METROSPECTIVE - The Metropolitan

ART COMES FIRST
A peek at First Friday’s local galleries
in words and images
By Heather Wahle • hwahle@mscd.edu
photos by Adrian DiUbaldo • adiubald@mscd.edu

“METALisms”
    The Center for the Visual Art brings together an eclectic collection of nontraditional pieces with one core element in common: Metal. Metalworking is an art form all its own, and “METALisms: Signature Works in Jewelry and Metalsmithing” spotlights the medium in all its shining glory.
    One of the purposes of this exhibition is to broaden the definition of art beyond the ordinary. Art is intrinsic in the most unlikely of places, including a cracked urinal or a heap of scrap metal. The metal pieces in this exhibit range from the functional and practical to the elaborate and abstract.
    “ METALisms” include the collaboration of 63 artists, five of whom are from Colorado. Ira Sherman stands out as one of the most notable local artists. Sherman specializes in larger scale metal sculptures with futuristic qualities.
    “ The Arbitrator” is a contraption more fitting for a mad scientist’s laboratory than an art gallery. Composed of steel, brass and plastic, the piece is an artistic exercise in metallic amalgamation. What results is a spiral of metal coils traced with blue tubes. The practical function of the piece is not immediately apparent, but it succeeds in its sheer aesthetic daring.
    “ Explosion Injection” is a similarly dominant sculpture laden with futuristic components. The piece is composed of steel, brass, plastic and gunpowder. It resembles the silhouette of a ribcage with red tubing flowing into an IV bag of copper accents.
    This may be the last show for The Center of Visual Art, which is managed in collaboration with Metro. The lease for the current location expires in April and it is unknown if they will bid for a new lease or acquire an extension.
    “ METALisms” is on display through March 16th at The Center for Visual Art, located at 1734 Wazee St. in LoDo. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 12:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

“ Ruth Todd- A Tribute”

    It’s rare to find an artist whose appeal can span generations and enlighten audiences about the meaning of art; Ruth Todd does both.
    The Sandra Phillips Gallery is hosting a tribute to Todd, her work and her legacy. Works from the artist’s personal collection are now on display.
    At 96, Todd still works on paintings and collages from her home studio. She can reflect on days when she wasn’t only an artist but a student, a model and a wife. After nine decades Todd remains devoted to her first love: art.
    Growing up in rural South Carolina, Todd became acquainted with art simply by chance. She claims there is no artist, mentor, or piece of art that inspired her to paint and make collages. Instead, Todd became an artist because of seclusion. Feeling alienated from the world, she found she needed to find something to occupy her time and creativity.
    After moving to Denver, Todd became one of Colorado’s most prominent artists in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Her art was displayed at prestigious galleries in New York City and her shows earned rave reviews in Art News magazine.
    Her husband, who was a poet and woodworker, became a supplier for her unorthodox art materials. Todd got her hands on unconventional art supplies such as scrap wood, textiles and wallpapers, and quickly began incorporating the materials into her pieces.
    Todd received a considerable amount of attention for her unlikely combinations, such as sawdust and oil paint. As a senior citizen, Todd continues to incorporate what was once waste into elaborate works of art.
    Todd’s art has an immense range. She has done horizon pieces with carefully broken slivers of wood, abstract works with charcoal and siding, geometric shapes of leftover wallpaper and a host of other material.
    Todd’s art has an individualistic quality; it cannot be contained or labeled. Her art may be disregarded, but earns respect for its unique appearance and keen recycling techniques.
    Sandra Phillips Gallery is located at 744 Sante Fe Dr., gallery hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is free.

“ Lucong @ Space Gallery”

    The first piece of art that captures viewers’ attention when entering the Space Gallery is a featured piece by Denver artist Lucong.
    The oil painting, “Farrah ‘06,” is striking in every possible way. The hypnotic crystal blue eyes stretch across a large-scale canvas.
    Lucong’s portrait uncovers a young woman candidly rendered. She is shown with an alert expression, as if she were preoccupied and caught entirely off guard. The painting renders Farrah like a doe eternally caught in the camera’s flash and the stroke of the paintbrush, and time is rapidly approaching, intimidating the audience, much like her strong gaze.
    The moment the artist captures within the piece illuminates a breathless quality, the women mesmerizes with her eyes and her expression is evocative. Farrah is haunting and timeless. Extreme attention to detail in the painting techniques allow for the portrait’s background to contain an additional element, while blocks of contrasting color give the art a pixilated effect. The painting becomes much more than oil, it mirrors a digital photograph distorted and intensified.
    “ Farrah ‘06” acts as a preview of the new Lucong work coming to the Space Gallery. “Cadence,” will feature new pieces by Lucong, Wes Magyar and Lui Ferreyra from May 7 to June 30.
    Space Gallery is located at 765 Sante Fe Dr. and is open every Tuesday-Saturday from noon – 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Above right: An viewer takes a close look at Lu Chung’s art at the Space Gallery on First Friday, a monthly event that features later hours and new artistic works at Denver galleries.
Right: “The Arbitrator,” pictured here, was made by Ira Sherman and is featured in METALisms, an art exhibition at the Center for Visual Art on 1734 Wazee St. This may be the final exhibit at CVA, as the facility, which receives funds from Metro, is in danger of losing its lease.
Far right: First Friday pedestrians walk by the Sandra Phillips Gallery located on Santa Fe Drive. The gallery is currently featuring works by Ruth Todd, a 96-year-old artist, who uses diverse and unorthodox materials to create her artwork.