Realism seems like a straightforward enough notion, but, in reality, it can be a thorny proposition.
Take “REALationships: Works of Surreal Inspiration,” an exhibition running through March 11 at the Foothills Art Center in Golden. It brings together works by 12 area artists who it says “stretch the realm of realism.”
As seemingly simple as that assertion might appear at first, it raises immediate questions. If some of these artists see themselves in that light, others would probably bristle at being put under the heading of realism, however representational their style might be.
And if all of them are stretching realism, an obvious question is: How? The show’s curator, Michael Chavez, never provides much of an answer other than vaguely pointing to the varied, allegedly surreal ways the paintings deal with relationships.
A bigger knock against this show is that Chavez never explains why he picked these artists and not others, such as Stefan Kleinschuster, Julie Puma or Mary Connelly. And it certainly isn’t clear from the selections themselves, which do not form an obvious, logical whole and vary in quality.
Why, for example, were the two charcoal drawings by Peter Illig of Denver included? While the scale of the two works is impressive (“Communication” is nearly 8 feet in length), their execution is clumsy, especially compared to the other works in this offering. Somebody needs to undertake an in-depth look at the region’s strong group of representational artists, laying out a qualitative hierarchy and identifying the overarching themes and approaches that run through them. Unfortunately, “REALationships” is not that exhibition.
That said, the strength of many of the show’s selections still make a visit worthwhile. If one were to award a prize of best of show, it would arguably go to “Mom and Dad” by Frank O’Neill, a Denver artist who is underappreciated in part because he shows only sporadically.
For this quirky, engrossing oil on canvas, which measures about 6 by 5 1/2 feet, O’Neill employs a detached, mannerist approach. He uses a compressed perspective, with the viewer looking across the top of a television at his parents sitting side by side on a leopard- patterned sofa.
An antenna jutting at an angle from the top of the television becomes a key compositional device, breaking the otherwise dominant symmetry. Rounding out the work is a cloudy gray background that is so virtuosically realized that it could be an abstract work on its own.
Offering virtuosity of another kind are three graphite drawings by Bill Amundson of Denver, which combine impeccable draftsmanship with an amazingly fertile imagination and wit. A prime example is “2006,” a mazelike, fanciful depiction of the myriad thoughts running through the head of a depicted figure in a year, everything from “Fox News” to “nap time.”
Also deserving note are the collaborative paintings of Wes Hempel and Jack Balas of Berthoud; a wall of 24 somber, sepia-toned portraits of prostitution johns by Lucong of Denver; and the highly realistic and playfully surrealistic still lifes of Scott Fraser of Longmont.
The most original and creative part of “REALationships” is a gallery devoted to nine original prints realized at Denver’s Open Press by nine of the participating artists especially for this exhibition.
The images were created using a technique known as “corps exquis (exquisite corpse),” in which several artists contribute to a work of art without seeing what the others have done. The popular device was invented in the early 20th century by famed surrealist André Breton.
Works made in this fashion almost magically result in unexpectedly poetic and cohesive associations. That is the case with these three-section prints that all succeed as total compositions and display surprising sides of some of the artists involved.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
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“REALationships: Works of Surreal Inspiration”
ART EXHIBIT|Representational works by a dozen Colorado and Wyoming artists|Foothills Art Center, 809 15th St., Golden|$3 general public, $2 seniors and free for students and members|10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; through March 11; Family Free Day, Saturday, children’s activities, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and gallery talk by artists Peter Illig and Riva Sweetrocket, 11 a.m.; 303-279-3922 or foothillsartcenter.org.
