First Friday

Two of my good friends are having a show tonight at my alum - Sliding Door Gallery on Santa Fe. Here's the info:

Kay Tuttle: Cover Stories

A show of paintings on vintage encyclopedias and a series of ink drawings on paper with the subject of animals

• Dates: May 1 –May 30, 2009
• Place: Sliding Door Art Gallery, 766 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, Co 80204
• Hours: Fridays 12-5, Saturdays 12-5, First Friday 6-10, Third Friday 5-9
• Artists Reception Saturday May 8th, 5 – 9 p.m.

The title of this series of paintings, Cover Stories, is a playful reference to the use of a set of vintage encyclopedias as the structure of the paintings. After carefully sanding the cover, Tuttle paints directly on the book. The subject matter of animals stacked upon each other references things like totem poles, folk tales, (especially the German tale The Bremen Town Musicians), and environmental concerns.

Kay Tuttle was born and raised in Colorado. She received a BFA in painting and drawing from CSU in Fort Collins and an MFA in painting from ASU in Tempe, Arizona. After graduating she taught painting and drawing at ASU. She lived abroad for several years, in both Germany, and France. She has had solo shows in France, Germany, Colorado and Arizona. She now lives in Denver and shows with Sliding Door Gallery. She was published in Issue 72 of New American Paintings and was included in the 10th Anniversary exhibition at Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle. She will be exhibiting in the Beyond the Border Art Fair Sept 2, 3, 4, 2009, in San Diego, CA.



True Love: New work by Katie Taft

Consisting of three-dimensional objects made of porcelain and a variety of textiles: leg warmers covered in barnacles, a shawl encrusted with 300 octopus suckers and a variety of other accessories and items of clothing.

• Dates: May 1 –May 30, 2009
• Place: Sliding Door Art Gallery, 766 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, Co 80204
• Hours: Fridays 12-5, Saturdays 12-5, First Friday 6-10, Third Friday 5-9
• Artists Reception Saturday May 8th, 5 – 9 p.m.

These works are love stories, both happy and sad. Making them has helped to exorcize my past and manifest the future that I want to exist. They are spells cast and objects of catharsis, they make magic happen and contain it. Some of these objects are made up of numerous almost identical pieces: the repeated action enforces a lesson learned, a tall building leapt a roadblock turning into a milestone.

Katie Taft is an artist living in Denver, Colorado and working predominantly in photography and sculpture . Her work deals with universal stories drawn from myth, folklore, philosophy and religion, and addresses how these kinds of stories manifest themselves in our modern lives. Taking inspiration from individuals around her as well as from the symbolism of animals she creates objects and images that tell the stories of her life.

Katie has shown her work in Denver, Colorado, Portland, Oregon and Santa Fe, New Mexico in the past couple of years and spends her days making art with students in the Denver Metro Area at Downtown Aurora Visual Arts and other local arts organizations. She completed a residency at PlatteForum in 2007 and was awarded Westword’s Mastermind Award in 2005.

Opening Tonight

Sliding Door Gallery presents two solo exhibits, February 6-28, 2009

Berndt Savig

A Forced Intimacy: Recent Painting and Sculpture

On display at Sliding Door Gallery beginning February 6, 2009 are recent paintings and sculpture by Berndt Savig. Returning to the female figure and visage as the primary focus in this body of work, the paintings are psychological studies of imagined individuals with introspective, pessimistic or emotionally withdrawn demeanors. The larger scale of the paintings creates a forced intimacy with the viewer.

AND

Rachel Hawthorn

Memory Houses

Memory Houses is an in progress series of images that continues Rachel Hawthorn's exploration of the way our domestic environments shape our memories and perception. Each image features a model of a house that Rachel lived in, constructed of only the parts remembered. Anything that is
forgotten has been left out. These models were placed in the landscape and photographed from different perspectives to enhance the experience of the distances between current perception and memory of the past.

