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Joshua Abelow with his Call Me Abstract (Self Portrait at Age 36) grouping.

Joshua Abelow is a Maryland-born, New York-based artist who is represented by James Fuentes Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Curating is an extension of his practice, and he has not only created spaces for himself to work and exhibit, but spaces that open doors to many other artists as well. Currently living in a defunct church in Harris, (a small town about two-hours drive north-west of Manhattan) Joshua has made a studio-living space for himself, as well as “Freddy,” his curatorial project space to exist in a permanent manner. Abelow received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. We were fortunate to have his company last week for an event at Dikeou Collection and show him what the Front Range is all about.

Wednesday, May 25

Joshua Abelow calling himself in front of his Call Me Abstract (Self Portrait at Age 36) grouping.

After picking up Joshua from Denver International Airport, pointing out Luis Jiménez’ great blue mustang and all of the peaks visible from I-70, Dikeou Collection Director Hayley Richardson, Joshua and I went to eat a late-afternoon lunch in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood. Being a little nervous and only having one very tight parking space available, I was unable to parallel park, extending the time between parking and eating. Joshua promptly offered to park my car for me and in the most graceful fashion, swooping my car into this tiny space and expediting the relief of our hunger pains all while impressing us with his fine use of angles.

As this trip was Joshua’s first time to Colorado, we had to begin the sightseeing close to home and showed him around the Dikeou Collection, with the tour culminating within the room that houses his grouping of oil on burlap canvases, Call Me Abstract (Self Portrait at Age 36).

Thursday, May 26

Conversation at Dikeou Collection.

Joshua and Hayley kick off the conversation.

At noon, Hayley, Joshua and I all met at the Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax. Showing Joshua around the space, we talked about his fellow Fuentes Gallery artist Lizzi Bougatsos’ work featured in the space, as well as works by Sarah Staton, Rainer Ganahl, Anicka Yi, and Devon Dikeou. After learning more about Joshua’s written work, we headed to Cap City Grill for a quick bite before going to Denver’s unique Clyfford Still Museum. After falling for Clyfford’s work all over again, we brought Joshua back to Devon’s loft for a brief rest before the event later that night.

On the way to the loft, Joshua says, “Wait! Pull over really quick!” As it turns out, he spotted fellow New York Fuentes artist Jonathan Allmaier and his wife and artist Maria Walker. Pulling the car over there was a lot of “Oh my god” and “What are you doing here” exchanged. Sitting in the middle of the street with my hazards blinking and cars patiently waiting behind me, I realize how small the U.S. art community is. Two people represented by a gallery with 19 artists on its roster can run into each other 1,800 miles away. Later in the evening, Jonathan and Maria joined us for the conversation and experience the collection.

We prepped for the event - put out food, set up chairs, mics, the whole sha-bang - and soon enough it was 6:30pm and time to let people into the collection. After mingling with Denver artists, curators, students, and app developers, the event began. The conversation covered so much of Joshua’s work, from his “art blog art blog” to his gallery spaces and of course his paintings, drawings and well maintained practice. For me, the most interesting topic was the documentation of his art blog. This documentation manifested as an independent art object, which included a flash drive, clever packaging and the ingenuity of creating a commodity object around a blog as something that is typically open and available to the public.

During the Q/A session a really great question was asked about an artist’s existence in social media and whether or not it is a requirement to be seen adequately in the art world. Joshua, running a long-running art blog and having a heavy Instagram presence, is a great artist to discuss this subject as he literally created an art object out of his social-media presence. His answer to this young woman’s question was that it helps an artist get more viewership of their work but it can also be self-deprecating. Because of his first hand experience with this dichotomy, he references this self-deprecation a lot in his work.

Installation view of Abelow’s Running Witch series.

Focus in the conversation was also drawn to Joshua’s Freddy character. Freddy takes the form of a running witch in most of Joshua’s current works. He explains his interest in Freddy as an idea that something can exist in your dreams and also pervade your everyday life, much like the internet and social media. Freddy is also a play on words for his hometown Frederick, a joke he and his sister share. There is a sort of magic in merging various times, spaces and realities which painting can do through existing in the gallery space, the internet, and digitally. This transitory magic also carries symbolism and metaphor, and he refers to its importance not only in the art world, but specifically painting.

