vail valley gallery guide winter 2016
Ron Hicks
Holiday Exhibition Wednesday December 30th 4-6 PM
“Earl Grey Day” Oil On Linen Board 20 x 16
Vail International Gallery vailgallery.com 970 476 2525
100 e. meadow drive #17
vail, co 81657
e d i t o r’s l e t t e r
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s a writer, one who creates, or at least strings random ideas together, with words as a medium, I’m often guided by a premise that’s helped me be at least minimally productive over the years — that creating something, anything, be it a painting, a sculpture, a song, a poem or even a simple news report, is like a journey to the soul and back, telling a story along the way. Artists are, have been and always will be Mankind’s greatest storytellers, their individual impressions of reality contributing to an immense, everevolving record of the human condition, how we live, work, play, feel … and die. The artwork you see on the following pages of ART, therefore, comes from within the souls of artists on their personal journeys working with media they feel best tell their stories. Don DeMott, for example, expresses himself welding steel while Ingrid Dee Magidson speaks in fabrics, sheet music, even butterflies; the late Gib Singleton cast his ideas in bronze while Jesús Moroles preferred sculpting solid granite; Anton Arkhipov works primarily with oil and acrylic paints, as did his compatriot, Boris Chetkov. Personally, I find Chetkov’s journey as a nonconformist in the “Self portrait 12/12/13” by Stephen Lloyd former Soviet Union — working in obscurity under oppression’s Wood, 8.5” by 11”, pencil on paper dismal radar, by himself, for himself, keeping his brilliant and colorful stories to himself until his death in 2010 — particularly poignant. Indeed, the stories left behind by artists are interesting, often compelling, sometimes profound; all we have to do is listen. Or, as Arkhipov puts it, in words: “Humanity, even with all its ugly side, (has) created the most beautiful, creative things. I am painting the joyous universal soul of us all.” I hope you enjoy this edition of ART, then journey to the galleries featured within. Only by listening closely, and personally, to the artists they represent can you hear their stories along the way.
– 1 WINTER 2016
Stephen Lloyd Wood
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associate editor
on the covers
“TOM WOLF 2” by Alex Gramm Cogswell Gallery 60” x 48”, mixed-media painting
“ON THE HONDO SECO ROAD” by Walt Gonske Claggett/Rey Gallery 28” by 30”, oil on canvas
contributors MOLLY EPPARD Color you could live inside Red. It has been my favorite color since I was a child. It is energetic and intrepid. Famous artwork you’d like to steal Can I name more than one? Favorite museum National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Having grown up outside of DC, it has always been a goto museum for me. Medium you wish you could master Watercolor. Art-related quote “A line is a dot that went for a walk.”” — Paul Klee Type of public art you love most I have recently enjoyed seeing light festivals like Vivid Sydney. The festivals embrace their locations and are always changing and interactive. Everyone has a smile! KIMBERLY NICOLETTI Color you could live inside Royal blue because it reflects the sky over the mountains as well as the ocean. And thank God the color came back into fashion! Famous artwork you’d like to steal The bronze skaters at the Beaver Creek Ice Rink. Favorite museum Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Art-related quote “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” — Kurt Vonnegut The sort of public art you love most Robert Indiana’s “Love” in Scottsdale, Arizona. STEPHEN WOOD Color you could live inside Sky blue, because
I’d be flying and the sun would be shining ...
Cool, calm and collected... everything I strive to be.
Famous artwork you’d like to steal “The Thinker,” by Auguste Rodin.
Famous artwork you’d like to steal An original Banksy.
Favorite museum Museo del Ciclismo, Madonna del Ghisallo, Lombardia, Italy.
Favorite museum The Children’s Museum in New Orleans. Many fond memories.
Medium you wish you could master Words.
Medium you wish you could master Wood. The possibilities are endless.
Art-related quote “This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back in again.” — Oscar Wilde Type of public art you love most Great architecture. BRENDA HIMELFARB Color you could live inside I would live inside off-white or beige so that I’d have a neutral setting which would allow my imagination to run wild with color — without clashing with my “space.” Favorite museum Musee d’ Orsay, Paris, France. Medium you wish you could master Wish I could master architectural drawing. Art-related quote “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Pablo Picasso. (He should have said, “The purpose of art is to wash the dust of daily life off our souls.” Oh well, he was a fine artist, not a writer). Type of public art you love most The public art that I like most is one created by the artist who embraces the space in which the art will “live,” rather than allowing his or her work to be ego-driven. CHARLES TOWNSEND BESSENT Color you could live inside Blue, definitely blue.
Type of public art you love most I love wall gardens and interactive installations. LEIGH HORTON Famous artwork you’d like to steal “Portrait of Madame X” Favorite museum Musee d’Orsay. Medium you wish you could master Anything! I lack artistic talent, unfortunately. Art-related quote “A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.” — Baltasar Gracián EDDIE CAMPOS Color you could live inside Green, because there are a myriad of shades of green in nature, and they change through the seasons. Famous artwork you’d like to steal The Graff Pink diamond ring Favorite museum Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Medium you wish you could master Bronze sculpting and casting. Art-related quote “Everything you can imagine is real.” — Pablo Picasso Type of public art you love Interactive public art.
vail valley gallery guide winter 2016 vail daily magazine group gm Susan Ludlow • sludlow@vaildaily.com
editor Wren Bova • wren@vaildaily.com
associate editor Stephen Lloyd Wood • swood@vaildaily.com
art director Carly Arnold • carnold@cmnm.org
marketing director Mark Bricklin • mbricklin@vaildaily.com
ad director Patrick Connolly • pconnolly@vaildaily.com
account director Karen Suing • ksuing@vaildaily.com
national sales director Allison Zweig • azweig@vaildaily.com
contributing writers & photographers Charles Townsend Bessent, Eddie Campos, Molly Eppard, Brenda Himelfarb, Leigh Horton, Kimberly Nicoletti
design team manager Afton Pospíšilová
design team Ashley Detmering, Darin Bliss, Madelyn LyBarger, Malisa Samsel
advertising sales coordinator Krystal Brunell • kbrunell@vaildaily.com
account managers Paul Abling • pabling@vaildaily.com Heidi Bricklin • hbricklin@vaildaily.com Carole Bukovich • cbukovich@vaildaily.com Chris Jacobson • cjacobson@vaildaily.com
circulation manager David Hakes • dhakes@vaildaily.com
vail daily publisher Don Rogers • drogers@vaildaily.com
swif t communications president Bob Brown • rbrown@swiftcom.com
colorado mountain news media gm Jim Morgan • jmorgan@cmnm.org
colorado mountain news media production director Bill Walker • bwalker@cmnm.org The Vail Daily is a wholly owned subsidiary of Colorado Mountain News Media | 200 Lindbergh Drive | P.O. Box 1500 Gypsum, Colorado 81637 p. 970.328.6333 f. 970.328.6409 Copyright ©2015 Colorado Mountain News Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH COUNTRY ANTIQUES AND IMPORTS, ART, DECOR AND MORE OF G OUSE H E R A OT “W A 3,000 SQUARE FO
STE” OOD TA
Copper bear from England is 100” long x 45 wide and 46 high. The beautiful 2 piece French 1890’s blue grey glazed cabinet is 98 long x 103” high.