Sliding Door Gallery

766 Santa Fe Drive

Denver, CO

~~~~~~~~~~~

Open First Friday 5 to 10

Open Third Friday 12 to 8

Open other Fridays and all Saturdays 12 to 5

AND by appointment: Berndt Savig 303.562.5097 or Rachel Hawthorn at 303.521.5012

Sliding Door Gallery has moved! Join us next First Friday, February 6, at our new home, at 766 Santa Fe Drive, Denver!

Opening tonight

My former co-op friends at Sliding Door Gallery have an opening tonight along with loads more for First Friday. Most the snow has melted, so why not come out and check it out?

Also - here's the news from Plus Gallery for First Friday:

"Plus Gallery will be open into the evening this Friday December 5th for First Friday till 8pm. We have changed up the artwork in our temporary space, pulling out some favorite works such as Dave Yust's amazing "Circular Composition #70" which is one of the last remaining dimensional canvases available from the artist, a terrific large-scale canvas from Bruce Price circa 2001, Jeff Strahl's large-scale photograph "Prague" from his Europium series, a trio of Lenka Konopasek's "Dusty Air" series paintings, brand new works from Jonathan Saiz and Travis Egedy and a number of other gems to freshen the month of December. We still have a few of our t-shirts left, as well as select works from last months "small works" exhibition. Our neighbors at the MCA will be hosting their regular first friday features "Top 10 & WITY cocktails" at 6:30pm with a focus on top 10 gifts to help the planet and "Open Shelf Films" at 7:30pm with the film "Run Lola Run.""

This Friday (Tomorrow!)

This Friday - September 5th, is an action packed art-filled day. Here's the breakdown:

Paralleled III - Opening at RMCAD from 6-9 pm - featuring work by yours truly (one piece never before exhibited)

Justin Fields and Karl Heinz-Dukstein at Sliding Door Gallery from 6-10 pm

Jeff Page (who's made a new installation for this opening) and 18 other Redline artists - from 7-11 pm.

So it looks like if you see these shows in this order you should be fine - each one is running a little longer than the previous one (9 pm, 10 pm, 11 pm).

Great Opening Tomorrow!

Kay Tuttle will be showing Lost and Found, An art show consisting of paintings on wood, drawings on found Victorian prints, and a collaborative series of drawings between Kay and her father, Sam Tuttle This show will be at Ironton Gallery 3636 Chestnut, Denver, CO 80216 303.297.8626, Dates: July 18, 2008-August 16, 2008, Opening Reception Friday July 18, 2008 7pm -10 pm

Gallery hours,10-4 mon-fri,and Saturdays 12-4

Coffee and Donuts with the artist: Saturday August 2^nd, 12-4,

1^st Friday hours: Friday Aug 1^st, 6-10 pm,

Closing Party Saturday August 16, 12-4pm Desserts I Stressed, Desserts and Drawing Exquisite Corpses , paper and pens supplied

"A Blur Defines It" Installation Views

"Nevertheless" (left) "Pursuit" (right)



"Speed of Stopping" and "Awash" (left) "A Boundary, Not A Thing" (right)



"A Boundary, Not A Thing"



Title



"Deciduous"



Short Films by Nathan Abels, photographs by Nathan Abels



Untitled Sculptures by Nathan Abels



"Deciduous", "Without Haste, But Without Rest", "Monument"



"Nevertheless" (left) "Pursuit" (right)



"Speed of Stopping" and "Awash" (left) "A Boundary, Not A Thing" (right)

Opening Tomorrow (First Friday)

Eight new works will be on view starting tomorrow at Sliding Door Gallery

“A Blur Defines It”, New Works by Nathan Abels

The images in this exhibition are more brooding and atmospheric than his previous works and describe a sense of uncertainty primarily through landscape-based imagery. The places he depicts show evidence of an inevitable change through foreboding heavy clouds on the horizon or a dense settling fog. “A Blur Defines It” is a visual reflection of apprehension, mystery and anticipation. Opening June 6, at Sliding Door Gallery from 6-10 pm- 554 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204. Exhibition runs from June 6-29th, and regular open hours are 1-5 pm Fridays through Sundays.

“Monument”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008 “Nevertheless”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008 “Without Haste, But Without Rest”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008 “Deciduous” Acrylic, Oil on Panel, 24×36″ “A Boundary, Not A Thing”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008 “Pursuit”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008 - detail view here"Awash", Acrylic on Paper, 11x15""The Speed of Stopping", Acrylic on Paper, 11x15"

