Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax occupies what was once Jerry’s Record Exchange, a notable spot along East Colfax Avenue that contributed to the colorful culture that populates this legendary strip. Devon Dikeou visited the vacant shop on her last trip to Denver, and knew right away that it was the perfect location for a new pop-up gallery.

The work of a few artists has been on the installation waiting list, but the shifty lights, torn laminate floors, and other forms of structural deterioration within the space would be most accommodating to the provocative and ephemeral creations by Lizzi Bougatsos. The grand opening was set for Friday, April 18, 2014.

She arrived from New York on Thursday afternoon. I met her and Dikeou Collection Director, Saniego Sanchez, in the parking lot behind the pop-up. While shaking hands she says I look really familiar and asks if we’ve met before. I tell her no. “You sure? You ever come to New York?” We make our way inside.

Five of Lizzi’s pieces are installed at Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax, along with an additional piece, an ice sculpture, which was exhibited at the opening and will be recreated on special occasions.

Pussy For Rent, 2010
Self-Portrait, 2012
Happy Ending 2, 2012
Good Hair, 2010
Dick Toss II, 2012
In God We Bust, 2010

“This is great. This is so rad,” she said as she investigated the space. She hadn’t seen many of these pieces since they were exhibited at James Fuentes about 4 years ago. It was then suggested that we peak downstairs in the basement.

We made our way down the rickety rainbow staircase and found ourselves surrounded by graffiti, album covers glued to the ceiling, and random household objects scattered on the dirt floor. Lizzi loved it. This underground abandonment, stained with a sense of youth, was a very happy place for her.

As we emerge from the basement she asks again, “Are you sure we haven’t met? At James’?” I tell her I’ve only been to his gallery once, to which she replied, “I’m there all the time. It had to have been there.” At this point we all decide to make a quick stop at the Denver MCA to see Rashid Johnson’s show and have a drink at the rooftop bar. On the way to the museum she tells us how she was Kim Gordon’s date to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony where she got to meet Stevie Nicks and Emmylou Harris, and attend the Nirvana after party. Just some of the perks of the rock’n’roll lifestyle. Dinner at Domo Japanese Country food restaurant, museum and garden rounded out the evening.

This picture is from inside the small museum, which is part of a dojo, at the restaurant. Lizzi said Japan is one of her favorite places to travel to because of the food and culture. “This place is my jam,” she said as we left for the night.

The weather was beautiful the next day, perfect for a journey to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, just 30 minutes outside of Denver. This is one of the most revered performance venues in the world, so naturally Lizzi took the stage with three construction workers on backup.

We journeyed down the road a bit and found this colorful little niche. Here’s Lizzi and Saniego posing with some rock art.

Lizzi couldn’t get enough of the great outdoors. We couldn’t hang around too much longer, though, because it was time to get ready for the opening of Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax!

Green glow emanating from In God We Bust. To the left is a peak at Dikeou Collection’s extensive vinyl record archive (over 8,000 LPs and 45s). The records originally came from Jerry’s Record Exchange, and are now available for pop-up visitors to explore and listen.

Lizzi was the DJ for the night and played tunes from the archive.

The next day Lizzi hosted an artist talk at the pop-up. She said it was challenging to discuss some of these works because they were made several years ago and her thoughts and process have changed. Pieces like Happy Ending II and Self-Portrait are more representative of the direction she is heading with her art. Her recent interview with zingchat covers a lot of what she expressed during the talk.

No trip to Denver is complete without a visit to Dikeou Collection, especially now that Lizzi has been officially inducted into the clan. Here she is with Momoyo Torimitsu’s Somehow I Don’t Feel Comfortable in her Easter Sunday dress.

Dikeou Collection would like to extend a big thanks to Lizzi for traveling to Denver for the opening of Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax. It was such a treat to spend time with this talented artist and introduce her work to the Denver art community.

Dikeou Pop-Up: Colfax is located at 312 East Colfax Ave. and is open Wednesday through Friday, 11:00-5:00. The “Fresh Jazz and Crisp Vinyl Series” featuring the Jean Luc Davis Quartet will happen there on Friday, May 16 at 7:00 PM.

-Hayley Richardson

April 28, 2014

’Hope, Thanks and the Unforgiving Literary Series’ is one of Dikeou Collection’s longest running public programs. Poet, author and playwright Robert Snyderman has been coordinating this program, which occurs on a tri-monthly basis at the Dikeou Collection. The most recent installment was on Friday, March 28, and featured readers Lisa Donovan, Aby Kaupang, Matthew Cooperman, and Adam Fagin.