Edwards Commercial Park | 210 Edwards Village Blvd., A-206, Edwards, CO 81632 (On the hill above Edwards towards Homestead)
970. 926.7377 | www.theshag g yram.com
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08 C. ANTHONY GALLERY Featuring Britten
– 4 WINTER 2016
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10 GALERIE ZÜGER Featuring Ingrid Dee Magidson
12 VAIL INTERNATIONAL GALLERY Featuring Boris Chetkov
14 GIB SINGLETON GALLERY Featuring Gib Singleton
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16 COGSWELL GALLERY Featuring Various Artists
20 KARATS Featuring Dan Telleen
22 KNOX GALLERY Featuring George Lundeen
24 MASTERS GALLERY
Featuring Anton Arkhipov
26 ART ON A WHIM Featuring Don DeMott
28 CLAGGETT/REY GALLERY Featuring Walt Gonske
30 SQUASH BLOSSOM Featuring Gurhan Orhan
32 BATTLE MOUNTAIN TRADING POST Featuring Bill Reis
34 GRANITE LANDSCAPE Remembering Jesús Moroles and his work
38 ART EXHIBITIONS 40 ARTIFACTS
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– 5 WINTER 2016
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map B E AV E R C R E E K BE AVER CREEK 1. C. Anthony Gallery
Haymeadow Li
Centennial Li
2. Knox Gallery
Riva Bahn
Park Hyatt
Gopher Hill Lift Skier Bridge
BEAVER CREEK VILLAGE GOLDEN PEAK
MINTURN 3. Batlle Mountain Trading Post
2 Ice Rink
VAIL VILL AGE
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Repentance Sculpture
5. Art on a Whim
Strawberry Park Li
Vilar Center
6. Cogswell Gallery
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7. The Squash Blossom
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Vail Nature Center
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8. Karats VI LL VAIL VALLEY AGDR E RD
9. Galerie Z端ger 10. Claggett/Rey Gallery 11. Gib Singleton Gallery
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To Avon
12. Masters Gallery
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13. Vail International Gallery HWY
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Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
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Betty Ford Alpine Little Beach Park
To Red Cliff & Leadville MA
Gerald R. Ford
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Gas Station
WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST
EAST MEA
DOW DR
Vail Parking Stru Water Tower
Top Level Shopper
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Vail Golf Club
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To I-70
Minturn Country Club
Minturn Saloon
Pirate Ship Park
Vista Bahn Li
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Children’s Fountain BRIDGE ST
GORE CREEK
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Clock Tower
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Checkpoint Charlie
International Bridge
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Solaris Sculptures
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Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
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BRIDGE
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10th Mountain Division Statue
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Covered Bridge
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Vail Transportation Center
Ice Rink
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Seibert Circle
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Dobson Ice Arena Vail Public Library Lionshead Village Vail Medical Center Altitude Sports Club
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C. A N T HON Y GA LLERY 61 avondale lane, market square | beaver creek • 970.845.8645 • canthony.gallery featuring Britten
B – 8 WINTER 2016
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ritten once compared her life as an artist to that of a train that makes stops along the tracks. Like a train, she will pause in her creative process and, after much reflection, will move on to her next vision. It’s only when the piece is completed that Britten is able to recognize the emotion or message that she wished to convey. According to Britten, the vision for her winter show, New Dimensions, at the C. Anthony Gallery, was inspired by the look of the gallery. “It’s full of new dimensions, visually, texturally, sensually and conceptually, “ she explains. “I have expanded beyond the expected square canvas into three-dimensional cubes and spheres. I have ventured into different shaped canvas, such as circular and diamonds. “New textures have been layered into the paint with unexpected objects, such as old watch parts. We are offering an additional experience of the show by pairing smells and tastes with specific paintings.” Britten has always explored the universal elements of nature to express her aesthetic sensitivity. Through the application of multiple layers of oil, resin and, perhaps, gold, silver or copper leaf, her luminous paintings always invite the viewer’s explorations. And this show, conceptually, will offer a new perspective of her work. “My latest intention with my art is to expand the vision of what is possible,” reveals Britten. “Art has opened the door to a world of infinite possibilities for me. It has changed my belief system and launched me past self-imposed limitations. Being
“Rouse” by Britten, 50” by 50”, mixed media
able to take a blank canvas and allow something to emerge from the depths of the unknown and into reality has transferred to my everyday life. “I see past what I once saw as reality. Limitations and fears that were ingrained into my life have been replaced by motivation to change the patterns in my mind and excitement to see what lies beyond belief. I have realized that limits and fears are based on past experiences, so why not create a new experience beyond that belief?” From her childhood in the dynamic city of San Francisco, then studying art in historic Florence, Italy, Britten was exposed to a wide variety of artistic abilities: graphic, portrait and mural artist — to the noted, fine artist she is today. Always pushing her limits. Always
presenting thoughtful communication within each of her paintings. “For me a painting starts with a blank canvas in the studio and in my mind, or letting go of an idea, concept or belief in exchange for a new creation,” discloses Britten. “I take a step forward with a brushstroke or commitment to create something new. It does not matter what color or brush — it’s simply the commitment to open to a new experience. “The new creation takes shape with every brushstroke, often before I have any idea of what I am really doing. In parallel, life starts to align with my open mind and brings possibilities that I never could have imagined. Often times, it’s as though I am looking at my paintings or life with new eyes.” — by brenda himelfarb
– 9 WINTER 2016
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– 10 WINTER 2016
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“Nature Divine” by Ingrid Dee Magidson, 35” by 22”, mixed media
GA LE R IE Z ÜGER 141 e. meadow drive, #208 | vail 970.476.5619 galeriezugervail.com featuring Ingrid Dee Magidson
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rtist Ingrid Dee Magidson’s depth extends well beyond her layers upon layers of mixed-media images, some of them up to 8 inches deep. Masterfully formed from Renaissance portraits, sheer fabrics, butterflies, archived music pages and sheets of acrylics, her images are songs of the soul, dancing between the physical and spiritual world, urging viewers to tap into a profound, otherwise elusive window. For almost 40 years, Magidson resisted listening to her own inner muse — partly because her father, a brilliant painter and sculptor, was manic depressive. “I lived life on the surface, but (art) was always inside of me,” she says. Even from an external perspective, art seemed ever-present. Magidson credits her parents for not only surrounding her with artful inspiration, but also for teaching her how to view art technique and meaning. In adulthood, she worked in the Aspen gallery of her husband, Jay, for more than 15 years, immersing herself in art while also raising their two kids. By the time she reached age 40, she couldn’t quiet her own itching, restless need to create. As it turned out, Magidson simply needed a room of her own, a studio where she could process dark fears and spiritual yearnings. Through it all, she discovered her purpose. “You create a meaningful existence by listening to your inner voice,” she
– 11 WINTER 2016
“Delivering Destiny” by Ingrid Dee Magidson, 38” by 32”, mixed media
