Galerie Maximillian Presents Beyond Nature: Flora, Fauna and Fungi

Aspen, Colorado (PRWEB) June 20, 2012

The grass is always greener is a gallery filled with it, the perfect backdrop for Jason Middlebrook's mushrooms and a remarkable collection of works inspired by nature but all transformed in some way.  This Summer, Galerie Maximillian will present an exhibition entitled Beyond Nature: Flora, Fauna & Fungi, featuring original sculptures and works on paper by Cy Twombly, Cecily Brown, Damien Hirst, Jason Middlebrook, Takashi Murakami and others.  “Living in Aspen, we are surrounded by natural beauty,” said owner Albert Sanford. “In the process of curating this exhibition I tried to recreate the idea of an enchanted forest in the gallery.” This fanciful exhibition with a contemporary edge will open June 29th, 6 – 8 pm and continue through August.

Jason Middlebrook’s “Fun with Fungi,” are a delight. Mushrooms of all shapes and sizes are molded and painted, larger than life and just plain fun. Many of the sculptures are covered with mirrored tiles that will glimmer in the gardens and homes of lucky collectors. “Middlebrook’s sculptures are clever, whimsical and magical,” said Sanford. “They transport us into a childhood fantasy like falling into the world of Alice in Wonderland.”

Another highlight of the show is a set of multi-media collages by Cy Twombly (American, 1928 – 2011) called Natural History, Part I, 1974, all inspired by mushrooms. One of the great American artists of his time, he was known for his highly personal ‘handwriting’ that served as a vehicle for literary content in his work. In 1951–2 he spent a semester at Black Mountain College, an important period for his involvement with Abstract Expressionism and where he may have picked up his fascination for fungi. These collages evoke a horticulturist’s expedition journal infused with the magic of Twombly’s childlike scribbles.

The show will also include large, painterly monoprints by Cecily Brown, one of a group of young English artists currently making a splash on the international art scene. Born in London in 1970, she dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to study art, eventually graduating from the Slade School of Art in London in 1993. The following year she moved to Manhattan where she lives and works today. Brown’s paintings first came to the attention of the New York art world when she exhibited what she called her “bunny gang rape” paintings in a Manhattan gallery in 1997. Notable collectors including, Charles Saatchi and Agnes Gund, were quick to acquire these works and Brown’s career was launched. Look closely and you will find all kinds of creatures hidden in the foliage painted with Brown’s lush brushwork. What you will find is often a playful lesson in the ways of the birds, bees and bunnies.

Other artist’s featured in the exhibition include: Karsten Höller, Gary Hume, Sarah Graham, Paul Morrison, Vik Muniz and Marc Quinn.

Galerie Maximillian is located at 602 East Cooper Avenue, between Hunter and Spring Streets in downtown Aspen, Colorado.  Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. or by appointment. The gallery may also be contacted via e-mail at art(at)galeriemax(dot)com or through the gallery’s website at http://www.galeriemax.com.

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