Friday, May 27

Dikeou Collection Director Hayley Richardson and Joshua in a cabin up at Lake Echo.

Joshua in the renovated Georgetown schoolhouse.

As a reward for our successful evening, we decided to treat ourselves with a day in the Rockies. Our first destination was Red Rocks Amphitheater in the foothills of Morrison, Colorado. Once we parked and approached the entrance, we were told that one of the most unique music venues in the world is closed early for a concert… Our next attempt was Mt. Evans, which has an elevation of 14,265 feet (AKA a “fourteener), one of the few that is driveable to its summit. Again, we got about halfway up the mountain before closed gates informed us that the road was not yet accessible. Undeterred, we strolled around Echo Lake near the base of Mt. Evans, getting our altitude bearings before going back on I-70 and hitting Georgetown. By the time we reached Georgetown, the clouds parted and allowed for a nice walk around its historic neighborhood. It wasn’t long until we stumbled into a recently renovated schoolhouse which now serves as a cultural center for the town. Returning the building to its former glory, this remodel created a similar space to Joshua’s church, allowing for a cultural hub in a rural town. After meandering through Georgetown’s historic neighborhood, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the late-nineteenth century houses, we returned to Denver, stopping through Golden to catch a whiff of the classic Coors scented hops in the air.

Saturday, May 28

Rockies game selfie. From left to right me (Madeliene), Denver Artist Derrick Velasquez, Hayley and Joshua.

Hayley and Joshua with Dinger at Coors field.

Joshua killing us at pool.

Good ole family fun was the theme of the day with pizza, baseball and pool. The Denver Rockies were sadly defeated by the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field, but it was still a perfect day to relax outdoors and enjoy America’s pastime. We later meandered to El Chapultepec, a nearby bar and Joshua proved to be quite the pool shark. Whether expressed through his art, parallel parking, or pool skills, Joshua knows his angles.

We would like to extend much gratitude to Joshua Abelow for coming to Denver and being a wonderful guest and, despite the altitude, accompanying us for a much-needed retreat to the mountains. Next time we hope he brings his adorable dog Georgia along for the journey.

Additionally we would like to thank Veronica Straight-Lingo for featuring Joshua Abelow and Hayley Richardson’s conversation on KGNU’s Metro Arts broadcast last Friday. The clip can be found here: http://www.kgnu.org/metroarts/5/27/2016. The segment on the Dikeou Collection and Joshua Abelow begins at 15:16.

Joshua’s website can be found here: http://www.joshuaabelow.com/

Come join us for more events this month!

Saturday, June 4 - Family Saturday Workshop: Paul Ramirez Jonas Sound Art Workshop at Dikeou Collection, 12-4pm

Thursday, June 16 - Video Dialogue: Rainer Ganahl at Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax, 7-9pm

Friday, June 24 - Fresh Jazz & Crisp Vinyl Series with Paramitcha at Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax, 7-10pm

-Madeliene Kattman

In 1917, Marcel Duchamp revolutionized the canons of art when he signed a porcelain urinal with the name “R.Mutt” and submitted it to the exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists. His unorthodox approach launched a new trajectory in how art can be created and interpreted. This legacy continues strong today, with artists further pushing the boundaries of conceptual and “readymade” art. Margaret Lee is one such artist whose work blurs the lines between artistic realism and object authenticity. Her installation at Dikeou Collection, Think About Tomorrow… or Don’t and three oil paintings on linen, Zebra (huh/what) are both works that reference things that are real, yet makes the viewer looks closer and think critically about what distinguishes these as works of art rather than replicas.

Created in 2007, Think About Tomorrow… or Don’t is an interpretation of the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The original singular granite monument stands much larger than Lee’s 10 foot bifurcated wooden installation, is triangular in shape rather than rectangular, and is inscribed with text specific to the Wright Brother’s achievements in flight. By adjusting the size, presentation, material, and message of this national monument, Lee’s work presents the viewer with something familiar yet paradoxical. The emphasis on paradox, which is central to Lee’s practice, is reaffirmed through the title, where Lee “attempt[s] to move toward a deeper understanding of what propels us all to move toward anything at all.” Embedded in the structures, an abstracted sun with radiating beams is neither rising nor setting, but rather caught within a conflicted state between the triumphant ascent of the first flight or the violent crash of a kamikaze attack.