says. “We all want to find our purpose and do something meaningful. It’s what comforts your heart and fills you up and makes you feel at home.” The journey requires “profound courage,” Magidson says, which is why she calls upon “muses, God, Higher Power, angels — whatever you want to call it.” “Spirituality opens up so much,” she adds. Viewers don’t need to ascribe to spirituality for Magidson’s pieces to move them, however; they need only to relate to human change, or transformation. Stories and images of royal Renaissance figures act as stepping stones for her emotional and visual inspiration. Most portray women of strength or children in their innocence, both of whom “convey the fleeting quality of life.” Her artwork enlivens them once again, just in a different form. “Every subject I choose for my work
is alive to me, not in a metaphorical sense, but truly alive,” she says. “They have personality, memories, desires, loves, everything you and I have — only they are frozen in time.” The butterflies Magidson often places in her pieces represent the delicacy, beauty and complexity of human life, which flutters for only a moment of time in eternity. Sheet music layered into her subjects’ eyes represent how the eyes act as windows to the soul, and how music feeds both Magidson’s — and so many others’ — spirits. From her personal confrontation of the fear of creative madness to embodying and expressing inspiration of muses, Magidson’s layered mixed media offers a rich opportunity for transcendence. “People get captivated and lost in it,” she says, “and it really makes them reach deep into their soul.” — by kimberly nicoletti
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VAIL INTERNATIONAL GALLERY 100 east meadow drive, no. 17 | vail • 970.476.2525 • vailgallery.com featuring Boris Chetkov
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– 12 WINTER 2016
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here’s something new going on at Vail International Gallery this winter. Known for featuring contemporary work by living, emerging, local artists since opening on Meadow Drive in Vail Village a decade ago, founders and brothers-in-law Marc LeVarn and Patrick Cassidy have found new inspiration in the work of a prolific Russian Modernist, Boris Chetkov, whose vast body of work continues to emerge on the international art scene since the artist’s death in 2010. “We’re opening a new chapter here with this collection,” Cassidy says of the two dozen or so Chetkov paintings arriving at the gallery in preparation for a show opening Feb. 13 and continuing through the end of the month. “His work is so new to us, like nothing we’ve seen before.” Born in 1926 in the Sverdlosvk Region of the Soviet Union, Chetkov is an obscure figure, having studied art at some of the greatest Russian art schools over a career spanning decades of communist oppression. Instead of joining many of his contemporaries in the elite Russian Federation Union of Artists — and creating traditional pieces to please the government and make a good living — Chetkov chose the life of a non-conformist, working for many years as chief glass artist in a glass factory by day … and painting at night. Under the radar, so to speak, Chetkov survived the Gulag, World War II, the “Kruschchev Thaw,” the Cold War, Glasnost, Perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union, all while painting by himself, for himself, mostly in secret, until his death in 2010. “Chetkov’s work draws inspiration from the same sources as early20th-Century modern Russian artists, such as Chagall, Kandinsky
“Field Flowers” by Boris Chetkov, 22.25” by 18”, acrylic on panel
and Natalia Goncharova, who were all inspired, as was Chetkov, by Russian folk art and primitive art,” LeVarn says. “Similarly, his work distilled this inspiration into progressive and philosophical works rooted in native Russian culture.” While much of the traditional art to emerge from Russia and the former Soviet Union over the past few decades can be considered muted in tone and dark in subject matter, Chetkov’s work, by contrast, is brilliant and alive, with an intense, “Chetkovian” palette of primary colors and truly avant-garde techniques. From impressionistic still lifes to expressionistic landscapes to abstract portraits, his prodigious collection of mainly acrylic and oil paintings is just now emerging from private collections and museums to high acclaim. “Chetkov was a true individual,” says LeVarn, “and his work helps to complete the picture of what
was going on at the time.” A great example of Chetkov’s abstract works on display at Vail International Gallery is “Supposed Man Against the Blue,” an oil-oncanvas from 1970 featuring broad strokes of brilliant colors with a definitive Picasso-esque feel. It’s joined by other, wonderfully entertaining landscapes, such as “Everything in Yellow,” “Khutor,” and “Seaside,” as well as a number of vivid still lifes, including “Field Flowers” and the aptly named “Still Life.” “We’ve been attracted to Russian artists for years, in general, because of the quality of their work,” LeVarn says. “These are museum-quality paintings just coming onto the market.” “It’s nice to see something as well-done and fresh in a different style,” adds Cassidy. “There’s no better way to break into the world of Russian Modernism.” — by stephen lloyd wood
– 13 WINTER 2016
Everything in Yellow” by Boris Chetkov, 14” by 20”, acrylic on panel
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“Supposed Man Against the Blue” by Boris Chetkov, 24” by 29”, oil on canvas
“Khutor” by Boris Chetkov, 28” x 32” acrylic on canvas
– 14 WINTER 2016
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GIB SINGLE T ON 1 willow bridge road, suite cs-5 | vail 970.476.4851 • gibsingletongallery.com featuring Gib Singleton
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hen Gib Singleton, the son of a poor Cherokee sharecropper, met a former cowboy named Paul Zueger, they had no idea what a rich contribution they’d make to the world. “When Gib asked me to represent him, I told him, ‘no,’ I don’t do sculpture,” Zueger says. But Singleton’s personal ease and conviction persuaded Zueger to bankroll a couple of rodeo pieces, which sold in a matter of days. “It was a huge risk — nobody (was depicting) abstract cowboys, but it was how he could best convey feelings,” says John Goekler, director of the Gib Singleton Museum of Fine Art. In addition to sculpting thin, elongated cowboys and Native Americans, Singleton began to pour his emotions into spiritual art. “Gib always had visions. His second wife, Debra, said they’d just come,” Goekler says. “His brothers and sisters said he was drawing a bowed cross with sticks in the mud since he was 3 or 4 years old.” Singleton’s depiction of Christ’s suffering stood out among a number of artists the Vatican foundry asked to create a papal crosier. They chose his design and cast it in silver with minor modifications. Popes since John Paul II have carried the portrayal on their crosier. Singleton transferred the same representation of woe to one of his last pieces before he died on Feb. 28, 2014. He depicted Abraham Lincoln after the Civil War, with presidential shoulders slumped, knowing he was about to be assassinated. “Sometimes he’d describe a piece he saw in his mind and I’d say,
‘Who’s going to buy it?’” Zueger says. “But he just had to make it, and he was always right. When he told me he was going to do Lincoln in a way no one had ever done before, I asked the same question. ‘Who’s going to buy it? “Never has there been a piece that has sold faster … over the years, I learned to trust his vision and just let him go.” Singleton formed his sculptures to open the human heart, and his faithful perseverance led to a new genre of art called Emotional Realism. “It’s realistic enough to be a portrayal, and yet it’s abstract enough to put your own feelings into the piece,” Goekler says. Through his depiction of both Western and spiritual life, Singleton hoped to create a better world by reminding people of their nobility, even through times of struggle. “He said, ‘I hope when you see one of my pieces you see something in yourself that’s holy,’” Goekler says. Long after his sculptures began to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, when his hands began to weaken and he couldn’t pull his usual all-nighters to portray his visions, he made another radical request to Zueger: to “point down” several of his favorite pieces, now known as signature pieces, and produce a greater quantity of limited editions, so more people could own them. Once again, Zueger cautioned Singleton that “the art world generally doesn’t do large editions because people worry it might dilute the value. Gib said, ‘I don’t care, man.
