October 14, 2009

Interior Twists and Turns

If you haven't seen the new Hamilton wing of the Denver Art Museum or the neighboring buildings be prepared for an adventure of angles and geometry.


Not only are there sculptures to engage the eye in the center of town but Michael Graves' designed Public Library with pyramid shaped towers. Across the street is the castle -crenalated Gio Ponti wing of the Art Museum and now the angled walls of the new Hamilton wing. These angled walls not only have presented new solutions for hanging art but are forcing builders to prepare the pitched roof for the upcoming freezing and thawing of the winter.

Inside the museum is in the process of mounting an exhibit which is to open officially in November. It is entitled "EMBRACE", and is a site specific installation. It has 17 artists who are designing special works for the space of the new wing. Four artists are from Colorado and the rest are international. What makes this even more unique are the possibilities of watching the various artists as they create their work. Katharina Gosse worked on a fork lift while she spray painted up 4 story angled walls.




John McEnroe made resin and nylon sculpture which hang down from the angled walls and lino cuts make arching lines across walls. I went to see a large metal tapestry being readied for hanging. This tapestry is made from metal foil wrapping found on beer bottles by African artist El Anatsui. He sent this very large piece all folded neatly in a 2'x3' cardboard box. He leaves it up to the participating museum to hang and manipulate the tapestry to fit the space. I will go next week and show the finished result- this is the back of the piece-what will the front look like?

3 comments:

Eugenie Torgerson said...

How fortunate you are to live in a place with so many resources! You are sort of my art foreign correspondent.

Carole Buschmann said...

Hey thanks , I need to get there this coming week and find out - the rest of the story!

Eugenie Torgerson said...

Really, I shouldn't complain. We get to see a lot of interesting places as we travel across the country --- if we have the time for a "dedicated detour" like the great excursion to remote Marfa. If you guys haven't been there, you should go. I am sure they have their own airport, and Jack probably knows the wartime history of it already.
One of the most riveting parts was the building that house German POWs, left as they left it.

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