Denver Art Museum

Jovan Karlo Villalba

At a glance, it is clear that Jovan Karlo’s interest lies in imaginary depictions. The artist courageously incorporates random colours in his work to evoke viewers’ emotions. In fact, he toys with the observer’s experience by including reflective materials like stainless steel. Ironically, the golden frame, a white background, and paint layers combine to form an interactive surface. Eventually, the depiction changes the viewer’s environment. A closer look reveals that the environment is not only free to inhabit but also intriguing. As the viewer inspects the details, he realizes its potential danger and a new reality. The painter intentionally undermines coherence to expose a familiar terrain.

Hamilton Building

On the Third floor of the Denver Art Museum (DAM), there is a special exhibition of controversial art. The exhibitors unify the eclectic piece mash-up under politics, geography, self, and ecology threads. In addition, they typed thought-provoking explanations on the white walls. The artwork not only invites viewers but also incite them to start conversations. The artists employ crude and simplified depictions of riffs and everyday materials on cultural conventions for infusion of contemporary art with a challenging and provocative theme.  A glaring image by Robert Therrien on Hamilton’s walls greets viewers as they enter through the giant glass doors. Given that the room is spacious and well-lit, the attendees have an unobstructed view of artwork from all four sides, despite the plastering of wall dividers.

If there were no common threads, the room would be boring. It would look like a closet with random neatly packed objects without a purpose. In the Audacious, there are other notable pieces like the blinking neon sign by Bruce Nauman and Mel Chin’s blurred wood pipe.  For a viewer willing to participate, the exhibit has six transparent glass bowls with distinct colored blocks. They are visible near the first divider on the wall entry. Notably, there is a massive portrait window specifically designed to view Denver’s warm blue skyline.

Adoration of the Magi

The Adoration of the Magi measures a sizeable nine feet by eight feet. The painting by Sandro Botticelli depicts numerous people surrounding Jesus Christ’s makeshift structure. Instantly, the viewer notices the crumbling edifice surrounding the child’s modest roots which poignantly contrasts the rich robes of the bystanders on the makeshift altar. All the individuals portrayed in the painting are members of Medici family. Further, the artist’s excellent skills reveal distinct expressions poses, and characters, thus highlighting a diverse array of imagery and colors. Probably, Botticelli painted himself as a blonde-haired old man on the front-right. There is no doubt that his self-portrait marked a pivotal moment in his work.

North American and European Building

The north building is warm and inviting. The structure’s interesting architectural designs and graphical representations cannot be found anywhere else in DAM. On the sixth floor, there are dozens of works from 1900 and the middle ages, thus representing a major development in technique, style, materials, and form of North American and European decorative art and furniture. The incorporation of Egyptian mummies and casing adds a new taste to the room. They remind the viewers of British discoveries in Egypt while the Middle Eastern country was under its colonial rule.

Gallery Space Comparison

I prefer Hamilton building in comparison to the North building because the former is well lit than the latter. Besides, Hamilton building some of the most coveted art of the modern art that invites the viewer to think critically. O n the other hand, most of the artwork in the North Building has an unclear history. For instance, there it is probable that the Egyptian mummies were smuggled into the DAM from Egypt (Denver Art Museum 52). They belong to their native country and should peacefully be displayed in their Egyptian tombs.

Works Cited

Denver Art Museum: Highlights from the Collection. Denver: Denver Art Museum, 2014: 1-83. Print.