Denver, CO 80206
November 13 – December 5, 2015
Opening Reception: Friday, November 13, 7-10 p.m.
This a group exhibition in two parts, presented in collaboration with Windows to the Divine, Collectors for Connoisseurship, and Shannon Robinson.
To be in the renaissance of something is to be in the culturally rich, diverse, and exciting, and in the instance of this exhibition that notion cannot be more true. The Renaissance of Realism celebrates a wide range of ideas through the eyes of a multitude of artists, from those just starting out to the well-established. Realism within this exhibition is depicted in varying degrees, from hyper-real to more abstract, and each artist brings their own ideas and perspective to the metaphorical table. No two pieces are the same yet they seamlessly meld together within the exhibition, the subject matter is abundant and widely expansive.
By taking the time to recognize the vast and rich field of realism specific to the medium of painting one can glean a sense of the ideas the artists within the exhibition are working within. Some works deal with older themes like vanitas but with a contemporary twist (Anthony Waichulis), others present a more apocalyptic tone (David Cheifetz), and some remain in the realm of the figurative but push it to other worldly extremes (Vincent Xeus). There is a plethora of subject matter present within this exhibition, dozens of ideas to digest, and even more to speculate about. All this to say that there is so much happening within the genre of realism that it cannot be neatly categorized.
Historically the Renaissance was a period of creative innovation and cultural magnificence and by using that term to categorize the exhibition the curators have carefully chosen artists whose work reflects those same ideals. The work within this show highlights the important role each of these artists have in the painterly realm of realism. With such a wide range of imagery and subject matter, as viewers we are left with much to mull over and speculate about for a long time to come.
Participating artists curated by Gallery 1261:
Mia Bergeron, Suchitra Bhosle, Gregory Block, David Cheifetz, Zoey Frank, Scott Fraser, Dianne L. Massey Dunbar, Hollis Dunlap, Greg Gandy, Vincent Giarrano, David Gluck, Quang Ho, Robert C Jackson, David Leffel, Jeff Legg, Lucong, Jeremy Mann, Sherrie McGraw, Heather Neill, Kate Sammons, Robin Cole Smith, Daniel Sprick, Joseph Todorovitch, Henrik Uldalen, Anthony Waichulis, Leah Waichulis, Aaron Westerberg, Vincent Xeus.
Participating artists curated by Shannon Robinson:
Master Artists: Scott Fraser, David Gray, Quang Ho, Robert Jackson, David Leffel, Lucong, Sherrie McGraw, Jill Soukup, Daniel Sprick, Nancy Switzer, Joseph Todorovitch, and Vincent Xeus.
Rising Stars: Daliah Ammar, Mia Bergeron, Greg Block, David Cheifetz, Zoey Frank, Greg Gandy, Daniel Keys.
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*As part of Windows to the Divine's mission to provide education to collectors, this year the Foundation will launch a new national network for collectors called Collectors for Connoisseurship. At their national symposiums, art lovers will view art, learn about collecting, and engage in a national dialogue about the direction of art and what collectors can do to promote the vocation of the artist.
