upcycle |

Above: Green Gamma Daedalus Right: Deluxe mailbox.

1952 Kenmore vac rocketship

Jimmy Descant is known as the Rocketman. He was first seen in Denver at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, 2004-2008. Now, I’m wondering if he wasn’t the catalyst for this trend in upcycling art and retail. Unconsciously, I was looking for Descant’s work this year. I remember staring in amazement at his rockets and wall art in the past. He was not there this year but, everyone else was, and they all wanted to be him.

An innocent walk from Dazbog’s coffee on 17th Avenue, stopped me in my tracks. A new gallery, Leon. It was a former portrait studio. Wow, look at this art, I told my friend.

The opening was early July. Alas, this show leaves on the 31st. Make the time and effort to see this show. Children will love it too. It is whimsical, brilliant, colorful, vintage assemblages that are amazing.

Jimmy Descant is a New Orleans refugee living in Salida, Colorado today. He bills himself as a severe re-constructivitist. Rocketships are his specialty.

See his latest creations at Leon Gallery, 1112 E. 17th Avenue, 303-832-7697

www.leongallery.com

www.deluxerocketships.com

Rocketman, Jimmy Descant lands in Denver at Leon Gallery

What’s Old is New Again…in posh Cherry Creek (Art Festival)

The buzz is on for the words reduce, reuse, recycle, upcycle, repurpose, revamp, and reinvent into art. You’ve seen it in emails making the rounds, art made out of flip-flops, soda bottle furniture, chandeliers made from candle holders, cans and glass bottles. There’s fashionable jewelry made from Coke cans, bottle tops, Barbie doll appendages, even underwear and shelters, as in bus stops. Who remembers the first belts made out of old tires and bottle caps? They’re still around after what, 20 years?

Upcycling is the latest trend described as taking items that have been discarded into landfills, rescued and given a new use, an upgrade to another purpose from its original purpose. It’s called being the best we can be by reinventing and creating art that is characteristically interesting, quirky,colorful, semi-disturbing – setting the pace for a new artistic statement, heading into a new era of art.

If any of those words are true, and I believe they are because the Cherry Arts Festival was a carnival of old, made new again. I would venture to speculate that a vintage theme ran through 50% of the booths I visited.