Gib Singleton, 1935-2014
It’s not about the money. They need to be out there to do their work.’” Now, pieces such as “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” which was only available on the secondary market for about $200,000, is offered in a smaller format for about $15,000. Singleton also asked Zueger to “point up” more than 30 of his favorite pieces to monumental, lifesizes so more people could freely experience them in museums and other public places. His “Stations of the Cross” already stood at the Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe and the Santuario de Chimayo — and now at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas — but he dreamed of placing them in Rome. “He used to say, ‘I don’t care if they put them in the river, man, as long as they’re in Rome,’” Zueger says. Proceeds from Singleton’s signature pieces will help fund the life-size installations, which he hoped to spread worldwide. “Gib always believed that if a billion people could see his work, the emotions and strength and values in the bronze would etch in their minds, and that would change the world,” Zueger says. “And changing the world, learning to love and care for one another, was what Gib Singleton was all about.” Note: To read more about Singleton’s life, purchase the newly released book about him: “Opening the Heart: the Life and Art of Gib Singleton,” by John Goekler. — by kimberly nicoletti
– 15 WINTER 2016
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COGSWELL GALLERY 223 gore creek drive | vail • 970.476.1769 • cogswellgallery.com featuring Dan Deuter, Alex Gramm, Dwayne Brech, Chula Beauregard, Clay Enoch & Jeff DesAutels
W – 16 WINTER 2016
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hat Patrice Cogswell and her husband, John, dared to bring to Vail in 1972 was something they both loved and could not be found anywhere else: high-quality, hand-crafted, one-ofa-kind Native American jewelry. This marked the beginning of The Squash Blossom in Vail and what would later expand into Vail’s first art gallery, Cogswell Gallery, primarily focused on fine art, handwoven rugs and bronzes since opening its doors in 1980. Today, the Cogswell collection includes a mixture of Western bronze artists, Western painters, Native American artifacts, as well as furniture from Tibet, Indonesia, Mexico and the American Southwest. Patrice and John’s passion for Western and Native American art is exemplified in some of the artists they represent:
about Native American culture. Gramm has immersed himself in mixed media, combining his love of photography and painting. His Native American series, inspired by the photography of Edward Sheriff Curtis, allowed him to indulge his love of the American West and experiment with a contemporary application on a historic topic. Much like the rest of Gramm’s work, the scale of this painting in itself is striking. “Tom Wolf 2,” for example, measures 5 feet by 4 feet, yet is considered small by Gramm’s standards. Thanks to his mixed-media style, he’s able to produce pieces ranging from this size to pieces measuring
10 by 16 feet. Seeing one of Gramm’s paintings in person is unforgettable.
DWAYNE BRECH
After a fulfilling, 27-year career as the art director for Western Horseman, Dwayne Brech left the magazine to devote his time and energy to painting. Since then, he has been recognized in various exhibits, shows and private collections. A positive force in Brech’s work has been his devotion to painting on location. “It takes getting outdoors to observe color, lighting conditions, and atmosphere,” Brech says. “The mood present at the scene becomes the heart of the finished piece.”
DAN DEUTER
Colorado painter Dan Deuter embodies the spirit of Western art. Through personal life experiences and extensive research of the Old West, Deuter has gained national attention for his trademark, historically accurate Western scenes. In creating one of his most recent paintings, “Steam Stampede,” for example, he took it upon himself to track down and visit a historical 1800s steam engine train, ensuring even the most minuscule detail.
ALE X GRAMM
Throughout his childhood, Alex Gramm had access to a collection of Native American artifacts from a significant and substantial collection by the Smithsonian Institute, fueling his desire to learn more “Tom Wolf 2” by Alex Gramm, 60” by 48”, mixed-media painting
“Steam Stampede” by Dan Deuter, 24” by 36”, oil on panel
“The Good Life” by Dwayne Brech, 24” x 24”, oil on canvas
– 18 WINTER 2016
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“Check Turn” by Jeff DesAutels, 40” by 30”, oil on panel
“First Run” by Clay Enoch, 14”, glass and bronze sculpture
COGSWELL GALLERY
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ogswell Gallery remains true to the Native American and Western art on which it was founded, but also ventures into different subject matters and styles of art. The gallery boasts new and exciting artwork, ranging from bronzes and Impressionist paintings to mixed-media pieces. The following artists are local to Colorado and known for representing mountain scenes through various styles and mediums.
CHULA BEAUREGARD
From Steamboat Springs, Chula Beauregard graduated cum laude as a studio art major from Whitman College before serving for two years in Gabon, Central Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. Later, she earned her Masters degree in education from Regis University to teach Fine Art. Beauregard’s outdoor lifestyle and love for the mountains is evident in her work and tends to influence the majority of her paintings. Her favorite subjects are iconic scenes of Colorado, including bike races at Beaver Creek Resort and landscapes from around the Vail Valley. Beauregard is inspired by the early American Impressionists, proof of which can be seen in her brushstrokes. One can clearly see that she loves the adventure of painting, as each and every one of her paintings has its own spark of life. “Embrace,” one of Beauregard’s most recent statement pieces, illustrates just that.
evoke a simple feeling or it can tell an elaborate story,” Enoch says. “My work gravitates toward uplifting and inspirational themes, leveraging the figure’s range to draw out transcendent truth and contemporary messages of hope and redemption.” Enoch’s work centers on biblical narratives and whimsical scenes, seen especially through his eyecatching glass series. You can find kids in a pool, biblical figures traversing water, even kids taking their first runs on skis. “First Run,” for example, is one of numerous works brought to life through this unique combination of glass and bronze sculpture. The contrast between materials and themes conjured by Enoch makes for lively and truly one-of-a-kind sculptures.
CON T INUE D JEFF DESAUTELS
Ski enthusiast Jeff DesAutels — a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former student at Yale law school and a working attorney for 21 years — has lived in Colorado for more than three decades, devoting himself full-time to art in 1998. Using a painting knife, DesAutels achieves a rich, buttery texture and particularly vibrant colors. With the majority of his paintings concentrated on pure landscapes, DesAutels has more recently focused on “action paintings” depicting skiers and others enjoying the great Colorado outdoors, including scenes from Vail and Beaver Creek. Though he primarily paints skiers, DesAutels has a collection of snowboarders, as well. Commissions are available. — by eddie campos
– 19 WINTER 2016
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CLAY ENOCH
Living in Colorado Springs since 1996, sculptor Clay Enoch has created monumental works for numerous public spaces spanning from Tennessee to Pennsylvania to Arizona — always with the aim of capturing pure compositional form. “In art, the human figure is endlessly expressive; it can
“Embrace” by Chula Beauregard, 60” by 36”, oil on canvas
K A R AT S 122 east meadow drive | vail • 970.476.4760 • karatsvail.com featuring Dan Telleen
A – 20 WINTER 2016
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snake vertebrae necklace stands out for its startling originality in Dan Telleen’s Karats, Vail’s only working jewelry studio. Each piece crafted in his adobe housestyled studio tells a story: the tale of a snake’s life, the journey of a meteorite or the weathering endured by arrowheads. Each piece encapsulates Telleen’s interest in time, evolution, and the sentimental value of human history. Telleen’s long-time customers have come to expect his respectful use of materials since his studio opened in 1970. While all of his creations are inherently valuable and include high-quality gold and gems, he prides himself on working with a material’s natural characteristics. Intrinsic value in his jewelry is “a given,” Telleen says, because of the quality of his materials. “The intriguing value is something that most jewelry doesn’t have,” he says. Nothing in the store is massproduced and customers can be assured they are receiving a uniquely crafted creation. Despite his devotion to originality, he is careful not to sacrifice wearability for creativity. As an art student, his first passions were pottery and sculpture. “Sculpture is unfettered, and approaching jewelry as sculpture, I have to keep in mind that someone is wearing it and that it has to be practical,” he explains. His exposure to pottery educated him on material diversity. When using clay, he focused on discovering and exposing the inherent beauty of the material, not forcing it to
conform to his vision. “In ceramics,” Telleen says, “the important thing was the spontaneity of the material, the quality of the clay. When I started in jewelry, I was working with wax to make molds, which has similar plastic qualities to clay. What I like to do is find the qualities of the waxes and how they behave and help them become jewelry.” He approaches jewelry with the same respect, allowing the material to deviate from his original intent. Even in his bespoke projects, he works closely with clients to harmonize their