A few rooms away from Think About Tomorrow…or Don’t are Lee’s three Zebra (huh/what). This trio of oil paint of linen, cut to the approximate dimensions of an actual zebra hide and painted with unique stripe patterns, advances Lee’s interest in the readymade. While the notion of the readymade stems from utilizing preexisting/prefabricated utilitarian objects and recontextualizing them as art objects, Lee takes the extra step to actually create her readymades by hand. In doing so, each object is unique, sometimes with undetectable variation from other iterations. This method is aligned with Lee’s interest in paradox, and the title Zebra (huh/what) anticipates the questions of the viewer when first encountering these faux pelts. Lee reveals traces of the zebras’ artificiality by leaving edges of the linen untouched by paint, a detail only noticed upon close inspection. They strike a balance between bold and unassuming, veracity and falsehood. Margaret Lee’s brilliance shines in her subtly, which she can pull off simultaneously in the most direct and indirect of ways.

— Hayley Richardson

On May 12th, Dikeou Collection hosted a public lecture by New York-based art critic Ben Davis in partnership with Black Cube Nomadic Museum. Dikeou Collection serves as a relevant platform for a critic lecture as it offers a free space for the public to interact with art that encourages critical thinking and expression. This is the second time Dikeou Collection has partnered with Black Cube to present new and thought provoking ways for audiences to engage with art in Denver.

Founded in 2015 by artist and philanthropist, Laura Merage, Black Cube upholds the belief that art is an essential part of a vibrant, just, and healthy society. As a nonprofit, they exist by partnering with artist fellows to commission popup art experiences. They aim to nurture the self-sufficiency of artists and inspire people to discover and appreciate contemporary art beyond traditional white museum and gallery walls.

Davis is an art critic living and working in New York City. His book, 9.5 Theses on Art and Class has been called “a riveting manifesto” by New York Magazine and a “required reading for art professionals” by Publishers Weekly. Davis is currently National Art Critic for artnet News, and was formerly executive editor of Artinfo.com and an editor of The Elements of Architecture, the catalog of the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. His writings have appeared in Adbusters, The Brooklyn Rail, Frieze, New York, Slate.com, The Village Voice, and many other venues. Davis presented his ideas surrounding the intersections of art and class to a receptive and open-minded audience.

Davis spoke about the three definitions of class: economic, educational, and structural. While many of us are familiar with the first two, we may not all have knowledge of the third. Structural class refers to our positions relative to society. Unfortunately, art is “isolate[ed] … from the practical problems of the moment,” he says. Part of this may be because art is and has always been secondary to other things society deems more important.

Although more people work in creative industries now than they did forty years ago, art is a tough profession. Art programs in schools are the first to get cut when funding is tight, and most professional artists are not able to sustain themselves purely with their art. As a result, the art world is an exclusive luxury industry.

Over 60 people attended Davis’ lecture, including artists, curators, critics, and other professionals and supporters in Denver’s creative community. A great Q&A session followed where individuals talked about their own experiences in the contemporary art world and learned more about Davis’ role in the art community. Keep an eye out for more upcoming events at Dikeou Collection and Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax.

- Aryana Hatami

Installation view of zingmagazine in Momoyo Torimitsu’s Room.

As you meander through the rooms of the Dikeou Collection, you see clear plastic shelves holding various books and other bound creations with vintage photos on the covers. This is zingmagazine. The placement of each copy of zing is very purposeful and intertwined not only to the artist in the room that the magazine resides, but also to the owner of the collection, Devon Dikeou and her art practice. This trifecta of practice, collection, and magazine create a way for the audience to see not just one artist’s work, but a career that encompasses hundreds if not thousands more voices to be heard.

zingmagazine #24.

Devon is the founder, editor, and publisher of zingmagazine, a curated arts magazine that has no boundaries on contents or media, as long as the project fits within the allotted 16 page limit. zingmagazine was created in 1995 as an extension or better, an integral platform, for Devon’s art practice, and a way to broaden her connections to her contemporaries. zingmagazine precedes the Dikeou Collection which was founded three years later by Devon and her brother Pany. Most of the artists presented in the collection have curated projects in zingmagazine, hence the display of so many issues in the galleries.