Dikeou Collection Director Saniego Sanchez welcomes the audience

Robert Snyderman, the coordinator for the literary series, introduces the readers.

First reader, Adam Fagin, used an original audio component to his reading.

Matthew Cooperman integrated audience participation into his reading.

Audience gabs during intermission

Cocktail weenines, anyone?

First order of business when visiting Dikeou Collection: get a pic on Wade Guyton’s “The Room Moved, the Way Blocked”

Reader Lisa Donovan

And last, but not least, Aby Kaupang.

Thanks to all our readers and attendees for another great night! More photos can be seen on Dikeou Collection’s Facebook page. If you would like to know more about current events at Dikeou Collection, email info@dikeoucollection.org and we will add you to our contact list!

-Dikeou Collection

March 31, 2014

In zingmagazine #22, Adam Mendelsohn addresses questions of originality and invention in the visual arts in his curated project “Chicken Shit.” By presenting side-by-side images of works by artists like Jennifer Bolande and Harold E. Edgerton, and William Anastasi and Carl Andre, it is easy for one to observe the striking visual similarities that exist between artworks that were created years apart from one another.

Another example of this parallel was brought to our attention when an exhibition at Venus Over Manhattan caught the eye of an astute observer/close friend of Dikeou Collection and zingmagazine. What stood out to this individual was the uncanny resemblance of artist Charles Harlan’s use of the metal rolling gate in his installation “Ishtar” to that of Devon Dikeou’s security gate installations dating from 1989 to 1991. Dikeou has exhibited her gates at Ihara Ludens and Paula Allen. “Ishtar” will be on view at Venus Over Manhattan until March 22, 2014.

As noted by Mendelsohn, this situation is not uncommon in the art world, and is in fact a very important theme within the entire span of art history. What is important to remember is that while works by different artists may look alike, rarely do they carry the same meaning and intent for each artist, as that is something that cannot be replicated.

“That people reach similar, sometimes identical conclusions independently of one another is something that happens with regular frequency. In science this is called multiples. This fact is almost never celebrated. In art, as in science, it’s almost always about who got there first – like landing on the moon. …
… What remains truly rare over time is invention. Innovation is the constant but invention is much trickier ground. Where invention is credited and where it comes from is almost a total mystery.”

- Excerpt from “Chicken Shit” by Adam Mendelsohn, zingmagazine #22

Devon Dikeou, “Security/Insecure” (1989), exhibited at Paula Allen

Devon Dikeou, “Security Kiosk” (1990), exhibited at Ihara Ludens 

Charles Harlan, “Ishtar” (2013), currently on view at Venus Over Manhattan until March 22. 

Charles Harlan, “Roll Gates” (2012), at Socrates Sculpture Park 

See more of Devon Dikeou’s body of work at www.devondikeou.com 

Be sure to see Harlan’s “Ishtar” installation at Venus Over Manhattan in NYC before it closes this weekend. More of his work can be seen online at www.charlesharlan.com

-Hayley Richardson

March 17, 2014

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common ailment where one can clearly see objects up close, but the surrounding environment is out of focus. This condition prevented Mark Mothersbaugh from fully seeing the world around him until he got his first pair of glasses at age 7. While most kids would dread the old four-eyed look, Mark reveled in his new visual surroundings and began his journey into art.

While Mothersbaugh is a highly recognized figure in the world of music, his dedicated and extensive engagement in the arts has remained somewhat unknown to the public. The success of his band Devo allowed him to share some of his creations - posters, album covers, costumes, and music videos - with a big audience, but it was still just a partial glimpse into a much larger, richer world of creativity beyond the Devo lens.

This world culminates into what is now “Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia,” the first retrospective exhibit of the artist’s work now on view at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art. Conceptualized by the artist and MCA director Adam Lerner in 2011, “Myopia” is the second exhibition to occupy the entire museum (Fred Sandbeck being the first in 2011).

The first floor introduces the viewer to Mark in his college days at Kent State, where he soaked in the waning Beat culture and linked up with Jerry Casale and Bob Lewis to form Devo.

The personal artwork presented consists of Mark’s journals, published works, and small drawings, and then there are all the visual ephemera from Devo. Photographs, posters, multiple video screens, album covers, fan club newsletters, stage props, music playing in the galleries…there is a lot to digest in this area. But the sensation of being engulfed in this creative-savant’s mind almost seems necessary at this stage in the exhibition experience because it prepares the viewer for more delirium ahead.