vision with the characteristics of the metals and gems. His studio produces art that complements Vail’s devotion to high-end retail. He suggests that visitors walk into his store and find items they would never be able to find at home. “The fact that you can find things here that you can’t find anywhere else, that’s what makes Vail special,” Telleen says. His 45-year run in Vail is tribute to his creativity and dedication to creating original and intriguing jewelry. – by leigh horton
African snake vertebrae and 18 karat gold
African manilla money bracelet with 22 karat gold masks
Green tourmaline scissor-cut gem set in 18 karat gold
Native American spear point and 18 karat gold
Sterling silver bracelet with an impression from an ancient Mesopotamian cylinder seal interrupted with discs of 22 karat gold
“Two Hearts As One,� freshwater pearl set in 18 karat gold
– 22
“The Valentine”, by George Lundeen, 48” by 76” by 43”, bronze
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“Bulldogs”, by George Lundeen, 15” by 18 by 12”, bronze
K NOX GA L L E R IE S 46 avondale lane | beaver creek 970.949-5564 • knoxgalleries.com featuring George Lundeen
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eorge Lundeen is a storyteller, though he chooses bronze as his medium to convey the rich complexities of humanity. His sculptures are so sleek and textured, sitting next to a life-size rendition of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson elicits a feeling of truly conversing with the forefathers. Lundeen relies on solid technique and extensive research — down to obtaining special permission from the Library of Congress to view photos of the paper, quill and inkwell with which Jefferson helped draft the Declaration of Independence. Yet, Lundeen relies on simple renditions. “I like it when you don’t have to write a term paper (but) you can see all of these dimensions behind (the sculptures),” he says. “I don’t bog it up
“Up for Grabs”, by George Lundeen, 36” by 18” by 13”, bronze
with a lot of detail. I want the focus to end up on the right place — on the face or right on the hands or the big nose of George Washington. “A story can just be a feeling, just a hint of a smile on George Washington’s face,” Lundeen adds. “If he could look forward at the totality of America, that “Rock And Roll”, by George Lundeen, 25” by 21” by 13”, bronze guy would have to smile that he was a good part of making the United States of America, which is every shred of information he can a great place now.” unearth on a historical figure. But Lundeen didn’t start his “I’ll work till 1 or 2 a.m., and renowned artwork with historical George Washington or Lincoln will figures. start talking to (me),” he says. “I’m “My most fun is doing individual dead serious.” people,” he says. “With live models, Lundeen digs deep, beyond you can get great expressions. … typical stories and portrayals, such A pair of hands can tell a heck of as paintings depicting Benjamin a story.” Franklin as quite serious. His precise texturing skills, be they “He had a great sense of humor,” smoothing a shirt or deeply carving a he says. horse’s hair, bounce light off specific It’s this passion for humans and elements of a piece. Curvatures Lundeen’s masterful technique — create a dynamic sense of honed in graduate school and during movement, particularly in his sportier a year studying at the Academia sculptures, which might depict the de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy, as rush of racing down a mountain on a a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar — that snowboard, bike or skis. renders his characters so intimately In fact, some of his human forms powerful. And it’s the stories within — “regular” people holding hands that enliven both private homes and on a bench, perhaps — speak more public places, from the Stanford Law powerfully than those depicting School, Denver’s Coors Field and extreme sport participants or Nike headquarters to collections historical figures. For instance, a from Germany to Bejing. bronze of a boy clutching a flag folded “I love people. I love portraying into a triangle has made viewers cry, people. I love the designs you can although Lundeen didn’t consciously portray. In the end, it’s the story mean to depict a service flag. you want to tell with (sculpture),” “I leave the door open so that Lundeen says. “As long as we people can interpret the work,” inhabit this human body, there’s he says. always going to be a lot you can do Sometimes, even Lundeen’s with sculpture; it’s a vehicle to tell surprised by how the characters whatever story.” interact with him after he reads — by kimberly nicoletti
– 23 WINTER 2016
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M A S T E RS GA LLERY 100 e. meadow drive, suite 27 | vail • 970.477.0600 • mastersgalleryvail.com featuring Anton Arkhipov
A – 24 WINTER 2016
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nton Arkhipov could have allowed the Russian government to dictate his art. Or, he could have splattered the darker side of his childhood all over the canvas. Masterfully, he chose differently. The artistry of the Arkhipov family dates back to the 19th century. As a result, the young artist enjoyed a high-society upbringing, which included special permission to practice copying the masters and even mimicking his own father’s modernist brushstrokes. “He trained my eye to see color, my hands to draw figures and my spirit to create my own vision,” Arkhipov says. Moscow’s rich culture exposed Arkhipov to the finest theater, live music and art exhibitions, as well. He graduated with honors from the Surikov College of Fine Art in Moscow, a prestigious “boot camp art education,” which attracted Western and Eastern students. And yet, growing up under the shadows of familial mental illness, alcoholism and government restrictions, art became his escape from the “ugly part of the world,” he says. “Art was everything — my bread, my water, my social life,” he says. “It was everything I ever learned in terms of human relationships and philosophic views.” After restoring icons and murals in Russian churches, exploring “every possible trend you can imagine” in art school and developing an early, “darker, abstract, geometric” style in the late 1980s, he and a friend instigated
an underground art scene. In 1987, the free-spirited artists breached political boundaries by displaying experimental art on public streets. “It was quite a risky thing,” he says. “You could go to jail — but we were young.” As Russian borders began to open, a European art collector discovered Arkhipov’s mastery, leading to his first London exhibition at age 26. He soon garnered a reputation throughout Europe before visiting the United States to debut his work. Galleries in California, and beyond, soon invited him to showcase his art, and his style grew organically. “I let myself be like a child, with the hands of a master. And when I say, ‘like a child,’ I mean do whatever comes naturally, without thinking if
it’s good or bad or commercial — just do want you want,” he says. “I wasn’t thinking about what you call it; I was creating a place in my art where I feel happiest … and sharing a happy place makes me happier.” His whimsical oil and acrylics depict leisure activities, such as skiing, through bold color, a sense of movement, texture and other classic techniques. His pursuit: to illustrate humanity’s undying spirit. “It’s a great privilege to be alive. Humanity, even with all its ugly side, (has) created the most beautiful, creative things,” he says. “I am painting the joyous universal soul of us all, and my goal is to remind people about the joyful parts of life and that we all can be happier.” — by kimberly nicoletti
– 25 WINTER 2016
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“Champagne Powder”, 40” by 45 inches, hand-embellished serigraph, edition of 35
“Sommelier”, 30” by 26”, original
“Delicious”, 32” by 28”, original
– 26 WINTER 2016
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“Forever Fall” by Don DeMott, 27.5” by 11” by 11”, steel and mixed media
A R T ON A W HIM 227 bridge street | vail • 970.476.4883 • artonawhim.com featuring Don DeMott
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ike many of us whose first journey to Colorado resulted in our decision to make it our home, metal sculptor Don DeMott says a 1979 foray into the vast aspen groves and conifer forests of southwestern Colorado changed his life forever. “I was a big John Denver fan, and that drive over Wolf Creek Pass and down into Durango was like something straight out of ‘Rocky Mountain High,’” says DeMott, a lifelong welder. “Aspens have been stuck in my head ever since.” Born and raised in Southern California, DeMott first designed for and managed “a great family business” in the 1970s and ‘80s with three brothers, producing and selling thousands of collectible metal
sculptures — typically depicting sailboats and sailing ships but also carousel horses and the like — via some of the largest department stores in the country, including Macy’s, Broadway, Robinsons, Bullocks and J.C. Penny. “We literally grew up with his work in our home, as did thousands upon thousands of other people,” says Brian Raitman, co-owner of Art on a Whim, on Bridge Street in Vail Village. While Americans continued to buy and collect those sculptures, the artist’s passion for Colorado’s aspens drove him. For another decade, DeMott experimented with new methods, creating and producing a line of metal tree sculptures along the way he called “Colorful Aspens.” He sold his first such piece, not coinci-
“Aspens On High” by Don DeMott, 28” by 12” by 10”, steel sculpture — before, left, and after the addition of paint and various media, right.
