| Matt Barton and Corey Drieth at the UCCS GoCA |
| Written by Ken Hamel | |
| Sunday, 22 June 2008 | |
New Faculty: Matt Barton and Corey DriethGallery of Contemporary ArtUniversity of Colorado, Colorado SpringsJune 20 - August 7, 2008 Matt Barton's "Recess: A Progressive Regression" 2007 - Photos by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org I make the trek down to Colorado Springs every few months to take in the CS Fine Arts Center, a magnificent resource for the visual arts too close to home not to check up on regularly (I'll be writing a piece on the Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe at the FAC exhibit closing on July 6th,) and on my most recent trip I finally had a chance to visit in the Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and the timing was right as the work by new faculty member Matt Barton is worth the diversion. Barton creates a twisted yet strangely cozy children's playground in a large open space that gives the work plenty of room to breath, almost as if you're outdoors where the piece belongs. Participants are invited to experience the piece as a child, and the viewer can scamper up the ladder and peek into the vestige of a slumber party in the homey enclave, complete with worn blankets and a constructed view of the night sky. The childish energy continues with a kinetic teeter-totter that controls both an assemblage of musical toys as well as a variety of found dolls that Barton brings into the piece as playful icons bobbing up and down as real objects, and also peering into the action as vicarious watchdogs, popping up and quickly hiding on large screen video projections to the side of each sculpture. Quite frankly after taking in Barton's piece, I didn't have much energy to appreciate the subtle, quiet and small-scale works on wood by fellow faculty member Corey Drieth, so you might want to take those works in before wandering into the rear of the gallery, but it's certainly hard to resist the call of so strong a kinetic piece, especially one with flashing lights to boot. The show is on display until August, so plenty of time to stop by when you're in the area. Parking is free on Saturday in the lot opposite the gallery, which is tucked away on the 2nd floor of the Science Building. Click here for some pictures from the exhibit... Gallery of Contemporary Art University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway Colorado Springs, CO 80933 719.262.3567 Mon-Fri: 10-4 Sat: 1-4 http://www.galleryuccs.org photos by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