Booji Boy: Devo, May 1978, photo by Bruce Conner.

A funhouse mirror at the foot of the stairs in the lower level creates a stretched and warped reflection of Nu, poqodi! (just you wait!). Around the corner in a darkened room, glowing light emanates from Ruby Kustard and Postcard Superhero Series #001.

The pink swirl on Ruby Kustard is made from the world’s largest ruby crystal and is meant to poke fun at the fine jewelry and art industries. Funny comment to make in one of the most indulgent exhibitions I’ve seen in recent times, but dwelling on details like that takes the fun out of it.

Motherbaugh’s myopic condition triggered an early fascination with visual anomalies, particularly mirrored images, and the upper level gallery exploring this theme is quite beautiful. The double-ended Scion doesn’t exactly flow with the Victorian-era images that fill the room, but again, the focus is on fun, which is definitely achieved with this piece.

Beyond the room with the musical birdcall sculptures and animated doormats, adjacent to the grassy gnome village, is the gallery that holds what lies at the heart of Mothersbaugh’s artistic practice. Since his early Devo days, Mark would draw on postcards and send them to friends and family while on tour. It became a daily goal to draw one, or maybe ten, postcards a day until he reached 30,000. These postcards are available in binders for visitors to page through and explore.

For as enjoyable as this entire exhibition is, this final display offered a welcomed sense of calm at the end. Mothersbaugh shows a range of styles in these drawings, from brightly colored and highly detailed, to monochrome and minimalist. It is these small drawings that provide the foundations for the much grander pieces like the musical sculptures and psychedelic paintings, and it is comforting to know that Mothersbaugh engages in this humble practice every day.

“Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia” is on view at the Denver MCA until April 12, 2015, and is expected to travel to The Grey Art Gallery at NYU, the Contemporary Arts Center at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. If this show hits your city or somewhere nearby, definitely take the time to see it.

-Hayley Richardson

November 26, 2014

The theme for Denver’s Biennial of the Americas is ‘Draft Urbanism,’ which means that a city or any urban area is always in a state of flux, caught within a never-ending string of “drafts” that are constantly revised and updated. This applies to the all the different fabrics that constitute an urban community; social, familial, political, economical, cultural, educational, as well as the physical aspects of the urban environment are always changing, even if it’s not always immediately apparent to the human eye.

Architecture is one of the most noticeable indicators of urban change. Structures are always being built, torn down, or remodeled in order to address the needs of the people who use the space as well as those who reside nearby – at least that’s what one would hope. While most new building projects boast large scale and flashy ornament, there is a steady core of architects who believe that less is more. As part of the Biennial programming, the Clyfford Still Museum hosted a lecture called “Draft Urbanism: A Conversation” with avant-garde architects Mark Lee and Michael Webb, who each discussed their perspectives on the architect’s role in the ever-changing urban landscape.

Mark Lee is a partner in Johnston Marklee, an award-winning firm founded in Los Angeles in 1988. To quote their company profile, “Johnston Marklee draws upon an extensive network of collaborators in related fields, engaging the expertise of contemporary artists, graphic designers, and writers to broaden the breadth of design research. Johnston Marklee ascribes to the model of collaboration in which the expertise of joining disciplines are sharpened, rather than blurred, maintaining permeable boundaries for greater results.” 

The firm’s Chile House, located in Penco, Chile is a 4,465 square foot pavilion with an enclosed gallery. It is one of 10 projects by different firms intended to help the region rebuild its cultural infrastructure after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The pavilion, set on a forested hill, has two entrances and two large sliding windows that offer views of the ocean and of the city. This open viewing format allows visitors to experience art in an unusual space, but still reminds them of the natural beauty of their surroundings and of the progress made toward revitalizing their city.

They even used the shape of the tree trunks as inspiration for the formation of the concrete walls, showing that contemporary architecture can be harmonious in nature. The pavilion looks otherworldly, but still allows those interacting with the space to feel like they’re on Earth by allowing open views of the land, sky, and sea, as illustrated in the diagram above.

The other project Lee discussed was this Hill House (2004) in Pacific Palisades. Southern California has some of the strictest building and zoning codes in the country because of the dense population and steep hillsides that are prone to horrific mudslides and earthquakes. The challenge was to build a single-family home on an irregularly shaped hillside. The family also wanted a reduced environmental footprint, prompting the architects to focus their design vertically rather than horizontally. The project succeeds in maximizing interior volume and minimizing foundation area, all while perched on the edge of a steep slope. From this angle, the home looks like the head of a screaming Lego figure, but the inside is super sleek and polished.

