Scrap Yard Dogs
The main spaces at Ice Cube Gallery are so large that two full-scale single-artist shows can be presented side by side. The current offerings are Ray Tomasso: Transitions, featuring cast-paper paintings made with strips of old blue jeans rendered into pulp, and Brian Cavanaugh: Migratory: Transplant, which examines the artist’s recent move to Houston through found junk that’s been assembled into sculptures.
Tomasso’s impressive abstractions are based on nature. “I cast the paper outside, so I had a heightened awareness of the weather, of the clouds, of the fronts that came through and of the changing light,” he explains. But don’t be fooled: Tomasso’s pieces look nothing like landscapes.
Cavanaugh’s work reflects on his departure from Denver after only a few years here, during which time he began to build an art career. “I’ve put together a dozen pieces since moving that mark a transition from the work of the last three years but still spring from a familiar transportation motif suggesting vessels, ships, trains or other wheeled vehicles,” he says.
A reception for the shows runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Ice Cube, 3320 Walnut Street. Call 303-292-1822 or go to www.icecubegallery.com for details.
Fridays, Saturdays. Starts: April 1. Continues through April 23, 2011
