Friday, January 31, 2014

PLUS GALLERY CELEBRATES "ORANGE CRUSH" WEEK THROUGH ARTWORK


With Denver and the entire state swept up in Bronco mania this week in anticipation of the super bowl, we thought it appropriate to hype our own version of "Orange Crush" this week. While orange may not be the most common color found in artwork, it has certainly been notable in a handful of Plus Gallery artworks over the years. Here are a few of our favorites:

Nobody, absolutely nobody does orange better than Colin Livingston. His most recent exhibition "The Art Bucket" featured a painting that makes that point very explicit: That's a GOOD orange!


Orange is often found in Livingston's work over the years, particularly when it's the consumers choice to use it as in his 2006 exhibition "Palettes, Patterns, Logos and Slogans."  Peyton Manning may not be "Tom Brady Hot" but he is certainly the closest thing to "The Hotness" that we can imagine.


After a hit by Broncos cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Seattle Seahawks vision may look a little skewed, just like this stellar "moire" painting by William Betts.


What goes better with the super bowl than beer and pretzels?  Mike Whiting is also a fan of the color, as seen in his monumental "pretzel" sculpture currently on view in the BYU Art Museum exhibition "8-Bit Modern."


Deer, on the other hand, have nothing to do with football as far as we can tell, but Whiting's terrific "Buck" is also distinguished by its noble color.

Bronco's fans have been living a utopian existence this entire football season, much like Susan Meyer's awe-inspiring sculpture "Honey," which has been known to cast an orange hue over an entire room when struck by the sun.


Almost all Broncos fans would like to see Richard Sherman's head served up on a platter this Sunday. The perfect platter for this, or perhaps just for serving chips and dip, is Tsehai Johnson's "Fluid No. 6"


And the best match for the color of the Broncos' famous orange is none other than Donald Fodness, whose current RMCAD installation "LUVRZ B H8RZ" is really all about Bronco fandom.


Finally, while it has no orange in it whatsoever, Xi Zhang recently painted a tribute to the mighty Broncos and their famous QB Peyton Manning that we feel is most appropriate to share now. Go Broncos, bring home the trophy! PFM, PFM!


MELISSA FURNESS' EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBITION NOW ON VIEW AT PLUS GALLERY


Plus Gallery artist Melissa Furness has put together a dynamic mixture of elements that make her recently opened solo exhibition "Romantic Overgrowth" one of the most unique viewing experiences in recent memory.  Her complex paintings are charged with a variety of overlapping techniques, combining for her most outstanding and full-realized work to date.  She has installed the paintings in a manner that further stimulates the imagination, such as the twelve-foot wide canvas "deluge after the deluge," which is surrounded by moss to fill an entire wall, as if the painting were embedded in the very nature it reflects upon.  The unusual combination of elements that she mixes together for the installation are intended to stimulate a thoughtful dialogue regarding early romanticism in painting, as well as a wider array of concepts that have inspired Furness throughout her distinguished career.




Melissa Furness with her installation assistants

Images of the installation are now available online at http://plusgallery.com/exhibitions/76/143/

Read a report on the exhibition by Metro State reporter Stephanie Alderton out in the schools paper this week:


Please join Plus Gallery on First Friday, February 7th for extended gallery hours and an informal talk with Furness about her work in the exhibition starting at 7pm.

A FANTASTIC NEW EXPERIENCE IS COMING TO DENVER IN THE RINO DISTRICT NEXT MONTH: MONKEYTOWN 4


ADVANCE DISCOUNT TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH PLUS GALLERY

It may appear as if our side-project Denver Digerati has been largely inactive during the winter months, but we've been super busy internally working on putting together new and exciting efforts for 2014. So far it looks like we should have a stellar year ahead, beginning with one of the most spectacular experiences ever presented in Denver starting at the end of Feburary.

After 10 years in New York City, Monkey Town, the first experimental completely immersive film and food experience, lands in Denver for its premiere traveling 4th edition. From February 27 - June 1, this video cube and dining installation operates for three months as a nightly pop up - in RiNo Art District at 3545 Larimer St - before continuing on a planned three year national and international tour. Tickets are on sale beginning Friday, January 31st at http://www.monkeytown4.com/, through Brown Paper Tickets.