dentally, at a 1981 auction benefitting Denver’s Windstar Foundation, an environmental education and humanitarian organization the pop singer had created to conserve a thousand acres of land near his beloved Snowmass. Re-inspired, DeMott then set out on his own, moving to Colorado in 1993 to concentrate on his current line of unique sculptures depicting arboreal settings so real they amaze admirers, art collectors and gallery owners alike. “DeMott’s Realism takes his work to another level. The attention to detail is phenomenal,” says Raitman. “We typically don’t see that in sculpture.” From his Loveland studio, DeMott begins each piece with its alabaster base, imagining a scene that most suits the stone’s shape and color. Then, with a welding torch, he meticulously sculpts the trees, one at a time — some of them requiring hundreds, even thousands, of individual welds — before undertaking the painstaking processes of coloring, painting, attaching leaves and other details and adding protective coatings. Through it all, DeMott says his decision to branch out and create his own, truly unique pieces has been liberating. “It made it fun again for me, and it opened up the creative door,” DeMott says. Art on a Whim will be hosting DeMott himself during shows of his work at its galleries in Vail and Breckenridge Jan. 25-31. To truly appreciate this artist’s work, he and Raitman both suggest seeing it personally, up close. — stephen lloyd wood
– 27 WINTER 2016
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CL AGGE T T / R E Y GA LLERY 100 east meadow drive, no. 7 | vail • 970.476.9350 • claggettrey.com featuring Walt Gonske
I – 28 WINTER 2016
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n the beginning, Walt Gonske had dreams of becoming an illustrator. As a boy he copied comic strip characters and admired talented illustrators who worked in New York. Gonske, who was raised in New Jersey, was a “city boy.” He studied at the Reilly School of Art in Manhattan where he received a strong foundation in drawing and painting and, for five years, was a men’s fashion illustrator. It was a trip to New Mexico that changed Gonske’s life. The gallery scene here was different than that in New York. The Taos and Sante Fe galleries were filled with landscape painting and other representational art. It was an eye opener to Gonske. As he once told Southwest Art writer, Gussie Fauntleroy, “I thought, maybe I could move out there and paint landscapes and maybe even sell some and make a living – wouldn’t that be terrific?” Upon returning to New York, Gonske created some watercolors of northern New Mexico scenes and sent one to his sister who lived in Albuquerque who, in turn, approached a gallery that took the paintings on consignment. He received $66 for his first sale. Gonske remembers it as being shocking. He had received his “fine-art” check. And, so it was. In 1972, at the age of 29, Gonske took the plunge, moved to Taos, New Mexico and in 1979, bought two acres just north of Taos, where he still lives, with his colorful garden serving as a workshop setting for other artists and instructors to bring students to paint en plein air. Gonske considers his painting more than just his passion. “It’s a healthy addiction, “ he says. “I just know that if I’m away from painting
“Up On Fall Creek Telluride” by Walt Gonske, 36” by 24”, oil on canvas
for a week or so, an internal alarm goes off and I need to get back to it.” When not in his study, Gonske takes off in his paintmobile which is always stocked and ready to go. He travels down back roads taking photos of old stucco buildings, churches, perhaps a graveyard, mountain streams, a field of flowers – anything to which he is drawn. “How many paintings, over the years, would not have gotten done without it?” Gonske asks. It’s just fabulous. I love the thing.” “Emotion, color and texture best describe a Walt Gonske painting,” says Bill Rey, co-owner of the Claggett/Rey Gallery. “Walt has a sophisticated creativity with a passion for the chosen subject, whether it is New Mexico, Greece, Spain, his garden, a still life or a nude. The subject becomes secondary to the creative process.
“Walt speaks his creative truth in each finished work. There are no gimmicks, formulas or smoke and mirrors here, just pure creativity, energy, color, emotion and, of course, drawing. He will not go back and work on a painting once it is finished on location. He lets that spoken truth stand on its own for all to see.” Putting the brakes on one’s mind, getting rid of the incessant chatter and letting go to allow the creative process to come through is always a challenge for any artist. Gonske considers it to be a mind-shift allowing the “unknowable” to spring forth. “Of all the artists I have ever known, over the years,“ concludes Rey, “Walt’s work is the one that artists will look at, then shake their heads, wishing they, too, had the confidence to work with such freedom. He is an American Master with an amazing gift.” – by brenda himelfarb
– 29 “Coal Creek Above Crested Butte”, by Walk Gonske, 16” by 20”, oil on canvas
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“On the Hondo Seco Road”, by Walk Gonske, 28” by 30”, oil on canvas
“At The Headwaters”, by Walk Gonske, 36” by 24”, oil on canvas
T HE SQUA SH BLOS SOM 198 gore creek avenue | vail • 970.476.3129 • squashblossom.com featuring Gurhan Orhan
D – 30 WINTER 2016
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istinctive, handcrafted, and beautiful are all things to be found in the jewelry at The Squash Blossom. For over 40 years, The Squash Blossom has been representing world renowned jewelry designers using innovative metals and gemstones. One featured designer, the Turkish-born Gurhan, honed his skills and creativity to become a master goldsmith and jeweler using 24 karat gold. In everything Gurhan does — from tinkering with metals in his mother’s home to working his first job making high-fidelity audio equipment — a keen sense of construction and math, both of which he studied in school, prevails. Ancient inspirations have a recurrent theme in his various lines; the Amulet Collection, for example, is inspired by the mystical power of protection that the Amulet represents, while the Spell Collection references the
charms which are the feature of these designs. Gurhan studied the work of ancient goldsmiths, refining and incorporating many of their techniques and features. In fact, Gurhan even uses modern adaptations of the very tools used thousands of years before. Staying in touch with his roots and the history Turkey offers, Gurhan still has a workshop in Istanbul although he resides in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The award-winning jeweler describes his creative process by finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. “Seemingly insignificant objects, easily overlooked by others, can often form the foundation of a particular design, or even an entire collection,” Gurhan says. He and his wife, Fiona — also his company’s CEO — together travel the world, where he finds “abundant inspiration in the exotic destinations, fascinating cultures and crafts discovered along the way.” However, by his own admission, Gurhan credits his customer as “having the greatest influence in his creative process.” It is with this woman in mind — elegant and sophisticated, with an independent sense of style — that Gurhan’s creative process begins and ends. And it is perhaps the
Guran Orhan
Vail woman Gurhan had in mind when he designed the Lentil Ice necklace, a 24 karat gold piece with white and black diamond “lentils.” “The Squash Blossom woman is a sophisticated client who appreciates the individuality manifest in each of my creations,” Gurhan says. “She would rather own something that she will not see on every other woman in the street, that might have a connection to history and a cultural significance, and something that is as easy to wear on the slopes, as around the fire, or to a fine restaurant.” And he would know as he has hosted several trunk shows at the Vail store. This year his dedicated following will see an entirely new selection that includes exquisite precious stones and unique new designs in both 24k gold and sterling silver combinations. And Gurhan will personally sign each piece purchased on site during the March 18 and 19 show. For more information on the trunk show or any of Gurhan’s pieces, please contact The Squash Blossom at 970.476.3129 or visit the website: www.squashblossom.com. — by laura bell
Gurhan 24 karat gold and gemstone necklace
Gurhan personal appearance at the Squash Blossom march 18 & 19 2016
– 32 W I N TThe ER
Battle Mountain Trading Post is home to one of the greatest collections of American memorabilia in the Rocky Mountains.