Installation view of What’s Love Got to do With It.

What’s Love Got to do With It for Decorous Beliefs.

Lining the hallway as you enter the collection is a series of directory boards created by Devon Dikeou entitled What’s Love Got to do With It, which began in 1991 and continues today. The boards reference the one found in the lobby outside of Leo Castelli Gallery, which announced the current exhibition and the artists on view. Conglomerating into approximately 125 boards they describe either an issue of zingmagazine or a group exhibition in which Devon has participated. As you make your way down the hall to the front doors of the collection, the directory boards set the stage and introduce you to Devon’s artistic practice and its relationship to zingmagazine and the collection.

A sense of community can be seen in these boards, as multiple artists are listed in various exhibitions with Devon, as participants in zing, or the have their work on view at the collection. These names and places are more than just a referential note of someone’s exhibition or publication history - these names are references to shared experiences. This community of artists listed on the walls gave way to her wanting to recognize their work in another platform, like a magazine, and sometimes a space in her collection.

-Madeliene Kattman

The Room Moved, The Way Blocked (Stage 1) at Dikeou Collection

Wade Guyton’s installation Untitled, The Room Moved, The Way Blocked is a simple formation brimming with art historical and conceptual constructs. Made of parquet flooring, the block was specifically recreated by the artist to occupy a space at Dikeou Collection, and measures 12’ x 12’ x 5’. While it immediately comes across as intrusive, the block is actually quite engaging as it is meant to be climbed upon to continue through the galleries, sparking excitement and a sense of play. Beyond the instant gratification of scaling the block is a very clever yet cerebral analysis on minimalism and conceptual art. As an early work it also occupies a unique place in Guyton’s oeuvre, thus making it a compelling talking point about his evolution as an artist.

Untitled (Stage) at Hunter College, 1998

Bill Arning, who at Guyton’s Hunter M.F.A exhibition saw an earlier installation, Untitled (Stage), that preceded Untitled, The Room Moved, The Way Blocked, wrote in BOMB Magazine that it “points to a smartly evasive young conceptualist.” Since dubbed as a post-conceptualist, Guyton’s block takes the guiding principle of conceptual art - where an idea has priority over the object - and turns it into something that has to be physically grappled with as well as mentally. From Duchamp’s Fountain to Baldessari’s I Am Making Art, conceptualism has done much to expand the definition of art, but also distanced some of the audience with its perceived lack of aesthetic and narrative attributes. By adding the interactive element to The Room Moved…, Guyton transcends that analytical barrier and presents a work that can be appreciated by brainy connoisseurs and hyperactive children alike. Curator Devon Dikeou states the work is a “humoristic, if not metaphoric path to the fatalism of Modernism and Modern living.”

Guyton was only 26 years old when he initially created the first iteration of the block while studying under Robert Morris, a distinguished artist and theorist in the conceptual and minimalist genres. One can see Morris’ influence during this time through the use of large geometric sculpture and its ability to reinterpret space (this image is particularly resonant) . These days Wade is most known for his big monochrome inkjet paintings, but his engagement with sculpture and use of wood in particular is a longstanding part of his repertoire. Works like Inverted Woodpile from 2002, his X Sculpture from 2003, and his own studio floor which he recreated for his 2007 solo show at Petzel Gallery, demonstrate how the wooden installations were significant in generating the motifs and methods utilized in 2-dimensional form. In fact, a lot of his early wood sculptures do not exist anymore because he had no place to store them in his tiny studio on East 2nd Street.

X Sculpture installed at High Desert Test Sites 2, 2003

The block is one of the first installations by Guyton sold to a collector, and the fact that these early sculptures are rare and this is the only artwork by him on public view in Colorado makes it all the more special. Part of Devon Dikeou’s mission as a collector is to acquire works “in breadth,” meaning she wants to highlight as many facets of an artist’s output as possible. A Guyton collage resides in Dikeou’s installation Not Quite Mrs. De Menil’s Liquor Closet. It is small, delicate, and perched high on a shelf; it couldn’t be more opposite from The Room Moved…, yet the two works perfectly encapsulate the fascinating progression of Wade Guyton’s craft.

— Hayley Richardson

And now enjoy some memorable moments…

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