By Vyla Cater By Vyla Cater | December 14, 2022 | Culture, Art, Creators,
AT THESE COLORADO GALLERIES, YOU’LL FIND A SHOWCASE OF EXQUISITE, NATURE- INSPIRED ART.
Steve Wrubel, “Zeke” (2022, frameless archival print on acrylic), in four sizes. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER MARTIN GALLERY
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER MARTIN GALLERY
A glass staircase leads down to Christopher Martin’s namesake subterranean contemporary gallery in Vail (christophermartingallery.com). Here, his signature reverse glass paintings combine sheer pigment to create art inspired by nature. Martin describes his art as “organic expressionism.” He starts with clear acrylic panels and applies heat, wind, water, brush and pigment in reverse order, working from foreground to background to produce a unique visual expression in each painting. “My motivation is very based in natural patterns and natural organic-type expressionism,” Martin says. “I always want to make my painting have a feeling of painterly presence but also feel as though a lot of it could have flown in nature.” Although the gallery showcases a large body of Martin’s work, it also features midcareer artists from around the world. There’s work from Polish abstract painter Kinga Czerska; photographer Steve Wrubel, who uses graphic and technological techniques to essentially hit pause on the wild motion of a bucking horse; and Dutch artist Isabelle Van Zeijl, who tells autobiographical narratives with horses under the moonlight or with thousands of flowers salvaged from growers in the Netherlands during COVID. Christopher Martin, “Cascais” (2022, acrylic on acrylic), 80 inches by 80 inches
A. Michel Velazquez, “Truth” (2021, mixed media), 48 inches by 60 inches. "TRUTH” PHOTO BY JEFF FIERBERG
Located in Denver’s Lodo neighborhood, the Dairy Block (dairyblock.com), continues to add meaningful art to its already popping lineup. This winter, the Dairy Block’s Alley hosts A. Michel Velazquez’s Brighter Than Love pop-up. Velazquez, of Velart Denver Co., showcases a mixture of large, vibrantly colored, close-up portraits of women and animals designed to share positivity through the canvas. His paintings are meant to be imaginative examples of the exquisiteness of life, sending a positive message about environmental conservation. Dairy Block is also now home to “Makers,” a 50-foottall mural created by Magik Studios (magikstudios.co). The massive work of art is located on the south side of The Maven hotel. The piece features a composition of hands and tools woven with growing vines that represent the harmony between the makers and Mother Earth.
David Frederick Riley, “Wolf” (mixed media on canvas), 60 inches by 60 inches. WOLF” PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAYTON LANE FINE ARTS
One of Denver’s oldest and most established galleries, Clayton Lane Fine Arts (claytonlaneart.com) represents over 50 renowned international painters and sculptors. Located in the heart of Cherry Creek, the gallery displays some of the most visionary 21st century artists, showcasing collections that encompass realism and impressionism. Here you’ll find pieces by contemporary Western artist David Frederick Riley, known for his large-scale, monochromatic artwork. “David’s original paintings are captivating portrayals of the classic West, each one infused with unbridled energy, raw textures and poetic motion,” says gallery director Carrigan Sherlock. Riley’s process involves applying a treatment to his oil paintings to create what look like natural water spots. The artist discovered the technique accidentally. He had left a painting outside to dry, and when he returned, it was covered in a layer of water droplets from snowmelt. Once the water dried, the effect added an intriguing depth.
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