Landscape and Memory

Tonight at Sliding Door Gallery

“Landscape and Memory”

Recent paintings by Berndt Savig

These paintings revolve around how landscape for me personally is often associated with individuals I have known or still know. I often think of certain people when I see images of or am in certain environments. Sometimes this connection is very concrete and specific. For example, a certain river or a certain hill will remind me of someone I knew at a particular point in my life. Sometimes this is because both of us were at that place together at some time, or in some cases, I think that person would relate to that location. Even if the relationship with that person ends or changes, the link to that landscape continues to exist.

Sometimes the connection between someone from my life is not tied to a specific location but a type of place. Maybe a smoky bar or a cityscape at night will trigger a memory of someone.

The paintings in this show are gouache on board or paper and painted from life, photographs or memory.

Opening reception: Friday May 2, 6 – 10 pm

Upcoming Exhibition Postcards

The postcards have been ordered. If you would like to receive one - leave a comment or email me and I'll put you on the mailing list...

"A Blur Defines It" - Advance Warning

(the image I will use for the actual press release/promotion will be "A Boundary, Not A Thing" - below - when it is finished)

“A Blur Defines It”, New Works by Nathan Abels

What: Public viewing and reception for exhibition of artwork by Nathan Abels

Who: Nathan Abels (artist)

When: Opening June 6, 2008 from 6-10 pm - Show runs June 6-29^th, 2008

Regular weekly hours.

First Friday, 6 to 10 PM
Collector’s Friday (Third Friday), 5 to 8
Closed other Fridays
Saturdays, 1 to 5
Closed Sundays

Where: Sliding Door Gallery, 554 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204

About:

“A Blur Defines It” consists of new works by artist Nathan Abels. The images Abels presents in this exhibition are more brooding and atmospheric than his previous works and describe a sense of uncertainty primarily through landscape-based imagery. The places depicted in these paintings on panel and works on paper show evidence of an inevitable change through foreboding heavy clouds on the horizon or a dense settling fog. “A Blur Defines It” is a visual reflection of apprehension, mystery and anticipation.

First Friday

Since my computer is going to be in the shop, I'm working ahead and doing the blogging for the week. Every month, when First Friday rolls around I would suggest checking out denverarts.org and thisweekindenver.com for excellent coverage and recommendations as to what art events are going on and where to find them.

There are two great openings this First Friday that I wanted to highlight including one at Sliding Door Gallery on Santa Fe called, "In the Light of Thought: A Winter Celebration."

January 4, 2008 through January 27, 2008.
Opening reception: Friday, January 4, 2008 6-10pm

Primarily sculptural, “In the Light of Thought” consists of works utilizing light as a medium-candle, electrical or conceptual. Participating artists include Sliding Door members as well as the following invitees: Tracey Barnes, Steve Eagleburger, Agnetti Sheldrake, Terry Talty, Steuart Bremner and David Menard. Also featured are Brian Comber, Evan Lockhart Borman and Tony Zellaha.

Mindy Bray, "Via dell' Amore", 50x60", Graphite and watercolor on paper, 2007

Also - at Ironton will be Mindy Bray's installation called "Paper, Scissors, Rock" Works on Paper and Space Specific Installation
Opening Reception: Friday January 4th, 6–9 pm

"Paper, Scissors, Rock" will feature paintings and drawings on paper in watercolor and latex that are both reflective and critical looks at the ways in which the urban and the natural landscapes interact.
The exhibition will also include a new large-scale installation, Levee, which will respond to the waterways that flow through Denver, as well as our innate attraction to and manipulation of the city’s underlying natural landscape. The installation will draw its imagery from Denver’s Confluence Park, where the Platte River, Cherry Creek, and the LoDo district of Denver join in a bizarre and beautiful gesture of control, containment, and pleasure.

I have been a recent admirer of Mindy's work (since finding out about her) and I'm honored to be sharing space with her in the "Twinkle, Twinkle" show up right now at Plus Gallery here in Denver. You could say we're fellow snow-pile painters or enthusiasts:

Nathan Abels, "Snowpile", Acrylic on Panel, 36x80", 2005

Mindy Bray, "Iceburg", 40x50", Watercolor and Latex on paper on panel, 2007

Another First Friday Not To Miss

Kay Tuttle, “Collection Amusette-Alligator”, Acrylic on Wood, 2 x 4ft, 2007

Kay Tuttle, “Bird”, Acrylic on Wood, approximate dimensions 3 ft x 4ft, 2007

Kay Tuttle will be having a show called "Collection Amusette", at the one and only Sliding Door Gallery in Denver opening First Friday starting at 6 pm on the south end of the Santa Fe Arts District. This will be one not to miss - several paintings on wood, many of which are on unusually shaped panels. The show has a playfulness to it that balances line work/drawing with painting quite well. She also employs a large amount of text/handwriting in the pieces that make up this show, which adds to the depth and complexity of her work. The press release for the show elaborates,

"Collection Amusette is a series of oil and acrylic paintings that are painted on plywood. Some of the wood is cut into silhouettes of different shapes, for example a bird or a dinosaur. Other pieces are left in traditional rectangular shapes. All of the pieces are painted, sanded and repainted in a build up of imagery that is in some places sharp and detailed and in others erroded and blurred. The imagery is derived from scraps of popular culture that Tuttle has been collecting over the years, things like firework boxes, children's text books or aprons. Conceptually she is playing with ideas of how memories transform and change, gaining and loosing in significance as the years go by.

Tuttle was born and raised in Denver but lived away for 20 years, years that included an MFA and teaching at Arizona State University, and 3 year stays in both Germany and France. She will be featured in the upcoming Western States Edition of New American Paintings and was recently accepted into the Viewing Program at The Drawing Center in NYC. "

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Kay's show will be accompanied by work from Tony Zellaha and Evan Borman called "You Guys", and a special exhibit of work by students at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design entitled "Mouth Amusements".

Sliding Door Gallery is located at 554 Sant Fe Drive, Denver, Co. The show opens Fri, Nov. 2, from 5-10 pm and closes Sun, Dec 2nd, 2007. Gallery hours are Fri, Sat, Sun, 1-5

Also

Be sure to stop by the Plastic Chapel on Colfax to see some fun and unusual work from Lauri Lynnxe Murphy called, "Incubator: Drawings and Snowglobes" - also opening on Frist Friday from 7-11pm - you can read more about it on the always up to date denverarts.org. Ken is doing a great job keeping everyone in Denver updated on openings and art events in the city. I see him regularly at openings, taking pictures and shaking hands. Be sure to check it out and bookmark it .

New Sliding Door Gallery Exhibition Coming Together

I just made the sign for the gallery (on an old painting) and I'm getting some flyers/posters printed soon. Here's the poster:
We got a lot of exciting work for the show and it should prove to be a great First Friday - I will have work in this show and the "Transmute" show at Object+Thought here in Denver.

New Exhibition and Upcoming Events

I will be part of a group show coming up in a couple of weeks at Object + Thought curated by interns at Plus Gallery : opening August 3rd.

Also on August 3rd will be the opening of the juried show "Rethought, Reworked, and Re-Painted" at Sliding Door in conjunction with Berndt Savig's new work. Friday the 3rd will prove to be an art-ful, action packed night. Be sure to come out if you're in Denver. I will be posting images and updates on these exhibitions on this blog and the blog on Sliding Door Gallery's website.

Before and After

(before)(after)

This is a little piece I painted over an landscape print I found at a flea market. I changed the mountain peaks into candles and called it "Big Rock Candle Mountain". It's for the "Rethought, Reworked and Re-Painted" juried show at Sliding Door Gallery.

New Sliding Door Gallery.Com

I redesigned the new Sliding Door Gallery.com using a blogger site called wordpress. Check it out:

Sneak Peek; Nathan Abels, "Last Seen" Exhibition

OPENING TONIGHT!
6-10 PM
Sliding Door Gallery
554 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, Colorado
80204