Denver Digerati has been working to support the Monkeytown 4 experience, a concept that should serve to galvanize the Denver community around the wonderful presence and impact that motion-based art has the ability to propel in diverse contexts. Monkeytown is the brainchild of artist Montgomery Knott, who spent many years exhibiting video-based art at his space in Brooklyn.  Through the network of artists he built up over the year, and his genuine passion for the medium, he began a concept that delivers a unique experience combining motion-art, dining and performance into one total package.


The ticketed event allows for two nightly seatings for an intimate audience to wine and dine while enveloped by a giant 4-screen video cube made of 24-foot screens, showcasing a continuous reel of artworks in motion by some of the best in the world, with a number of Denver Digerati's recently commissioned artists firmly in the mix. Each seating will also involve a performance element that will change weekly, including some of Denver's most outstanding artists and performance groups.  And food partners include The Populist (currently in the top-ten for Denver foodies), City O' City/Watercourse (for the growing vegetarian and vegan population) and Noble Swine.



We can't think of a better way to lead into Digerati's new summer programming and have been supporting Monkeytown with some initial groundwork. As a result, Plus Gallery fans can enter Discount Code, Plus70, when you checkout and receive $10 off your ticket. Offer expires February 15th. 

AND. The first 2 people to get to Plus Gallery on Saturday, February 1st and take a picture with gallery owner, Ivar Zeile, will receive two half-priced tickets each to #MonkeyTown4! Be sure to tag @monktownaka AND use hash tag #MonkeyTown4 to be eligible.

We guarantee this event won't disappoint and is going to spread like wild-fire throughout the creative community. The preview reel on the Monkeytown website is something you won't be able to take your eyes off of, and includes a clip from Denver Digerati's own wunderkid Milton Melvin Croissant III with a snippet of his latest fascinating composition for "Thug Entrancer," who Digerati fans had the opportunity to engage with at last years post Friday Flash No. 5 bash. Croissant is rapidly becoming one of the most spectacular digital animators in the world, maintaining a visionary focus within his work that is unprecedented.  Check out his full clip at


And while we will have a lot of news to follow later this year, we leave you with one more opportunity to make sure and check out. Denver Digerati commissioned artist Jonathan Monaghan will return to Colorado later this year to deliver a workshop at Anderson Ranch!



ALLIE POHL FEATURED IN LA TIMES MODERATED PANEL DISCUSSION THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st


The LA Times will moderate a panel talk with the artists of the Gabba Gallery exhibition "Platforms and Paint" this Saturday February 1st from 7:00-11:00 PM.  Platforms are not just shoes women wear; they are also a place to voice opinions. And while paint is the most recognized medium in art, it is also a term that relates to putting on make-up, thus the title, "Platforms & PAINT."  Join Plus Gallery artist Allie Phol for an All FEMALE panel talk with LA Times if you happen to be in LA this weekend.

Gabba Gallery
3126 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, 90057

Friday, January 24, 2014

JOIN PLUS GALLERY FOR THE OPENING OF MELISSA FURNESS' SOLO EXHIBITION "ROMANTIC OVERGROWTH"


ARTIST RECEPTION THIS THURSDAY, JANUARY 23RD FROM 6-8PM


Plus Gallery launches "Romantic Overgrowth," an absolutely wonderful new exhibition by Melissa Furness on January 23rd, our first of 2014 and one that sets the tone for another year of engaging viewpoints in art presented by the most bold and thoughtful artists from Colorado's contemporary community. Those who took in Furness' last solo exhibition two years ago at Plus Gallery know exactly what this ambitious, highly talented artist is capable of. Furness creates another rich, multi-layered environment in "Romantic Overgrowth," one that re-imagines the sublime nature of early Romanticism.  Her latest effort presents the viewer with overgrown layers of re-appropriated and fragmented images of invented ruins that come together to depict alternative worlds of picturesque decline.



