This will be a great show - opening tonight.

Habitat: Exploring the Relationship Between Our Natural and Manmade Worlds
Featuring Artists: Ricky Allman, Chris Ballantyne, Molly Dilworth, Christina Empedocles, Gregory Euclide, Evan Hecox, Tat Ito, Paul Jacobsen, Josh Keyes and Jean-Pierre Roy
Foothills Art Center
January 21 - March 13, 2011

• Opening Reception: Friday, January 21, 6:30–8:30pm
• Gallery Talk with Molly Dilworth: Saturday, January 22, 2pm
• In the Gallery with Molly Dilworth: Visit with artist Molly Dilworth while she creates a site-specific painting in our front gallery during regular hours, January 22–24
• Gallery Talk with Paul Jacobsen: Thursday, January 27, 6:30 pm (MEMBERS ONLY EVENT. Space is limited! RSVP to: michael@foothillsartcenter.org by Monday, January 24)
• SCFD Family Free Day: Saturday, February 26, 11am–2 pm; Kids create their own unique habitats

Through the art of 10 nationally-ranked artists working throughout the United States, Habitat will become a tour- de-force presentation of the rapidly evolving world we all live in. Through painting, installation, graphite drawing, found object sculpture and more, these artists conceptually reflect upon how technology, development and consumerism has created a compelling human occupation of the earth’s once rudimentary habitat. A far cry from the “traditional” portrayal of environmental subject matter, Habitat will explosively, yet intelligently, examine the sophistication that is the modern world, and its undeniable effect upon the planet’s natural state. This exhibition becomes a unique opportunity to support a dialogue that is extremely contemporary, relevant and overflowing with passionate opinions and perspectives.

Some of the artists that have come together for this exclusive show have never before exhibited in Colorado, and all are beginning to make signifcant impact on the national and international art scenes, with several showcasing works in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Foothills Art Center, 809 15th Street, Golden, CO 80401
Mon-Sat: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sun: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
303.279.3922
michael@foothillsartcenter.org

Two more from the weekend

The Weekend

A couple of photos I took during our snowy weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Photo of the Day

Source: "Charlie Down" - She hadn't been there long (still warm), and moving her carcass off the road revealed the salty silhouette from passing cars on a winter highway. Young female coyote with a beautiful winter coat.

FYI: This photo wasn't edited/retouched in any way.

©2010 Dylan Menges

Photo fo the Day: Travels in New Zealand

Travels in New Zealand, originally uploaded by SundrySullen.

Tree Zone

The entire series of works for "Tree Zone" by Nicolai Howalt is exceptional. A show I greatly admire:

Project finished

Three rolls of masking tape later:

a small drawing of a broken statue done on canvas as an experiment

Although we never made it to Cafe Greco in Rome (pictured below), I ran across it in a book and it loosely inspired our new dining room. Rome in general inspired the wall painting.

photo source.

, originally uploaded by spassk.

Current Project

Inspired by all of the elaborately painted interiors of Rome, I've started adding some decorative painting to our dining room:

lots of tape

part one complete

part two complete

both images from Aokigahara.

Johannes Vogl

Johannes Vogl

Roman Holiday

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

I'll post more about individual photos soon, but until then you can view the collection from our trip to Rome above.

Blossoms of Light 2010

We went to the Denver Botanic Gardens "Blossoms of Light" again last year - here are a few pics. This will likely be my last post of the year. See everyone in 2011 with lots to share... Thanks for checking in.

New Beach House

Beach House (who made my favorite album of 2010, "Teen Dream") just put up a free winter track on their website, "I do not care for the winter sun."

Photos by Oriontrail

Cathedral by Oriontrail

Bare field in snow by Oriontrail

Industrial starry night by Oriontrail

Obscured view by Oriontrail

Favorite Music of the Year 2010

1. Beach House, "Teen Dream"


I know this is number one on a lot of lists this year and my instinct is to not put it as number one -but it is a fantastic album start to finish.

2. Lower Dens, "Twin-Hand Movement"

I was lucky enough to see them play the Larimer Lounge here in Denver on a quiet Monday night after working all day. It was probably the most memorable concert of the year (Portland band the Lovers being a close second). I think I'll be putting songs from this album on mixes for a long time to come.

3. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"
This album resonated with me a lot more than their other ones- it expresses the landscape, isolation, and possible future (?) of the suburbs - a topic of my own art for quite a while.

4. Crystal Castles, "crystal castles II"
Sometimes insane distrorted electronics, sometimes atmospheric and danceable throughout

5. Walkmen, "Lisbon"
These guys are a sure thing- some of the best indie-rock out there - this album is probably even better than their last one (which was my favorite album of 2008).

6. The Radio Dept., "Clinging to a Scheme"
I would actually recommend all of their albums if you enjoy New Orderish synth/shoegaze pop- that said, this is one of their best.

7. Deerhunter, "Halcyon Digest"
"Helicopter" is probably the best song of the year (listen below).

8. Sleigh Bells, "Treats"
This gets you pumped.

9. Lovers, "Dark Light"
Another album of exceptional songwriting, but this time with a more electronic backing.

10. Love Langugage, "Libraries"
Catchy and upbeat rock songs.

11. Liars, "Sisterworld"
Tense, aggressive, and heavy.

12. Shearwater, "Golden Archipelago"
Exceptional musicians that make really beautiful music - the closest thing to audio landscape painting.

13. The Drums, "The Drums"
Simple, fun pop songs -you'll be singing along in no time.

14. Tamaryn, "The Waves"
Shoegaze done well.

15. Sufjan Stevens, "The Age of Adz"
He also put out a long EP this year but the full-length had more complexity to it and seemed somewhat refreshingly unrestrained.

• Worth mentioning: , Local Natives, "Gorilla Manor"

Colorado Bands/Local:
I went to more local shows and listened to more local bands this year than any year since I've moved to Colorado - here are some of my personal favorites:

• HOT WHITE - (self titled) - get the album free via the label here. It will melt your face off.
  
• Nathaniel Rateliff, "In Memory of Loss"
• Gauntlet Hair (7")
• Candy Claws, "Hidden Lands"
• The Chain Gang of 1974 (self titled)

These have been regular listening while in the studio or reading-
Ambient and Instrumental:

• Grasslung, "Sincere Void" (beautiful warm atmospherics)
  
• James Blake, "Klavierwerke" EP (chopped up/layered piano and minimal beats)
  
• RxRy, "VAEIOUWLS" (dense electronic music - free download)
  
• ((Rad Kids)), "tape split" (free downloads of Rad Kids music from the artist here)
  
• ryonkt, "north small town" (find one of his albums available for free-and legal- here)
  
• Barn owl, "Ancestral Star"

Tracks:



Favorites from 2009 and 2008.

Some of the best concerts I attended in 2010:
Here We Go Magic, Wye Oak, Owen Pallett, Lower Dens, Lovers, Liars, Hot White (x3), David Bazan, Chain Gang of 1974, Interpol, and Midlake

This and That

photo taken with our new camera.

Best-of 2010 music list in the works. Should be up soon.

new to the collection

We won this exceptional kid-made riff on the Scream from the Firefly Autism House silent auction today. Oh yeah!

Peter Doig - work on paper

Peter Doig

it is Finals week = slow posts.

Christmas Party

I made a mix for a Christmas party tonight.