There are three floors: downstairs bedroom, main floor common area, and third story loft with a library. While the design and exterior view of the house is distinctly vertical, the interior flow seems predominantly horizontal, thus transforming a person’s presumptions about the space upon entering. If one takes a moment to do a little browsing on the web for other Johnston Marklee projects, it will be immediately apparent that the masterminds behind this firm are fully dedicated to re-approaching and reconfiguring the ubiquitous ‘white cube’ in contemporary architecture and urban design into something that can fit any location and lifestyle.

Michael Webb gave a follow-up presentation that delved into topics and imagery that seemed more geared for space travel than urban architecture. Michael was one of the founding members of Archigram, which formed in the 1960s as an avant-garde architectural group out of London; Webb now lives and works in upstate New York. Dedicated to hi-tech, futuristic, and conceptual (i.e. impossible) projects, Archigram made a name for itself in the architecture community as a group that did not limit itself to the confines of environmental reality.

One of the first Archigram projects Michael discussed was the Cushicle, a combination of a cubicle and a cushioned recliner. The design illustrations show the participant wearing the Cushicle like a standing sleeping bag before it inflates and allows the participant to recline and actually live within the enclosure.

This is what the Cushicle looks like when it is inflated.

And this is what it looks like after. The participant is then supposed to gather the loose material and somehow re-wrap it around themselves so it’s back to the sleeping bag configuration. The Cushicle is not just for sleeping and comfort, but it is supposed to serve as a total living environment. To quote from Webb’s website about the project, “The Cushicle carries food, water supply, radio, miniature projection television and heating apparatus. The radio, TV, etc., are contained in the helmet and the food and water supply are carried in pod attachments.” This is not your traditional architecture with walls, windows, and rooftops – this is human habitation reinvented. It is meant to address issues of urban sprawl and life of the contemporary nomad. He questioned why people need such protective buildings when we live on such a benevolent planet. Well, a lot has changed from the 1960s up until 2013, and it is pretty safe to say that Mother Earth is not as benevolent as she used to be.

The next project Michael presented was the Rent-A-Wall. He did not talk a whole lot about what this particular project is about (or maybe I just can’t remember what was said), but he did use this image to illustrate the idea that “you don’t have to tell to the truth in architecture.” At this point in the lecture Michael focused on the visual aspects of his designs. It must be noted that almost no Archigram project has ever been fully constructed, outside of one-off prototype models. However, the six men that comprised Archigram are highly recognized and praised for their incredible inventions in architecture and design, their advancements in the educational field, and their beautifully crafted illustrations. I was mesmerized by the images Michael showed during his presentation, with their rich collage aesthetic featuring cool combinations of sci-fi graphics, ‘60s advertisements, and modern typography. These “blueprints” are at the heart of the Archigram legacy. These images are not just instructions for futuristic living, but works of art in their own right.

In 1963, Archigram was invited to do an exhibition of their “Living City” project at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. The exhibition then traveled to the Manchester City Art Gallery and the Walker Art Gallery, Cambridge. Archigram was so involved in the artistic side of architecture that they even opened their own gallery space, Adhocs, in the early 1970s.

Archigram disbanded in 1974, but each of the six original members is still working in their field. Michael has taught architecture at Rhode Island School of Design, Columbia University, Barnard College, Cooper Union, University at Buffalo and Princeton University. He also still works on his illustrious designs and his “Two Journeys” project has been exhibited in the United States and Europe.

There was a question-and-answer segment at the end of the presentations. Only a few were brave enough to raise their hands in the crowd, and out of those few only one person asked a coherent question. Even though Mark Lee and Michael Webb had only been in Denver for barely 24 hours, they were asked what they thought of Denver’s urban landscape and what they think could be improved. Michael said that we could stand to have some infrastructure improvements and better coordinative planning. Mark said the city of full of architectural gem/icons, but the common, “everyday” structures like offices and apartments are not of the same quality and do little to support these icons. I agree with this statement, but Denver has some amazing historical neighborhoods and buildings that I am sure they did not have time to see.

These two men and their respective colleagues represent the razor’s edge of contemporary architecture, but both have completely different approaches. While Mark Lee comes from a perspective that envisions a home on a specific site, Michael Webb totally questions the entire idea of “the home.” What is a kitchen? What does it mean to sleep in a bed? He believes buildings shouldn’t even exist unless people are in them. That seems like a challenge for the folks at Johnston Marklee, and for all architects across the world.

-Hayley Richardson

July 31, 2013