Melissa Furness received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Iowa in 2002 with minors in both sculpture and printmaking. Her work has been most influenced by her experiences of travel, which have included artist's residencies in the countries of Hungary and Poland, and those in the U.S. at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California and the Corporation of Yaddo in upstate New York.  Over the last decade she has been involved in numerous national and international exhibitions and featured in publications such as New American Paintings, Manifest Creative Research Gallery's International Painting and Drawing Annuals, the Creative Quarterly Journal of Art and Design, and the ArtWorld Digest. She has been an assistant professor at University of Colorado Denver in the visual arts program since 2007.

Plus Gallery will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday evening, January 23rd from 6-8pm, we invite you to join us then.

Save the date of First Friday February 7th for Furness' artist talk in conjunction with the exhibition, starting at 7pm.

ADDITIONAL PLUS GALLERY NEWS FOR JANUARY 2014


Donald Fodness' latest installation "LUVRZ B HTRZ" is on view at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design's Rude Gallery through February 24th.  Read the front-page report on Fodness' effort from last week's Denver Post Entertainment section at




Plus Gallery artist Xi Zhang has work on view at Alter Space in San Francisco in the group exhibition "Everyone's Time Is Their Own" curated by Juxtapoz writer Gabe Scott.  The exhibition is on view through February 22nd.


Plus Gallery artist Allie Pohl has work on view in The Gabba Gallery exhibition "Platforms and Pain" in Los Angeles through February 23rd.  Pohl will discuss her work there on the 23rd of February for the show closing event.


Plus Gallery artists Dave Yust and Wes Magyar each have a work included in the Arvada Center's new exhibition "Collect: The Art of Colorado Corporations," on view through March 30th.


We are pleased to report that our most recent solo exhibition "Fluid" by Frank T. Martinez was our most successful during the course of its run since Jenny Morgan's last solo exhibition "This too shall pass" from 2012, with all but three of the paintings on view going to various collections.  A big congratulations goes out to Frank.....as Colin Livingston would put it, "Not bad for a Denver artist!"



An assortment of terrific new restaurants have recently opened adjacent to Plus Gallery on the opposite corners of 25th and Larimer, including "Sugarmill" and "Los Chingones." Opening later this month will be "Work and Class" and "Cart Driver" along with new coffeeshop "Huckleberry Roasters."  Pay a visit to these new establishments after a visit to Plus Gallery, we guarantee you will be satisfied.

Friday, January 17, 2014

FINAL WEEK FOR FRANK T. MARTINEZ "FLUID" AT PLUS GALLERY



Plus Gallery's current solo exhibition "Fluid" by Frank T. Martinez will conclude this Saturday afternoon, January 18th. Martinez' fifth solo exhibition with Plus Gallery has been the culmination of almost a decade's worth of experimentation in painting. Not only is it Martinez' most compelling work to date, but one of the most successful exhibitions at the gallery in recent years.  Please join us this week to view the work of one of Denver's most highly regarded and collected painters in the depth that it was intended to be seen.


PLUS GALLERY ARTIST MIKE WHITING FEATURED IN THE LATEST EDITION OF NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS



New American Paintings just released their latest edition of juried artworks, the Pacific coast issue #109. The inclusion of Plus Gallery artists Mike Whiting is a major achievement for the artist, who is known primarily as a sculptor and one whose success in the arena of monumental public art is well beyond average. We've long been touting the sophistication and painterly approach that Mike takes with the surface finish of his work, something that undoubtedly opened the doorway for his inclusion in this highly competitive issue of painters from the West Coast. Pick up a copy on newsstands now and stop by Plus Gallery to view a few of the works included therein.


PLUS GALLERY ARTIST XI ZHANG ON VIEW IN SF EXHIBITION "EVERYONE'S TIME IS THEIR OWN" AT ALTER SPACE


San Francisco's "Alter Space" gallery will open a group show this Saturday January 18th, one that was curated by former Denver resident and current feature writer for Juxtapoz and the San Francisco Art Quarterly. From what we can tell, it's a stellar lineup made all the more radical by the inclusion of two of Xi Zhang's recent "selfie" paintings, which Denver locals already know are "tha-bomb"!  If you are in San Francisco anytime over the next month, stop by to take a look, Alter Space is located at 1158 Howard Street in the SoMa District.  To find out more info, visit



PLUS GALLERY ARTIST ALLIE POHL ON VIEW IN GABBA GALLERY EXHIBITION "PLATFORMS AND PAINT"


The Gabba Gallery at 3126 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles will host an opening reception this Saturday, January 18th from 7pm-11pm for the group exhibition "Platforms and Paint," which tackles the concern that female artists are under represented throughout institutions worldwide. Plus Gallery sensation Allie Pohl may be able to crack that issue one day, and is included in this particular field of artists at Gabba.  Here's what to expect from the exhibition:


Platforms are not just shoes women wear; they are also a place to voice opinions. And while paint is the most recognized medium in art, it is also a term that relates to putting on make-up, thus the title, "Platforms and PAINT" came into being.


