Underground filmmaker. Pop icon. Cultural provocateur. Social commentator. Legendary partyer. Quintessential celebrity.
Andy Warhol was all those things, but most important, he was arguably the most influential artist of the second half of the 20th century.
Before virtually anyone else, he grasped the power of mass media, pop culture and celebrity obsession and realized that art could be manufactured en masse and no longer had to consist only of handcrafted objects made one at a time.
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is spotlighting this groundbeaking and still-controversial artist in “Andy Warhol’s Dream America,” a traveling exhibition running through Dec. 31.
It focuses exclusively on Warhol’s screen prints, with more than 100 examples spanning much of his career. Works in this medium were among the most important facets of his enormous output and influenced everything else he did.
Here is a look at 10 other highlights of the fall visual-arts season in Colorado:
14TH COLORADO INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL POSTER EXHIBITION
Through Oct. 9|Hatton and Curfman galleries, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Despite the development of the Internet and other technologies, the simple poster remains a vital, ever-evolving means of communication and artistic expression. This biennial, which this year features examples by 86 artists from 34 countries, is one of the world’s most important poster showcases.
SELECTED RECENT ACQUISITIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CU ART MUSEUM’S PERMANENT COLLECTION
Through Oct. 21|University of Colorado at Boulder
Although perhaps best known for revolving exhibitions, this university museum also has a surprisingly diverse permanent collection ranging from Japanese Ukiyo-e prints to African sculpture to contemporary drawings. More than 150 highlights of the holding will be on view in all.
RIVERHOUSE EDITIONS: MASTER PRINTS BY 44 ARTISTS
Thursday-Nov. 10|Victoria H. Myhren Gallery, University of Denver
Original prints are a popular focus of several exhibitions this fall, none more important than this wide-ranging look at works created at this noted atelier near Steamboat Springs. In addition, Colorado College’s Coburn Gallery examines 35 years of printmaking at the school in a show running through Nov. 19 and the Sandy Carson Gallery displays a selection through Sept. 24.
SPIRAL JETTY
Sept. 16-Dec. 2|Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood
Few if any works in the latter third of the 20th century have had a more far-reaching impact than Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty,” an earthwork that protrudes into the Great Salt Lake. This exhibition pairs Gianfranco Gorgoni’s photos of its creation in 1970 with recent photographs of the piece.
JACK BALAS AND WES HEMPEL: NEW INDIVIDUAL AND COLLABORATIVE PAINTINGS
Sept. 17-Nov. 5|Robischon Gallery
Balas and Hempel are two of Colorado’s most widely known artists, both with works in collections across the country. That alone would make this exhibition noteworthy, but an added attraction is the highly unusual inclusion of collaborative works begun by one artist and finished by the other.
PLANET COLOMBIA
Oct. 7-Jan. 22|Museo de las Américas
Few countries suffer a worse image problem than Colombia, which is frequently associated with drugs and lawlessness. This exhibition will offer work by four Colombian and three American artists who challenge stereotypes and offer a diversity of takes on this surprisingly complex country.
NEW WORKS BY JESÚS MOROLES
Sept. 23-Oct. 21|Artyard
This Texas sculptor has gained international renown for his chiseled, abstract granite sculptures. This exhibition will take place in conjunction with the Sept. 24 gala opening of the Carol and Don Dickinson Sculpture Garden at the Foothills Art Center. Moroles designed the space in conjunction with Golden landscape architect Susan Saarinen.
TRUSS THRUST: THE ARTIFICE OF SPACE
Oct. 7-Jan. 8|Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver
Organized by director-curator Cydney Payton, this international exhibition brings together three video installations exploring the physicality of body and movement. It will be the first time a work by the Blue Noses Group, a collaboration between Siberian artists Alexander Shaburov and Viacheslav Mizin, will be shown in the United States.
DALE CHISMAN, THE LATE NEW YORK PAINTINGS, SELECTED WORK FROM 1975-1980
Dec. 2-Jan. 14|Rule Gallery
In 2002, the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver showcased five of Colorado’s most accomplished abstract artists, including longtime Denver painter Dale Chisman. This exhibition focuses on a group of nearly forgotten paintings he created and exhibited in New York City.
RICHARD TUTTLE: IT’S A ROOM FOR 3 PEOPLE
Dec. 9-Feb. 5|Aspen Art Museum
Organized by The Drawing Center in New York City, this show offers a new body of work in which this idiosyncratic artist pushes the traditional boundaries of drawing. This offering complements a touring Tuttle retrospective organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