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This fully restored base-burner stove, circa 1890, is just burning for its next owner to convert it to natural gas.
The trading post’s owner, Bill Reis, claims this lifesize sculpture of Marilyn Monroe is not for sale.
BATTLE MOUNTAIN TR ADING POS T 1031 main | minturn 970-827-4191 • battlemountaintrading.com featuring Bill Reis
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riving through Minturn on the south end of Main Street, who’d expect an art gallery, car museum and collector’s paradise behind that funky old former gas station with a massive bronze statue of a monarch elk suspended above the front porch? Yep, that elk — which is for sale, by the way, for just $55,000 — is keeping a watchful eye on a collection of cars that lately includes a fully restored and functional ‘29 Ford dump truck, $17,000; a professionally hot-rodded ’33 Ford show car, $45,000; and a ’55 Cadillac, $13,500, among others. If that’s not enough to perk your interest, step inside to peruse one of the greatest collections of American memorabilia in the Rocky Mountains. It won’t take long to realize the Battle Mountain Trading Post — which underwent a complete restoration itself in 2015 — is an impressive gallery for some very fine art by some very respectable artists, too. And, behind the counter, as he has been since 1978, is Bill Reis, performing his duties as owner, manager, trader, collector and curator with a list of customers and “clients” that includes some of the biggest movers and shakers ever to visit the Vail Valley. “People tell me this place is like that show on A&E, “American Pickers,” but on steroids,” Reis jokes as he gingerly steps through and around dozens of items carefully placed throughout the establishment’s three main rooms, the surrounding walls and tables adorned with paintings, rugs, signs, hunting trophies, antique mirrors and one-of-a-kind lamps,
glass cases displaying vast collections of knives, antique weapons, jewelry and myriad other things. “I’ve really just got to sell some of this stuff, I guess,” Reis says. “Trouble is, I keep acquiring. “Just about everything’s for sale, and we do take credit cards,” he adds — except for the life-size sculpture of Marilyn Monroe caught in that famous, wind-up-the-dress moment. “No, she’s not available. Usually, if something’s ‘not for sale,’ it’s really going to cost you.” Best not confuse any of this with junk, for sure, as prices reflect what Reis figures is fair market value. For instance: a flawless Black Forest grandfather clock, $35,000; a “real fancy” Wehrle Model 100 base-burner stove, circa 1890, fully restored, re-plated in shiny nickel silver and just burning for its next owner to convert it to natural gas, $13,500; an antique barber’s chair from the 1920s, $5,000; British suit of armor, $4,000; and perhaps the largest collection of neon signs this side of the Mississippi, ranging from $150 to $750. Fun and games aside, Reis carefully points out impressive artworks amid the clutter, too, by a handful of Western masters whom he prefers to represent on a regular basis. There’s San Luis Valley-based sculptor, painter and scratchboard-on-Claybord artist Charles Ewing, with several works on display, including two nudes, “Back of Shadows,” $2,500, and “Inner Reactions of Form,” $6,200, as well as an impressive oil-on-canvas, “Kin
to the Wind,” $18,000; New Mexico’s Gerald Farm, with a touching oilon-canvas, “A Free Puppy,” $4,500; and Southern Colorado sculptor Jim Gilmore, who crafted not only that elk out front but smaller, tabletop-sized, limited-edition bronze statues, including “Buffalo Trails,” $3,800, “Too Tired to Fish,” $2,950, and “Extreme Fishing, $3,200. “I want people to know there’s still an art gallery in Minturn,” Reis says, lamenting the arrival and departure of others in town over the years. “These artists would get lost in other, bigger galleries up in Vail or Beaver Creek.” Having found he loves his work too much to retire, Reis still loves sharing his favorite winter hobby — gazing through a powerful pair of WWII British Army binoculars mounted on a tripod out front, aimed up at the towering Minturn Cliffs, home to one of the larger elk herds in Eagle County. “People come here to ski. They don’t expect to see elk grazing on the mountain,” he says, adding the elk will be the subject of spot ads on a local radio station this winter. “Stay tuned to KZYR for my ‘elk alerts.’ It’s a real treat.” — by stephen lloyd wood
– 33 WINTER 2016
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GR ANIT E L ANDS C AP E Rememb er ing Jesús Moroles a n d his wor k B y Mol l y E p p a r d :: Tow n of Vail , A r t in P u blic P l a ces C oordinator
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of the United States. This is the highest award given to artists he legacy of world-renowned sculptor Jesús and arts patrons by the United States Government. In 2011, he Moroles lives on in Vail following his untimely death was the recipient of the Texas State Visual Artist 3D of the Year. in a car accident earlier this year. Moroles’ “Granite Landscape” in Vail’s Ford Park has become a favorite His work is included in many major private, corporate, in the Town’s public art collection. The installation has served public and museum collections throughout the world. More as an intimate gathering place for Bravo! pre-concert talks, than 300 of his works have been celebrated in museum and Vail Performing Arts Academy performances, yoga classes gallery exhibitions worldwide, and 2,000 are in collections and even weddings. The public has embraced and become throughout Asia, Europe, Mexico, North America, and the stewards of the art, which was something dear to the artist. Middle East. Moroles recently completed his largest granite The son of Mexican immigrants, plaza to date in China at the Shanghai Moroles was born in Corpus Christi, Zizhu Science-based Industrial Park. Texas, in 1950. He was enrolled in art Moroles created a sense of classes as a young boy and received atmosphere and space with “Granite his first commissions by the time he Landscape.” One can wander was 13 years old. After enlisting in the through the installation and peer U.S. Air Force for four years of service, through the pillars to the Gore Creek Moroles graduated from North Texas or, likewise, sit upon a bench and — State University with a Bachelor of Fine gaze at the majestic Gore range. Arts degree in 1978. He apprenticed for “I really like the new placement of the S E P T E M B E R 22 , 1950 a year with the sculptor Luis Jimenez granite plaza, the setting in nature, river – J U N E 15, 2015 and the following year he spent workand mountains is a perfect surrounding. ing in Carrara, Italy. In 1983, Moroles It captures a feeling that the “Granite opened his studio in Rockport, Texas. Landscape” has always belonged there,” The massive working studio encompassed three city blocks explained Moroles when the sculpture was relocated in 2011. of this Gulf Coast town and was a family-run operation. The three free-standing sculptures are titled “Strata,” “The Fang” and “Gore Creek.” The tallest sculptural element Moroles’ achievement and recognition in the arts is standing at more than eleven feet tall, “Strata” represents immense. He continued to garner major recognition for his the valley’s geological rock formations in its roughly hewn, work since “Granite Landscape” was originally acquired by horizontally patterned texture and uppermost section. the Town of Vail in 1998 for placement at the top of Bridge “The Fang,” an East Vail winter ice climbing attraction Street. Most notably in 2008, he was selected by the National and a popular summer waterfall, is represented in the Endowment for the Arts to be a recipient of the National Medal of Arts Award, which was presented to him by the President contrasting, highly polished arc versus the natural, rocky
Jesús Moroles
“My work is a discussion of how man exists in nature and touches nature and uses nature.” – jesús moroles
– 35 WINTER 2016
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artist Jim Cotter, owner of J. Cotter Studio. “He often told me texture on the sculpture’s opposite side. An interactive, about his family and how important they where to him. He wedge shaped bench portraying a fish is symbolic of the also would talk about the sacred places he loved and how Gore Creek to which “Granite Landscape” is now adjacent. Combining both the polished and coarse textures of granite, they influenced his art. We always joked and tried to enjoy each and every moment in life. Jesús the beauty of this robust material is was never at a loss for words or ideas revealed. Showing the pristine elegance and truly loved every piece of art he as represented in the “Gore Creek’s” “He also would talk made. I will forever miss my friend.” highly-polished finish or the rugged about the sacred places Cotter and Moroles first met through a permanence in the more rough textures, he loved and how they mutual friend in the early 1980s in Santa Fe there is a direct hands-on approach by while Cotter was exhibiting his own work. Moroles. With state-of-the-art tools, and influenced his art. ... It was not long after that he started to rephis bare hands, Moroles has the ability Jesús was never at a resent Moroles in his Vail Valley galleries. to transform this hardest natural stone. loss for words or ideas Moroles’ “Granite Landscape” is an Every mark is thoughtful and intentional. exemplary installation in the town’s “My work is a discussion of how man and truly loved every public art collection and will continue exists in nature and touches nature and piece of art he made.” to be enjoyed by many for years to uses nature. Each of my pieces has about come. Not only a gathering place, but 50 percent of its surfaces untouched – jim cotter its connection and harmony with the and raw — those are parts of the stone earth and its natural surroundings create that were torn. The rest of the work is a sanctuary where his memory will continue to flourish. smoothed and polished. The effect, which I want people to The Town of Vail is honored to have worked with such a not only look at but touch, is a harmonious coexistence of talented artist and patient gentleman with the acquisition the two,” Moroles says. and re-installation of “Granite Landscape” in Ford Park. “Jesús was a great friend and amazing artist,” adds local
THE NINTH ANNUAL
VAIL WINTERFEST ICE THEATER
PRESENTED WITH TRIUMPH PARTNERS
Premieres Wednesday, December 23 until the ice melts
Gore Creek Promenade, Vail Village The coolest outdoor ice theater lounge returns this winter season. Relax in oversized ice chairs along the scenic Gore Creek during the day. Watch videos including ski & mountain films, as well as holiday cartoons on a 10 foot screen made of ice at dusk. This is a complimentary event for all ages!
