August can be a dry season for art. Galleries and museums know their clients are distracted by summer fun, and they tend to keep their programs more light-hearted, saving the serious stuff for the important premieres in the fall.
But there is a bright spot this summer in downtown Denver, where I have spent many afternoons in the company of a single artwork, Rachel Hayes’ “Horizon Drift,” installed in the Plaza of the Americas at the corner of 15th and Wewatta Streets. The work is presented jointly by the Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum and the Biennial of the Americas, two of the city’s most significant cultural institutions whose frequent collaborations always result in small miracles.
I rarely bring temporary, individual public artworks to people’s attention. The experience of seeing them can come and go so quickly, and even the largest projects fade into the background and become almost invisible in a short period of time. But Horizon Drift keeps calling me back, especially because it looks different every time I see it.
For the work, artist Rachel Hayes hung meters of airy, translucent fabric over the public space, using the square’s existing infrastructure – building beams, light poles – as supports. The work consists of four oversized panels shaped into triangles that overlap to create a kaleidoscope effect.
The piece has a fifth element: natural sunlight, which falls from above and sends light through the material. On clear days, the panels – painted in rich blocks of blue, pink, red and brown – glow brightly, as if they were electrified.
There are two ways for passersby to enjoy the square: they can look up and see the interplay of colors, or look down and see the varied shades and shadows the colors cast on the concrete floor. Both options change minute by minute throughout the day, inviting visitors to stay a while.
There are many art historical references here, as Black Cube points out in its accompanying literature. One is to the abstract expressionist paintings of pop artist Frank Stella, which were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Another is to glass artist Dale Chihuly’s glass ceilings installed in buildings near and far. (One particularly famous ceiling is in the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, which draws huge crowds.)
But it’s most impressive as a tribute to American quiltmakers, who were mostly female and barely known beyond their own friends and families. Horizon Drift presents the patterns and handiwork of these unknown artists on steroids, highlighting both the effort required to make them and their natural beauty. It’s a fiercely feminist work in rainbow packaging.
Hayes is an internationally recognized textile artist who lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is known for her colorful interventions in public spaces. The artist has installed her panels in locations such as White Sands National Park in New Mexico, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and among ancient ruins in Istanbul, Turkey.
Because the pieces are made of fabric and hang above the ground, providing both shade and shelter, Hayes’ objects lie somewhere between fine art and architecture. For this reason, they have been written about in art publications, but also in design magazines such as Vogue, Architectural Digest and Elle Decor. Each installation has its own personality and intention.
The Denver plant also has significant civic value. This area of downtown Denver has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In the not-too-distant past, these streets and squares were populated by office workers passing by on their way to and from work or stopping for an outdoor lunch.
But the trend of working from home has gutted it. Some days the Plaza is like a ghost town. Other days, and I have to be completely honest here, it is a place where drug dealers do business, and they can do so quite openly. The Plaza is not a dangerous or threatening place – at least I never felt that there – but it needs to be activated.
Can a single work of art draw people to this place – and give them a little hope for the urban landscape? Maybe. That’s another reason why I keep coming back.
The Biennial of the Americas offers a side program that gives visitors additional reasons to visit, including more collaboration between local groups. On August 14, there will be a photography workshop on natural light with the Colorado Photographic Arts Center; on September 26, there will be an opportunity to make translucent paper collages with the Art Students League of Denver; and on October 24, there will also be a concert by the Latin jazz ensemble Mistura Fina. It’s all free and family-friendly.
And if you’re looking for a larger art experience than this solo work, there are excellent sideshows within walking distance. I can recommend two shows in particular, which I’ll write about in more detail next week: “Critical Landscapes: Selected Works from the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection” at the Museum of Contemporary Art; and abstract painter Pard Morrison’s solo show at the Robischon Galley.
But plan to spend some time at Horizon Drift. While the work offers an explosion of optimism and color, it’s best viewed over a longer period of time, a good 30 minutes or more. The work, and perhaps a cold drink, is a great way to get through the dry season.
Ray Mark Rinaldi is a Denver-based freelance writer specializing in the visual arts.
WHEN YOU GO
“Horizon Drift” runs until October 27th at Plaza of the Americas, 1550 Wewatta St. Admission is free. Info at blackcube.art.
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