New Exhibition Press/Links

There's a few more listings for "Grisaille" - my show with Chris Faller - online:

Denverarts.org

Denver.Yourhub.com

Westword

Nathan Abels, Chris Faller, "Grisaille" (Grayscale)

My statement about the show:

In 1903, German Engineer Julius Neubronner combined a small analog camera with a timer and attached it with a harness to a pigeon. This innovative approach to aerial photography soon raised interest from the German military. Sortly thereafter, exploring the potential for secret aerial reconissance carried out by pigeons began in earnest.

As an aerial survey photographer myself, I drew inspiration for this body of work from reading about these pigeons, who unwittingly served as soldiers, message carriers, and pioneers in the field of aerial photography. These pint-sized photographers were among the first to take aerial photos in teh early 20th Century.

“Racing Pigeons” (Four of Seven Canvases), 12x12” , Enamel on Canvas

“Neubronner’s Photographers, 1904”, 14x11”, Charcoal on Paper

“Vanishing Bearings of Pigeons Released at Various Locations”, 30x22”, Colored Pencil, Graphite, Acrylic on Paper

“Pigeon Aerial Photograph”, 18x24”, Charcoal on Paper

“Pigeon-Mounted Camera”, Dimensions Variable
Plastic, Hardware, Leather, Ink, Acrylic, and Mixed Mediums

(Untitled Photograph) and

“City Plan”, 6x9”, Acrylic, Graphite, Casein and Wax on Panel

“Neubronner’s Photographers, 1904”, 11x10”, Charcoal on Paper
Curiosities Cabinet - Including Pigeon Racing Clock, Photo Developing Unit, Photographs, etc.

“Untitled” Pigeon Photographer Accidental Image: The Park, 14x11”, Carcoal and Ink on Paper

“Untitled” Pigeon Photographer Accidental Image: Parking Lot
6x4” each x 36 (installed as one piece), Photography

“Flight Paths of Eight Homing Pigeons: Fig. B”, 14x11”, Gouche, Ink, Wax on Paper

“Flight Paths of Eight Homing Pigeons: Fig. A”, 14x11”, Gouche, Ink, Wax on Paper

“Pigeon Racing: Release”, 24”x80”, Acrylic on Panel

“Flight”, 22x30”, Colored Pencil, Graphite, and Ink on Paper

Installation View (Left-Hand Wall Upon Entering)

Installation View (Back Wall)

Installation View (Right-Hand Wall Upon Entering - looking from the back)

OPENING TONIGHT AT NOW ARSPACE

3977 Tennyson St. Denver, CO 80212

from 6-10 pm with Dj Tony Z

Ghost Tree and "Silver Spears"

Although it is well out of my financial price range, I've always loved this "Ghost Tree" by Erich Ginder. If you're in Denver - Forest Room Five has one of these. It's a great combination of high modern design (the base), and nature.

I took some photos yesterday that accompany the "Ghost Tree" well. We hiked from the town of Marble, CO to what remains of an old mining town called Crystal, CO. We met someone there that was enjoying the isolation that can be found in Crystal and she let us fill our water bottle from the mountain spring that supplied water to the few people there. She told us that on an early autumn morning, the sunlight carves between two of the mountains and hits the side of the aspen trees and they look like "silver spears reaching up to the sky."

Leo Linehan Sculpture

Leo Linehan, "Reflection to Soul", Cast of Floor, Trolley and Other Parts of the Room, 2003

(detail)

(detail)

See also: a post on cast multiples and the work of Yoshitomo Saito and Chris Faller

Casting Call - Art involving cast multiples

Yesterday I went to Rule Gallery downtown to see the Yoshitomo Saito exhibition. Rule had a very well installed, minimal presentation of years of Saito's work. I read about the "108 Cranes" exhibition in the Westword write up this week and it was well worth seeing in person. He cast 108 square canvases in bronze, each with a slightly different patina. They were hung all down the left wall of the gallery and along the back - uniformly spaced, well lit, and in line. The exhibition was very peaceful and even meditative.

"108 Cranes" Installation view courtesy of Rule Gallery

In the middle of the gallery floor were several bronze cast wooden boxes, and cast pillows:

Pillow no. 25, 1995, Bronze with patina, 5.5 x 33 x 35 inches.
Pillow no. 13, 1995, Bronze with patina, 10 x 12 x 20 inches.
Pillow no. 20, 1995, Bronze with patina, 5 x 15.5 x 11 inches.

In another exhibition from last month's First Friday the art of Chris Faller involved casting every imaginable container for bottled water. The containers were cast in ceramic and glazed with a simple clear glaze - allowing the white stoneware to unify the presentation. Here is the installation shot from Fireworks Clay Studio.