Friday night was one of those nights which started out to be low-key but quickly developed into a happening.
I met Mrs. L. at Spark Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District for a triple header. Mark Brasuell. Leo Franco and Craig Robb were presenting their new works. All three knocked it out of the park. Mark’s large scale abstracts on French paper incorporated a fresh and inviting color palate. I liked every one of his pieces. Leo showed a new collection of sculptures consisting of plexiglass, wood and metal. Robb also showed wood and metal sculptures which included various small objects. All three bodies of work complimented each other.
Our next stop was Access Gallery across the street. Access is a nonprofit gallery which helps young people with disabilities experience and benefit from the arts. A group of deaf teenagers presented their artwork. Each artist used ASL to describe their works while an interpreter voiced their words for the hearing. Each presentation was follow by a Q&A session. It was a most remarkable event to experience. One young woman came out as transgendered. Can you imagine her journey as a deaf transgendered young woman who is also a minority? Access, which was founded in 1978, is a true asset to our community.
After Access, we jumped in the car and headed to the 40 West Arts District in Lakewood, a Denver suburb. Our first stop was Core Gallery, followed by Kanon and Next Gallery. I ran into Virginia T Coleman, a sculptor and welder who produces large and small scale works metal works. I made arrangements for Virginia to repair one her sculptures I have in my yard which was damaged by the bomb cyclone last year. She going to drop by with her portable welder in the next few weeks.
The final stop of the night was Pirate Contemporary Art to see new works by Louis Recchia and Peter Yumi. The gallery was packed. Both artist are extremely talented and prolific with large followings. This show did not disappoint. Here’s a review I found on Instagram:
Big opening at Pirate Contemporary Art last night. Louis Recchia and Peter Yumi, two prolific artists, brought some serious color to the space. Louis’s work is a mishmash of iconic popular culture that through his stylized caricatures recontextualize all forms of art. A comment on the cultural realties society manifests based on accumulated abstract and romantic fictions. If art is a reflection of a society and alters our perception of the world, when we look at it as a whole does it make any sense or is it one big beautiful circus? Concurrently Peter Yumi’s work asks a similar question. He has created a romantic fictional place called Fruitland. This south of the border equatorial picture postcard world in many ways pokes fun at our misperception of what a tourist or outsider considers paradise. What would it be like to live in a colorful happy loving world where the goddess factor was cherished and everyone worked harmoniously within a benevolent system of equality for all. Peter’s colorful photo altered abstract paintings appear nostalgic and say something about innocence lost and something that as a society we need to regain if we want to survive and prosper. These two shows bring out the best in people and you could feel the exuberance, good will and love on opening night.
After Pirate I accepted an invitation to a late dinner at nearby Thai restaurant. Ivy, the hostess from that fun summer party, invited Mrs. L. and I to join her for dinner. Ivy filled us in on her life recovery from being left by boyfriend just after the party. She’s doing well as is Mrs. L. This past week, Mrs. L. landed a new high-paying job at a prestigious local architecture firm. Mrs. L. can now divorce her husband and refinance her marital home which will allow her to pay off her soon to be ex-husband.
It was a fun filled evening. And I even made if home before ten.
Mark Brasuell, Rosa Vogel, pastel on French paper
Leo Franco, Relief #4
Craig Robb, Relative to One
Louis Recchia, The Storm, oil on canvas, 40 x 36
Peter Yumi untitled works
The Corporate Slave 