Show #37 – Postcard from Denver

This episode is the next to last to be broadcast over the airwaves eminating from WVKR, Vassar College Radio in Poughkeepsie.  The podcast version of the show will continue, possibly in a modified format and in the frequency of releases.

Matthew has been busy participating in Simon Draper’s (Simon appeared in Show #26) Habitat for artists which has been in DC part of Biodivercity, curated by Amy Lipton of EcoArtSpace as a part of the 5×5 project happening throughout Washington DC.

JD Dreyer of Phantom 8 Tattoo did not tattoo unicorns or butterflies on Chris’s body….he did, however tattoo these things:

Gerhard Richter Painting is showing at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, NY through April 19.

Season 6 of Art 21 has begun, viewable on PBS.

Chris mentions the recent 60 Minutes segment presented by that art curmudgeon, Morley Safer’s, on the art market from Art Basel Miami Beach.  This recent report follows up  Safer’s original 1993 indictment of the contemporary art world. There’s a follow up video on the 60 Mins website depicting a tour of the Rubell Collection given to Safer by the Rubells themselves, trying to convince him of the merits of contemporary art

Chris contrasts the curmudgeonly with the considered.  He mentions – again –  Kirk Varnedoe’s 6 part lecture series at the National Gallery from 2003 – which he has listened to, yet again. (Chris mentioned this lecture series originally in Show #36)

Thomas Kinkade died a couple of weeks ago – in almost diva Whitney-style.  It’s a loss that wouldn’t have registered as such for Chris, if his relatives didn’t keep bringing it up.

Chris talks about his visit to the Clifford Still Museum in Denver, CO.  and mentions trying to come to terms with Still’s paintings at the Met- the one of the few places to see a gathering of the artist’s works.

Some of Still’s early figures struck Chris as being torn from the scenes of Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal movie – at least those elder lizard-thing characters.

Chris mentions the Georgia O’Keefe museum in contrast to the restrictive programming of the Still museum

The Still Museum sits in the morning shadow of the Daniel Liebeskind designed Hamilton Building expansion of the Denver Art Museum.  Chris has ranted about the new building’s shortcomings on his personal blog in the past.  The building via google image search.

Chris has a conversation with Ken Hamel to get a taste of the the kind of art community that exists in Denver, CO.   Ken and Chris meet at The Deer Pile, an independently curated community event space.

Ken Hamel’s website denverarts.org is a comprehensive listing of art events and exhibitions throughout Denver.  In the mid 80′s Ken was a DJ on WVKR under the name of Kenny Lee.

The things Ken and Chris discuss include: 

The video of the Smith’s song How Soon Is Now, edited at Vassar College.

Troma Films Toxic Avenger 2 & 3 and War filmed in Peekskill, NY.

MCA Denver (Museum of Contemporary Art), -  The Lab at Belmar…  The Lab, run by Adam Lerner was folded into the MCA Denver when Lerner was appointed director of MCA.  The NY Times recently featured a profile of Lerner.  

Denver’s diminishing art writing sources: Michael Paglia at Westword   Leann Goebel’s blog 

Vic Muniz at El Museo de Las Americas.

Mike and Doug Starn at RMCAD …Big Bambu at the Met.  Chris photographed images of the Big Bambu project when it was being developed at the Starns’ studio located in the former Tallix Art Foundry in Beacon, NY. 

Big Bambu in Beacon on Maykr.comhttp://maykr.blogspot.com/search?q=big+bambu

Denver’s coop scene has characterized the art life in that city for Decades.  Back in 2006, Chris organized an exchange exhibit between artists in and around Beacon, NY with artist members of the Denver coop gallery EDGE.  

The Deer Pile, where Ken and Chris spoke was voted Best New Community Space by readers of the Denver weekly Westword.  

The Deer Pile will play host to denverarts.org’s 5yr Anniversary fundraiser on May 15th.