The word “experimental” in the description of a concert or art exhibit is usually a guaranteed turn-off for all but the most intrepid or knowledgeable patrons.
But Walker Fine Art is apparently not the least put off by the term. The Golden Triangle gallery is trumpeting its exhibition of images by Bonny Pierce Lhotka as “experimental photography.”
Presenting such forward-looking work is a big, and, it should be said, welcome shift for the 3 1/2-year-old space. It has tended toward the safe and saleable – an understandable stance in this still conservative art scene.
To her credit, owner Bobbi Walker is gradually trying to inject a little adventurousness into her offerings while still keeping the gallery accessible and appealing to people with little interest in vanguard contemporary art.
She has struck just the right balance with this both experimental and crowd-pleasing exhibition, which is accompanied by an ambitious, well-designed catalog published for the occasion by the gallery.
Lhotka, who has lived in Boulder since 1972, has impressive credentials as one of the country’s leading innovators in digital photography.
In 1997, she co-organized “Digital Atelier: A Printmaking Studio for the 21st Century” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. And last year, she co-authored the book, “Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials.”
In the 27 works in this exhibition, Lhotka digitally melds photographs and scans of handmade surfaces and then uses an ultraviolet flatbed printer to imprint her often large-format images on such unexpected materials as aluminum, wood and Plexiglas.
The diversity of surfaces produces a surprisingly wide range of effects. The images on aluminum, such as the 49-by-73-inch “Mystic Pond,” look a little like giant enamels, with shiny, saturated colors.
Offering a contrasting feel are the images on birch panel, such as the 60-by-60-inch “Liquid Gold,” which have a matte look, with subdued, almost retiring colors.
The show is aptly titled “Illusions,” because Lhotka almost never offers a straightforward, tangible look at anything. Instead, reflections, glimpses and shadows melt and merge into each other, forming intriguing if always elusive compositions.
An especially striking example is the 37-by-36-inch “Green Street,” which blurs an oddly refracted reflection of a yellow building with a purple-tinted surface to create a slightly disorienting, semi-abstract whole.
Deserving of special mention are Lhotka’s lenticular images, which consist of a series of images placed on different virtual planes. They are seen through a series of frames as the viewer moves by the image, creating a startling three-dimensional effect.
She uses this technique to spectacular effect in four light boxes, which are 5 inches thick but look much deeper. Each of the images – by far the most realistic of the show – depicts groups of brightly colored fish, which look like they are suspended in a frozen aquarium.
These technological tours de force and rest of Lhotka digital imagery prove that “experimental” doesn’t have to be a bad word.
On view concurrently are abstract steel sculptures by Christopher Oar.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
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COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHY Gallery Sink, 2301 W. 30th Ave., spotlights six modern Colorado photographers, including Walter Chappell and Winter Prather, through Feb. 12. An opening reception is set for 6-10 tonight. 303-455-5601 or gallerysink.com.
THREE ARTISTS As its last hurrah, the soon-to-close Studio Aiello, 3563 Walnut St., is presenting three concurrent solo exhibitions through Dec. 30, including ones featuring recognized Denver artists Jerry Allen Gilmore and Julie Puma. 303-297-8166 or studioaiello.com.
ANNE CONNELL The mysterious, mixed-media works by Oregon artist Anne Connell are centerstage at the Robischon Gallery, 1740 Wazee St., through Dec. 31. 303-298-7788 or robischongallery.com.
-Kyle MacMillan