The Gabba Gallery is proud to curate a show in which women artists are the theme. The fact is - women are sadly under represented in galleries and museums worldwide. The artwork will showcase artists from various disciplines from sculpture to street art sharing the same space.


2/1 Deborah Picker Vankin of Los Angeles Times Events Los Angeles Times " Culture Monster" will be moderating a Talk with our featured artists including: Alisa Yang, Allie Pohl, Andrea LaHue, Isabelle Alford-Lago, Karin Lindberg Freda, Jaime Becker, Jennifer Korsen, Joanna DeGeneres, Mary Hanson, Miri Chais, N.S. David and more. Will be a fantastic, entertaining evening. 7-11pm


2/8 from 7-11 PM "Speakeasy Comedy Slam" - An evening of Comedy, Story-Telling, Special Performances and Music. Donate what you can at the door.


2/23 - Closing Show - a Walk & Talk presenting Allie Pohl and Essi Zimm, will share their insights and experiences as women in the art world during a tour through the show. 12-4pm


For more information, visit http://www.thegabbagallery.com/

MIZEL MUSEUM'S "DENVER COLLECTS" A MAJOR SUCCESS AT PLUS GALLERY LAST WEEK

We had a lot of fun with the capacity crowd last week at Plus Gallery for the Mizel Museum's event "Denver Collects," with a rousing presentation on contemporary art and support of the local market by Plus Gallery owner Ivar Zeile. The series continues in February with a private collection tour composed of numerous Plus Gallery artists (including Jenny Morgan's pivotal collaborative painting "Enid Ellen") on Wednesday the 26th. The capacity for this event will be much smaller than the 50 we had here, so we encourage anyone who is interested to sign up early by contacting 303-749-5014 or visiting mizelmuseum.org




We also received news that one of Plus Gallery's top long-term art patrons, who grew an outstanding contemporary collection from the ground up, will be hosting a tour for the DAM Contemporaries upcoming salon series, scheduled for April 16th. This is a must for anyone interested in collecting through the local market, we highly recommend finding out more through the support group of the Denver Art Museum's Modern and Contemporary department, one of the only groups in the city to focus on the passion's of collecting contemporary art.  Join now at

PLUS GALLERY ARTIST DONALD FODNESS' "LUVRZ B H8RZ" NOW ON VIEW AT RMCAD's RUDE GALLERY


The communal buzz the Denver Broncos have generated this season is not confined just to the majority of our sports-loving population, it has spilled over with a healthy (and fun) dose within the contemporary art scene as exhibited by Donald Fodness' new installation at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design's "Rude" gallery. The exhibition was given a nod by Susan Froyd in last week's Westword Night and Day section, and those who received the printed invite with "1818" on the front now know what the mystery number relates to with the full view of "LUVRZ B H8RZ."


Visitors can view LUVRZ B H8RZ at the Rude Gallery on the campus of Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design through February 24. The Rude gallery provides an intimate environment for small-scale shows and installations of artists from the Colorado region throughout the year. Gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Saturday.

OPENING NEXT THURSDAY JANUARY 23rd ROMANTIC OVERGROWTH - SOLO EXHIBITION BY MELISSA FURNESS




Plus Gallery is now back to our regular gallery hours of noon to 5pm Wednesday through Saturday, or by appointment at other times for those seeking to make artwork acquisitions. We leap back into the new year 2014 with two events next week (see below) as well as the continuation of Frank T. Martinez exceptional solo exhibition Fluid which remains on view through January 18th.  Plus Gallery will continue to keep our patrons informed of gallery related activities via our weekly email newsletter but we also recommend tracking extended and exclusive notices via our facebook page this year.


