A Conscious Surrender | Denver Exhibition

A conscious surrender may appear as an anomaly, however in certain forms of art, especially of the abstract nature, the notion is almost necessity. To genuinely surrender opens up a dialogue with the blank canvas; allowing colors, forms & meandering lines to take the place of thoughts, a wordless narrative creates a visual dance. This group exhibition displays artists who have stopped struggling for a certain outcome, and have allowed their subconscious to be the driving force behind their final result.

“It is when I have completely switched off my will that my body and my nerves, my subconscious self, know best when and where to let the sand fall" - André Masson

Through the use of graphic patterning, dense detail and expansive compositions, ANNA CHARNEY creates a sensational and retinal experience for the viewer. Interested in optical art and systems of illusions, Charney’s paintings consist of many flowing and bending forms, primarily made up of enlarged halftone and ben-day dot patterns. Printmaking is referenced in her use of these patterns, which helps to create the illusion of a printed image on a micro scale.

BEN STRAWN’s paintings are of a style that is referred to as abstract, but that is not completely accurate. They are not abstracted from some idea or form; not consciously and deductively planned and executed. Instead, they develop, they evolve, they are dialogues with living at a particular moment – color, forms, and meanderings of lines that take the place of words. Ben’s work is not abstract in the sense of being minimalist or without content, each piece is a diagram and reflection of his consciousness.

With the subconscious as her guide, SARA PITTMAN’s work focuses on creating over-scale, balanced compositions that derive from a constant exchange between her repressed state of mind and her conscious self: a balance between loose and controlled movement, pockets of detail with the use of negative space, and the tension of bold and soft color. A wordless narrative evolves through the thin, transparent layers of paint and mark-making, evoking a sense of mood and mystery between what the viewer sees as the foreground and what their eyes see overlying it.

Colorado artist DEIDRE ADAMS uses her personal visual language of dots, lines, circles, and other markings to create complex surfaces with densely layered markings that reference a literal and figurative passage of time. While the work itself is completely abstract, calligraphic markings allude to language, and other markings are evocative of biological, physical, and cosmic processes.

CAROL BROWNINGS' art explores the lure, mystery and beauty of nature. Her work is a journey of self-discovery, an observation of the rhythm, patterns and vibrant colors of the natural landscape. Natures' eb and flow and contrasting elements inspire her to create that visual dance on canvas.

DAVID MAZZA pursues the balance of line and form through abstract representation in metal rod and tube, exploring dimensional aspects in space. He draws his inspiration from a form of elegance with a sense of danger to it. In just a few short years, Mazza has established himself as a serious contender in the field of abstract sculpture, with several awards and notable installations, including the Kirkland Museum of Fine Arts in Colorado, and multiple showings in the four corners region.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, July 13, 2018, 5-9 pm at the gallery in the Prado building on 11th & Cherokee Streets in Denver’s Golden Triangle Museum District. The reception is free and open to the public, and the artists will be in attendance.

The exhibition is on view through Saturday, September 8, 2018 during regular gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm, or by appointment. For further information call 303-355-8955, or visit: www.walkerfineart.com.

Walker Fine Art is a member of the Golden Triangle Museum District and the Denver Art Dealers Association.

The gallery is located just blocks from the Denver Art Museum in the Prado building on 11th Avenue and Cherokee Street (entrance on Cherokee).