Just like name musicians who occasionally show up unannounced at some tiny venue, so it is that one of Denver’s best-known visual artists is making an unheralded appearance in an unlikely space.
John McEnroe, who was featured in “Embrace!” the Denver Art Museum’s massive installation show in 2009-10, has five new pieces in an exhibition running through Sunday at Pirate: Contemporary Art, 3655 Navajo St.
Nick Silici, who is a member of the venerable artist cooperative, invited McEnroe to exhibit with him, and their minimalist works, which are interspersed in this intimate, airy presentation, prove to be strikingly complementary.
Continuing his belief in better artmaking through chemistry, McEnroe is experimenting with a host of sometimes unlikely materials, including RedGard, a waterproofing substance normally used for tile and stone installation.
Using a notched trowel, he puts it to use in “Roberta Rauschenberg’s Circus,” above, one of three hanging works that blur painting and sculpture. They build on a group of pigmented latex works that he showed at Plus Gallery in 2005.
McEnroe and Silici’s exhibition runs through Sunday. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. today and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 303-458-6058 or .
Kyle MacMillan
