Brilliant. If you have any interest in modernism or fine craft — even if you aren't particularly interested in jewelry — you'll find something to marvel over at the Denver Art Museum's winter blockbuster Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century. The show is a visual marathon, with so many things included that it's downright exhausting to see everything. There are some 200 artifacts from the Cartier collection alone, which is maintained by the company, and an additional 55 pieces coming from an array of private collectors. A key revelation is that Cartier began to embrace art deco two decades earlier than just about any other jeweler, thus making the firm a pioneer of modernist design of any kind. The Denver-only exhibit was put together by DAM curator Margaret Young-Sanchez; this was a surprise, as her ordinary stock-in-trade is pre-Columbian art and not modern French jewelry. But she confessed to a lifelong interest in the material. In contrast to the more-is-more aesthetic of most of the diamond-encrusted pieces in the show, there's an unexpected minimalist current in the form of the men's wristwatches. Through March 15 at the Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, 720-865-5000, denverartmuseum.org. Reviewed December 18.
Charles Parson and Collin Parson. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center museum director Blake Milteer has put together a major duet, Continuance: Charles and Collin Parson, taking advantage of the unusual circumstance in which a father and son are both committed contemporary artists. It makes sense to link Chuck to his son Collin, but the connections between their respective oeuvres are not readily apparent. In some sense, they come from opposite poles; Chuck's pieces have an emphatic presence, being made of industrial materials that convey a sense of weight, while Collin's are often light — literally — since he sometimes uses hidden LEDs, the glow of which has no actual physicality except on a molecular level. For Continuance, Chuck and Collin are each given their own dedicated spaces, with Collin's rooms coming first. The two parts were conceived as separate shows; the Collin section was organized by CSFAC curator Joy Armstrong, while the Chuck section was curated by Milteer. Through February 15 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 West Dale Street, Colorado Springs, 719-634-5583, csfineartscenter.org. Reviewed January 15.
2015 Faculty Triennial. Dan Jacobs, director of the University of Denver's Vicki Myhren Gallery and curator of the institution's art collection, brings both vocations together for the 2015 Faculty Triennial. On one level, it's a knockout exhibit, perfectly in line with past efforts at the Myhren; on another, its subject — the work of the studio art teachers in the School of Art and Art History — shows how vital the department is to the local art scene, as many of those included are among the most notable and talked-about artists in town. Faculty shows, by their very nature, have more of a subject — the efforts of the studio professors and instructors — than a theme, since each artist-educator has his or her own approach and medium. For that reason, Jacobs points out, the Triennial was organized rather than curated: He simply asked each of the nearly two dozen artists to bring in works that they felt were representative of their current aesthetic practice. The show's chief revelation is how much digital technology has revolutionized art-making, regardless of medium. Through February 22 at the Vicki Myhren Gallery, 2121 East Asbury Avenue, 303-871-3716, du.edu/vmgallery. Reviewed January 29.
Matisse and Friends. This tight and tasty little painting show at the Denver Art Museum's Hamilton Building has really flown under the radar, yet there are some undeniably important works in it, which should have been enough to catch our attention. Perhaps it's gone unnoticed because it's made up of only fourteen works — or maybe it's because Brilliant, the Cartier show, has out-dazzled it. Though Matisse's name is in the title, the show is mostly made up of works by his friends, with only four Matisses included. "Open Window, Collioure," an acknowledged masterpiece, dates from 1905, the year the term "fauves" was coined to describe Matisse and his friends. It was meant to be insulting — the word means "wild beasts" in French — with the reference being to the signature moves of crude brushwork, perfunctory drafting and the use of unnatural colors. There are other fauvist masterpieces here, including works by André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck. Also notable are a bizarre Kees Van Dongen and a lyrical pair of harbor scenes by Raoul Dufy. Through February 8 at the Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, 720-865-5000, denverartmuseum.org. Reviewed January 22.
Myopia. Mark Mothersbaugh, co-founder of the 1970s new-wave rock group DEVO, has had a parallel career in the visual arts and was a budding artist before he became a musician. Celebrities masquerading as artists is all the rage — think James Franco or Miley Cyrus — which made the idea of Myopia, Mothersbaugh's solo at the MCA, a little suspect. But doubts about his commitment to art are immediately dispelled by the quality of the work in the show. From the first gallery — which is given over to Mothersbaugh's pre-DEVO efforts — onward (the show occupies all three floors of the MCA), even the most skeptical will be convinced of Mothersbaugh's dedication, particularly because he's sustained it for over forty years. The exhibit was curated by MCA director Adam Lerner, who met Mothersbaugh at, of all places, the Denver County Fair, and who came away believing him to be among the greatest creative forces of our time. The show also benefits from a gorgeous exhibition design by Ben Griswold. Through April 12 at MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany Street, 303-298-7554, mcadenver.org.
