Abstract art and sculpture blend beautifully at Havu and Z

Comments (0) By Michael Paglia Wednesday, May 16 2012

The quartet of solos finishes up at Z Art Department, with Parson in Perspective, made up of scores of drawings, wall pieces and sculptures by Charles Parson. Parson has tirelessly followed his own course since the 1970s, building sculptures and installations that bridge the gap between abstraction and conceptual art, and between the figure and the landscape. This Z effort presents pieces that cover the period of the last decade or so, and includes many works never before exhibited in Denver.

Parson's typical materials are ready-made hardware like nuts and bolts, and sheets of steel, glass and stone, as well as found materials like iron fragments from demolished structures and broken pieces of stone. They have a decidedly architectonic character and could even pass as ornaments, but there's a lot more going on. First, in overall form, many are totemic, while others suggest the shape of altars; there are even a few that have the character of gates or stanchions. These associations give the work a vague and unspecified spiritual character. Second, Parson has used industrial materials to convey this spirituality — an unlikely choice when you think about it. And third, in size and shape, many of these pieces can be seen as stand-ins for the human figure.

"Wheelbarrow," by Amy Metier, oil on canvas.

"Gate" by Charles Parson, mixed materials.

Location Info

Map

William Havu Gallery

1040 Cherokee St.
Denver, CO 80204

Category: Galleries

Region: Out of Town

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Z Art Dept.

1136 N. Speer Blvd.
Denver, CO 80203

Category: Galleries

Region: Central Denver

Details

Through May 26, William Havu Gallery, 1040 Cherokee Street, 303-893-2360, williamhavugallery.com.Through June 30, at Z Art Department, 1136 Speer Boulevard, 303-298-8432, www.zartdept.com.

More About

The offerings at William Havu and Z Art Department provide us with a lot to see, and there's extra appeal in the way the shows help us understand the incredible depth of the local abstract scene, with Metier, Clapper, Lobato and Parson already being major actors in it. All four of them have spent a lot of time honing their varied skills and, in the process, refining their visions into their signature styles.