Oct 24, 2015–Feb 7, 2016 About the juror Denver native Collin Parson is an artist, curator, and designer and currently serves as the Exhibition Manager and Chief Curator for the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado. Parson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design and Technology with emphasis in Lighting and Scene Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master in Arts in Visual Culture and Arts Administration from Regis University in Denver. His creative work involves the control of light and color to create vivid Lorelei Beckstrom, The Stormbringers, 2015, oil on panel, courtesy of the artist geometric light and space works. He has had the privilege of jurying many arts festivals and exhibitions and has prings Surreal celebrates the work contexts, and combined in scenes that received many awards and recognition of four Colorado Springs-based often refer to dreams and fantasy, and for his curatorial projects. He was Sartists, each working within the conjure universal concepts. awarded “100 Colorado Creatives” realms of dreamscape, fantasy, ready- by Westword magazine in 2013 Surrealism’s celebration of imagination made, and chance. These artists are and featured in Colorado Homes and liberation of the creative process looking to their Surrealist predecessors and Lifestyle magazine. Parson remain a vibrant component of and at the same time personalizing recently had a major solo at Colorado contemporary art and sustains a and contemporizing the philosophies Springs Fine Arts Center (Continuance: thriving legacy as seen through that defined the movement during its Charles and Collin Parson) and from th the work of the four regional artists inception during the early 20 century that he received his first public art represented in Springs Surreal. These between World Wars I and II, taking commission at Pikes Peak Center in artists cleverly represent the landscape form first in literature then in visual arts. Colorado Springs, Colorado. of the subconscious psyche and natural The first Surrealist manifesto was conflicts between order, chaos, and published in 1924, and contained this chance via unexpected materials and definition written by painter Andre subjects, questioning long standing Breton: “Surrealism, pure psychic beliefs about art, ourselves, and the automatism by which it is intended to world around us - questions that only express, either verbally or in writing, the viewers can answer for themselves. the true function of thought. Thought The subjective experiences imagined dictated in the absence of all control by the artists and materialized within exerted by reason, and outside all the exhibition may be both foreign and aesthetic or moral preoccupations.” He familiar, an ongoing fascination with continued to articulate the movement concepts, imagery, and sensations that in 1930, writing, “There is a certain remain challenging to communicate point for the mind from which life and without the language of visual art. death, the real and the imaginary, the past and the future, the communicable and the incommunicable, the high and the low, cease being perceived Supported by as contradictions.” There were two Surrealist schools of thought. One had to do with automatism and chance and is seen in the abstract work of Joan Miró. The other is exemplified by painters such as René Magritte and incorporates recognizable objects and themes taken out of their natural The Anschutz Foundation csfineartscenter.org | 719.634.5581 About the artists resides in collections in the to co-exist, and a way United States, Mexico, and of seeing that can England. She is represented remain fresh even in a by The Modbo in Colorado digital age. My large Springs and the Carla construction for this show, Wright Gallery in Denver. Through the Looking Glass was a proposal using Aaron Graves is a native the Magritte painting to Colorado Springs and The False Mirror as a conceptual starting point. I has been exhibiting his work wanted to use the question since 2003. Graves, who of “Who or what is doing began as a photographer, the looking?” as an Lorelei Beckstrom has expanded his approach Kay Williams Johnson image. Former work on was born in Minnesota to art, which now involves was born in Victoria, Texas posters and collage inform in 1967. After studying not only photography, but in 1952, grew up in Ft. my work method, which painting, sculpture, and also sculptural installations. Worth, Texas and fled as is about constructing soon as possible. She holds graphic design for seven His frequent use of meaning through pieces years, she relocated to a BFA with High Honors that interact, rather than mannequins often results from The University of Texas Colorado in 1994, soon description, and that in a realistic approach to at Austin and an MFA from turning her focus exclusively explorations of beauty. hopefully connects with the The School of the Art Institute viewer as well. to narrative figurative oil Graves has attended the Art of Chicago. In the artist’s painting. Beckstrom wants to Institute of Denver and is a words regarding Springs Chris Sedgwick was leave her visual storytelling graduate of The University of Surreal: born in Florida in 1981 and open for interpretation, Colorado, Colorado Springs. Surrealism covers a lot of began painting at a young not packaging particular Describing this installation, territory in art history but age. He graduated from emotions or messages. Her Dans l’appartemente des the main area of interest Florida State University work inspires curiosity; she Mannequins, the artist states: for me is the inclusion and began a career in wants us to wonder – and Welcome to this moment. of, and exploration of, painting after moving to she leaves the door cracked The concept here, most an inner world. I was Asheville, North Carolina. His inspiration spans just enough to peek in. simply put, is contrasts. Two fortunate to study with from the spiritual to the She has been dedicated to several people who worlds collide: Surrealism scientific and his work often developing the arts culture & Realism. A collection of were Chicago Imagists – Christina Ramberg and evokes intense emotional in Colorado Springs, where oddities presented by a Ray Yoshida – and a responses. His work is in she co-owned the award- group of lovely hosts who particular kind of cartoony numerous private collections winning Rubbish Gallery and guide you through the surrealism was appealing worldwide and his housed currently works as gallery space, unaware they two to me, and was linked to in the permanent collections assistant/program director are part of the exhibit. Clean living in that city at that of Richard Kessler, for the Modbo Gallery/ and sleek, black and white, time. Visual sources from Florida State University ModboCo School of Arts. In three glimpses of color – other cultures, advertising, and Western Carolina 2012 she was voted by the minimalistic, yet dramatic: comics, found objects, and University. Sedgwick shares his time between the Colorado Springs Gazette as a refined but unsettling invention were considered mountains of Colorado and “Best Artist on the Rise” and dreamscape. legitimate avenues of exploration alongside western North Carolina; was featured in a cover story drawing inspiration from by the Colorado Springs traditional techniques and of course, soaking the natural beauty of both Independent and awarded oneself in art history was regions. a Bronze Medal for “Best mandatory. The idea was Exhibition” for her 2013 solo to develop and synthesize show Fluff. The Colorado a personal vocabulary Springs Business Journal and to report back from included her in their feature there, hopefully enlarging “The Best Artists of the the visual vocabulary Region” in 2014. Beckstrom for ones spot in the has exhibited prolifically contemporary world. There in Colorado, along with is a lot of overlap with galleries in Minneapolis the way the Surrealists in 1920s Europe allowed and Santa Fe. Her work the rational and irrational