. All dogs are welcome along the two block neighborhood. I like to think of it as Denver’s bustling European village tucked away on the other side of the river.

Rebekah Robinson’s work is displayed through May. On the day I met Candice for coffee, we saw Rebekah and a few other long time locals who still wander in from time to time.

: Still dark inside but not as dark as it was years ago.

: Left, Kim Allen, photographer; Candice Pulliam, Art Services Co.; Errol Cerovsky, art collector

: From the inside looking out on Platte Street. Plenty of outdoor patios, water bowls and doggie biscuits for your convenience.

: Rebekah Robinson

Tagged downtown Denver, My Brothers Bar, Natural Grocers, Paris, Platte Street, REI, Starbucks

Apr 20 2014

Leave a comment

Artist to Watch

John Singer Sargent For Your Saturday

I’m sorry to do this to you….700 slides of John Singer Sargent’s paintings. It takes a good long while, but oh what a beautiful artist he was. You’ll see illuminated portraits, detailed watercolors, lively sketches & charcoal drawings. Others may compare with his talent but none have ever surpassed John Singer Sargent. Reblogged from Adrienne Middlemay. Thank you, Adrienne. Happy Easter!

Author Adrienne Morris

http://www.johnsingersargent.org/biography.html

View original post

Apr 15 2014

Leave a comment

Artist to Watch

Sigmar Polke Rebels at MoMA

Interesting retrospective by a most diverse artist. Note the artist’s clever spirit for adventure and experimentation. I think I love Sigmar Polke.

what we LIKE NYC

The first large-scale US retrospective of legendary German artist Sigmar Polke (1941-2010) opens this weekend at MoMA . Sigmar Polke is one considered to be one of the most experimental artists of the 20th century and the works on view demonstrate this perfectly. From his enormous paintings on materials as flimsy as bubble wrap or printed textiles, there is not one medium that defines his almost 50 year-long career.

Films, photography, sculpture, drawings, collage and paintings are all part of the collection on show at this vast and fascinating retrospective. Different periods of his work are clearly inspired by the times he was painting and no doubt his contemporaries, with amazing pieces of pop art and abstract expressionism.

A witty, clever and awe-inspiring show that is grounded in the artists deep skepticism of all things authoritarian, many of the pieces in the show give pause for thought. The show debuts in…

View original post 45 more words

Apr 09 2014

Leave a comment

First Fridays Gallery

First Art @Abend Gallery

First Fridays are stressful. You start by asking yourself which galleries do I want to visit first, then, on paper or in your head, you must keep track of time, crowds, parking and just how many art districts you can visit from 6 p.m. til 9 p.m.

Last Friday was a no brainer. I was going to Abend Gallery‘s Landscape Show. All participating artist’s works were easy to swoon over, such as Lorenzo Chavez, Stephen Day, Tim Deibler, Bruce Gomez, David Harms, Marin Dobson, Jane Hunt, Peggy McGivern, Elizabeth Sandia, Dave Santillanes, Jean Shom to name a few.

Abend has a strong reputation for quality art but, owner, Chris Serr‘s real genius is in selecting unknown, accomplished artists. One of my favorite new artists, I’ve only seen at Abend is Elsa Sroka. Her Bovine series had me thinking I want a cow on my living room wall. Sroka wasn’t technically in this show but her cows were hanging here & there throughout the gallery.

Our landscape artists are pretty lucky. They don’t have to travel far from their studios to capture a snowcapped mountain or a frozen river bed. Abend’s meditative show conveyed majestic Colorado scenes painted by artists who recognize the hourly difference between vibrant, atmospheric colors of fall, winter, summer and spring, snow resting gently on spring flowers. They know a thing or two about using the complete range of the color spectrum to explain a 2-D Western sunset. If you believe an artist speaks through his work, these paintings tell beautifully quiet, narratives about the West.

Abend Gallery is a good stop after an kick-ass week. Take your time and absorb the beauty of the West and the spectacular scenery at the corner of York & Colfax. This show goes through May 3, 2014.

Artist David Harms, above.

3rd photo – Trevor, the best gallery assistant ever. He has been working with his mom since he was fourteen years old. We’ve watched him grow into a creative photographer and superb gallery administrator.

5th photo – look who I ran into – artist, Desmond O’Hagan.

10th photo – landscape artist, Jean Shom.

Abend Gallery, 2260 E. Colfax, 80206. 303-355-0905. info@abendgallery.com

Apr 01 2014

Leave a comment

Artist to Watch

Alexander The Great

Andy Warhol’s friend & mentor. Thanks WHATWELIKENYC.

what we LIKE NYC

Gallerist Alexander Iolas first met seventeen-year-old Andy Warhol in 1945, and seven years later gave him his first gallery exhibition in New York City. Their friendship lasted their entire lives until they both passed away, less than four months apart, in 1987. Stand out Warhol works along with many of the major artists whose careers were defined by showing with Iolas are included in Alexander the Great: The Iolas Gallery 1955-1987 currently on show at Paul Kasmin Gallery in Chelsea.

Iolas played a pivotal role in the art world in America, recognized for being among the first to introduce American audiences to Surrealism. The exhibition contains incredible Surrealist pieces including iconic works by Magritte. With Iolas having helped shape the careers of arists such as Ed Ruscha, William N. Copley, Victor Brauner, Max Ernst and of course Andy Warhol, this collection feels like a whirlwind journey through some of the twentieth century’s…

View original post 35 more words