MIZEL MUSUEM'S "DENVER COLLECTS" SET FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8th AT PLUS GALLERY




Plus Gallery teams up with the Mizel Museum this coming Wednesday evening for a program expounding the virtues of collecting contemporary art, particularly from within the local market. This is one of a handful of events the Mizel Museum is sponsoring early in the new year that delves deeper into the concept of collecting, we highly recommend signing up for the entire series.  The text from the Mizel Museum for Wednesday's Plus Gallery forum is as follows:


"Visit Plus Gallery and learn about collecting and appreciating contemporary art from Gallery Director Ivar Zeile. Whether you're a novice or experienced art collector or enthusiast, you'll love this program. Plus Gallery is one of Denver Colorado's most  reputable galleries, named  'Art Space of the Year' in 2009 by the Denver Post."


Wednesday, Jan. 8 at Plus Gallery (6:30 -7:45 pm)
ONLY $18/person. Register now.

http://mizelmuseum.org

Next week's forum at Plus Gallery, as well as the continuing series events, were highlighted in yesterday's Denver Post under their entertainment section 'Best Bets.'  Here's what Ray Mark Rinaldi has to say about the program:




Jan. 8 - The art world can be a mystery at times, but here's one indisputable truth: Artists have to eat. And that means people need to buy art. It's a social responsibility of a sort that keeps creative types from fleeing to greener cities. It also keeps artists from getting cranky, and nobody wants that. The Mizel Museum's program "Denver Collects" will teach you to enjoy it. The on-location educational series is a primer on how to acquire pieces in ways that are both wise and fulfilling. Ivar Zeile, from the very reputable Plus Gallery, hosts a talk, "Embracing Contemporary Art: the Ins and Outs of Collecting," at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8. The series continues Feb. 26 with a visit to a collector's home and June 1 with a tour of the RiNo Arts District. Plus Gallery is at 2501 Larimer St. Fee is $18 and registration is required. 303-749-5014 or mizelmuseum.org - Ray Mark Rinaldi

http://www.denverpost.com

PLUS GALLERY ARTIST DONALD FODNESS' "LUVRZ B H8RZ" OPENS JANUARY 6th AT RMCAD's RUDE GALLERY


From the RMCAD Press Release for the exhibition:


LUVRZ B H8RZ is Donald Fodness' first solo exhibition in the Rude Gallery. Fodness has turned the gallery into a domestic space full of figures and furniture, including sculptural lamps, record players, and door beads. Fodness' work exudes a raw humanity, entangling the humorous and the disturbing, the playful and the grotesque.


In LUVRZ B H8RZ the artist investigates figuration, a key aspect of his work, in a way that orients towards domesticity and an interconnected duality. The sculptures are part domestic object and part figure, but not completely one or the other. Reiterating a sense of domestic partnership, separate figures are bound together as one through materials, stature, demeanor, and scale; even separate heads share a torso.


Fodness' work embraces a crude, cartoon-like quality with a dry, grotesque emotional intensity. Pop culture, symbolism, and wit pervade his work. For example, the two-headed figure with skulls composed of a corncob pipe and flowerpot could literally be a "pot-head." And the title, LUVRZ B H8RZ, (pronounced "lovers be haters") pays tribute to leet speak, or "1337speak", a cavalier tone common in text messaging and internet chat rooms, which uses numbers as letters. Fodness uses this colloquial language to title the installation that is similarly comprised of a diverse array of common visual vernacular found in pop culture, notably in sports. Even the recognized image of the good (possibly "lovers") and bad (possibly "haters") angels on one's shoulders is found in the two-headed figures who make up this complex exhibition of common cultural symbols.


Further marriage of symbols and opposites in Fodness' exhibition include the exploration of both the differences and similarities between art and design. This multilayered installation is full of complicated multiplicities and is surprising, challenging, and in its own odd way, very real.




An opening reception for LUVRZ B H8RZ will be held Thursday, January 9 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.


Visitors can view LUVRZ B H8RZ at the Rude Gallery on the campus of Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design through February 24. The Rude gallery provides an intimate environment for small-scale shows and installations of artists from the Colorado region throughout the year. Gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Saturday.