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Elle Welch, 720-913-0079
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Showing Off Highlights Recent Modern and Contemporary Acquisitions
Contemporary American Indian artist Virgil Ortiz presents Revolt 1680/2180 in conjunction
with the new presentation
DENVER – May 7, 2015 –Showing Off: Recent Modern and Contemporary Acquisitions, a new installation of
modern and contemporary art, opens May 17 at the Denver Art Museum (DAM). The presentation features
gifts, promised gifts and works that the DAM has purchased over the last seven years. Showing Off includes
the first-ever, complete presentation of the Revolt series by internationally renowned fashion designer,
ceramicist and graphic artist Virgil Ortiz. Revolt 1680/2180: Virgil Ortiz is the next feature in the DAM’s
ongoing initiative to present new work by contemporary American Indian artists.
Showing Off spans level four of the Hamilton Building and consists of 53
works by artists Nick Cave, Leonardo Drew, Eric Fischl, Ben Jackel, Sol
LeWitt, Agnes Martin, John McEnroe, Julian Opie, Nam June Paik,
Shinique Smith, Stacey Steers and Mark Wallinger, among others. This
installation includes approximately 25 works that have not previously
been on view at the DAM.
A prominent piece in the rotation is a monumental wood halberd titled
Pay Attention by Colorado native Ben Jackel. Jackel is storming the art
world with an arsenal of weapons crafted from clay and wood. Agnes
Martin’s White Rose painting, made of acrylic paint and graphite, is
another important piece in the rotation and represents one of the finest
examples of this well-known abstract artist’s work. The painting is a
recent addition to the DAM’s permanent collection.
“Our permanent collection serves as a primary artery to spark and
inspire ideas for the next big show,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick
and Jan Mayer Director at the DAM. “Our modern and contemporary
collection continues to strategically grow and shape its identity. It reflects
who and where we are now and tells future generations about us. I’m
delighted to have the museum showcase the breadth of our latest and
promised acquisitions.” Man viewing Ben Jackel’s Pay Attention,
2012. Pine wood and graphite; 162 x 64 x 11
in. © Ben Jackel.
Rev
volt 1680/218
80: Virgil Ortiiz, a primaryy feature of S
Showing Off, highlights
31 figurative
f
cerramic sculptu
ures, 23 of w
which are pro
omised gifts, and uses
conttemporary art
a to blend historic eve
ents with futturistic elements. The
exhiibition is set against Ame
erican Indian artist Virgil O
Ortiz’s graph
hic murals,
inviting visitors to immerse themselvess in a storyliine that Ortiiz created
ut survival, self-determina
ation and em
mpowerment.. The story b
begins with
abou
the historic Pueb
blo Revolt o
of 1680 and ends in a fu
uturistic revolt in 2180.
n this exhibittion have be
Altho
ough individual groups in
een publicly displayed,
this is the first ex
xhibition to e
encompass th
he entire Revvolt series. C
Curated by
John
n Lukavic, as
ssociate cura
ator of native
e arts, Revo
olt is part of tthe DAM’s
initia
ative to recog
gnize contem
mporary Ame
erican Indian artists.
V
Virgil Ortiz, Velocity
y, 2011. Clay, slip, and wild
sspinach paint. Pro
omised gift from Vicki
V
and
K
Kent Logan to the collection of the Denver Art
M
Museum. © Virgil Ortiz.
O
“Ortiz is an Am
merican Indiian artist w
who fuses a
age-old mate
erials and
tech
hniques with contempora
ary and futurristic imageryy,” said John
n Lukavic,
asso
ociate curato
or of native arts at DA
AM. “By sharring the enttire Revolt
series, we hope
e visitors will walk away knowing mo
ore about an important
an history an
nd with an a
appreciation for figurative
e art. This
partt of America
exhibition is an extension o
of our commitment to fea
ature Americcan Indian
sts who activ
vely engage in today’s vib
brant and divverse art worlld.”
artis
“T
The Pueblo Revolt of 16
680 is a rea
al incident th
hat happene
ed in Americcan history a
and is not to
old in any
m
mainstream school history
y books,” said
d Virgil Ortiz. “Using trad
ditional metho
ods and matterials of clayy ceramics
fu
used with a modern
m
twistt allows me to share an important pa
art of historyy, all while e
exposing visittors to my
viision of the Revolt
R
series and my herittage.”
Figures in Revolt, such as
s Velocity (20
012), Steu an
nd Cuda (20
014) and Aerronaut—Cud
da (2015), de
emonstrate
O
Ortiz’s mastery of clay, while
w
his co
omplex and intricate line
e work spea
aks of a stylle all his ow
wn. Revolt
1680/2180: Virgil
V
Ortiz is on
o view May
y 17, 2015 th
hrough Jan. 10, 2016. Th
he exhibition is included in general
ad
dmission. An
n exhibition catalog
c
will be
e available in
n The Shops and online in May 2015..
S
Showing Off:: Recent Mo
odern and Contempora
ary Acquisitio
ions and Re
evolt 1680/2
2180: Virgil Ortiz are
orrganized by the Denver Art
A Museum. The exhib
bitions are pre
resented with
h generous ssupport from Vicki and
K
Kent Logan, the donors to
o the Annual Fund Leade
ership Campa
aign and the citizens who
o support the
e Scientific
an
F
District (SCFD). Promotiona
al support is provided byy 5280 Maga
azine, CBS4,, Comcast
nd Cultural Facilities
S
Spotlight and The Denver Post.
M
Media Resou
urces
O
Online Newsrroom: www.d
denverartmus
seum.org/pre
ess
Facebook: ww
ww.facebook
k.com/denverrartmuseum
Tw
witter: www.ttwitter.com/d
denverartmus
seum
In
nstagram: ww
ww.instagram
m.com/denve
erartmuseum
m/
The Denver Art
A Museum is an educa
ational, nonprrofit resource
e that sparkss creative thinking and e
expression
th
hrough transfformative ex
xperiences with
w art. Its ho
oldings reflecct the city an
nd region—a
and provide invaluable
w
ways for the community
c
to learn abou
ut cultures frrom around tthe world. M
Metro citizenss support the
e Scientific
an
nd Cultural Facilities Dis
strict (SCFD
D), a unique funding sou
urce serving
g hundreds o
of metro De
enver arts,
cu
ulture and scientific organizatio
ons. For museum information, call 720
0-865-5000 or visit
w
www.denvera
artmuseum.org.
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