PRESENTED WITH
For more information: artinvail.com | 970.479.2344
art e xhibitions
February 12 Walt Gonske
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March 30 & 31 Anton Arkhipov
38 WINTER 2016
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december 5-january 5 Rebecca Overmann Fine jewelry Trunk show Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
december 18-january 10 Chris Lundy Layered resin with dimension on panel Art on a Whim, Vail artonawhim.com 970.476.4883
december 5-january 5 Nina Nguyen Fine jewelry Trunk show Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
december 22&23 Todd Reed Fine jewelry Trunk show The Squash Blossom, Vail squashblossom.com 970.476-3129
december 5-january 10 ARA Collection Fine jewelry Trunk show Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
december 26 Dan Deuter Oil painting Art show and live painting Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
december 18-24 Koji Handmade custom jewelry Karats, Vail karatsvail.com 970-476-4760
december 26-29 Carol Tyler Handmade custom jewelry Karats, Vail karatsvail.com 970-476-4760
december 26-31 Holiday Gala New works from all artists Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail claggetrey.com 970.476.9350 december 28 & 29 Ingrid Dee Magidson Figurative surrealism Galerie Züger, Vail galeriezugervail.com 970.476.5619 december 29 & 30 Britten Exploring new dimensions 4-8 p.m. C. Anthony Gallery, Beaver Creek canthony.gallery 970.845.8645 december 29 & 30 DeVon Pop iconography Masters Gallery, Vail mastersgalleryvail.com 970.477.0600
december 30 Ron Hicks Oil-on-canvas paintings 4-6 p.m. Vail International Gallery, Vail vailgallery.com 970.476.2525 january 2 Houston Llew Molten glass-oncopper sculpture Art on a Whim, Vail artonawhim.com 970.476.4883 january 16 & 17 Anke Schofield Figurative surrealism; abstract realism Galerie Züger, Vail galeriezugervail.com 970.476.5619 january 21 & 22 Eric Wallis Colorado snowscapes 4-8 p.m. Masters Gallery, Vail mastersgalleryvail.com 970.477.0600
March 18 & 19 Gurhan Orhan December 28 & 29 Ingrid Dee Magidson
– 39 WINTER
february 6 Kristin Knight Western realism Masters Gallery, Vail mastersgalleryvail.com 970.477.0600 february 12 Walt Gonske The New Spirit of Old Santa Fe Oil paintings Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail claggetrey.com 970.476.9350 february 12 & 13 Ray Phillips Abstract surrealism Galerie Züger, Vail galeriezugervail.com 970.476.5619 february 12 & 13 James Jensen Abstract realism; pop art Masters Gallery, Vail mastersgalleryvail.com 970.477.0600
february 12 & 13 Anton Arkhipov Wine, love & sports Mixed-media painting & sculpture 4-8 p.m. C. Anthony Gallery, Beaver Creek canthony.gallery 970.845.8645 february 26-28 Sarah Graham Fine jewelry Trunk show and personal appearance The Squash Blossom, Vail squashblossom.com 970.476-3129 march 4 & 5 Annie Fensterstock Fine jewelry Trunk show Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
march 4 & 5 Britten Abstract landscapes Galerie Züger, Vail galeriezugervail.com 970.476.5619 march 4 & 5 Chula Beauregard Oil painting Art show and reception Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769 march 10 & 11 James Jensen Abstract assemblages 4-8 p.m. C. Anthony Gallery, Beaver Creek canthony.gallery 970.845.8645 march 11 & 12 James Moore Metal and mixedmedia sculpture Art show and reception Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769
march 11-13 Todd Reed Fine jewelry Trunk show The Squash Blossom, Vail squashblossom.com 970.476-3129 march 18 & 19 Gurhan Orhan Fine jewelry Personal appearance The Squash Blossom, Vail squashblossom.com 970.476-3129 march 18 & 19 Alex Gramm Mixed media Art show and reception Cogswell Gallery, Vail cogswellgallery.com 970.476.1769 march 30 & 31 Anton Arkhipov Surreal realism Masters Gallery, Vail mastersgalleryvail.com 970.477.0600
2016
–
artifac t s
There are technically five separate versions of Expressionist artist Edvard Munch’s most famous work,
The Scream.
The small town depicted in Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is Saint-Rémyde-Provence in the south of France. He painted it while he was a patient at the local psychiatric hospital, where there is now a wing named after him.
NICOL A S SCHÖFFER IS KNOWN A S
There are more than
70,000
objects in the Denver Art Museum’s collection. Roughly
10 percent
T H E “ FAT H E R O F
MODE R N
C Y B E R N E T I C A R T.”
A R T S PA N S
is on display at any given time.
F R OM T HE
THE MODEL S FOR
IMP R E S S IONI S T Robert Irwin’s garden at the Getty Center is a mazelike configuration of plants, stone and water. He calls it “a sculpture in the form of a garden aspiring to be art.”
Color photography was introduced in the 1930s.
“AMERICAN GOTHIC” INCLUDED HIS
P E R IOD
SISTER, WE ARING HIS MOTHER’S
UN T IL T HE
1970 S
GRANT WOOD’S
APRON AND PIN, AND HIS 62-YE AR-
.
OLD DENTIST.
“ I DON ’ T WA N T P IC T UR E S . I JU S T WA N T T O F IND T HING S OU T.”~P IE T MONDR I A N
ART
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