A morning at the Denver Botanic Gardens to see the Alebrijes created by the workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles

 

Amadillo - Insect

Jacobo and María Ángeles are married artists living in San Martín Tilcajete in Oaxaca, Mexico.  It is a taller (workshop) that I have often taken my groups to. 

Created by the workshop of the Ángeles', these brightly colored and intricately painted sculptures adorn the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens.  These animals are inspired by the Zapotec calendar, also known as Spirit Guides.  Unlike the animals carved from the native Copal wood in their taller, these are made of fiberglass and painted with acrylics.

  

Jaguar - Eagle

The flowers were spectacular at the gardens.
 

Coyote ~ Fish

 

 Nature is so beautiful!  A cobweb among the plants with the morning dew on it. 

Rabbit ~ Deer

The lily ponds are some of my favorite spots at the gardens.

Deer ~ Butterfly

Monkey ~ Lizard

More water lilies.  Such vibrant colors.

Back in Oaxaca, photos taken on one of my tours.  These wooden carved figures are called Alebrijes.  

The first alebrijes originated in Mexico City, originally created by artist Pedro Linares in the 1940's who created Cartoneria or papier-mâché sculptures.   The papier-mâché-to-wood carving adaptation was pioneered by Arrazola native Manuel Jimenez whom I was fortunate to visit with when traveling with my parents years and years ago.  This version of the craft has since spread to several other towns in Oaxaca, most notably San Martín Tilcajete and La Unión Tejalapan, and has become a significant source of income for the area, especially for San Martín.

The carvers allow the shape of the wood dictate the form of the imaginary animals they create.

 

One needs a steady hand for this delicate work.

To really grasp the talent and creativity that goes into each of these animals, one really should visit one of the many tallers in San Martín Tilcajete, a place where I am taking another group to in March of 2025.

Fiestas are prominent in Oaxaca and an expression of their imagination.  As an Oaxacan saying goes, "We are Catholic by day and Zapotec by night."  How true in their depiction of the alebrijes. 

The Ponzi Sculpture Collection on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens

The Denver Botanic Gardens has another wonderful exhibition, Human Nature, from the "Craig Ponzio Sculpture Collection."  I recently took my dad over to the gardens along with my cousin, Patsy, from Minnesota and her husband, Tom.  It was a gorgeous day.

Upon entering the gardens, you are welcomed by the bronze sculpture,  La Grande Penelope (1912) by French artist, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle.

Bourdelle was inspired by Greek mythology  and Penelope is the ever-faithful wife of Odysseus from The Odyssey.

 La Sphinge (The Shpinx - 1950) by Joseph Csaky born in Hungary but lived his life in France.

Reminds one of the Great Sphinx near Giza.  In French, La Sphinge refers to a mysterious women.  This was the perfect location for this piece with the Mediterranean blue colored tile in the background with the water trickling down into the pool.

The Couple (2015) by American sculptor Jim Budish.  Interesting on how one moved around this piece, that at one vantage point, the two figures become one.

An Hour Before Dawn (2001) by Israel born sculptor Sassona Norton of America.  A combination of strength and grace.  The artists explains: "the tension is created not just by the physicality of the position, but by the ambiguity of the movement.  While one arm of the women embraces the body closely and intimately, the other is stretched forward over the empty space to reach out."

 Dos Mujeres de Pie  (Two Standing Women - 1959 - cast 1981) by Francisco Zuniga, one of my favorite sculptors.   Perfectly portraying the Indigenous Hispanic people.  Real life figures I see all the time in Mexico, especially when traveling in Oaxaca.

The Weight (1996) by American artist Eric Fischl. 

Starry, Starry Night (2015) by Leon Bronstein.  Reminiscent of Henry Moore's pieces with its elongated limbs and torsos.

Benediction II (1943) by Jacques Lipchitz.  Cubist artist among Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.  A Jewish refugee living in New York, he was deeply tormented by the terror of the Holocaust.  Such a twisted, lamented figure. 

Trust (2005) by American sculptor living in Colorado, Kendra Fleischman.   It's a wonderful exhibition with a few more sculptures that I have not featured.  Don't miss it.  It runs through September 15.

 

I will end this post with a photo from my favorite part of the gardens, the big lily pond.

The Denver Botanic Gardens 

1007 York Street

Denver, Colorado

A Morning at the Denver Botanic Gardens amongst the sculptures of Mike Whiting

It was a perfect morning to spend at the Denver Botanic Gardens.  When we left the house, it was only 58 out.  Currently at the gardens is an exhibition of brightly-colored steel  sculptures by artist Mike Whiting.  I particularly liked the saguaro "CACTUS" amongst the flowing plants.
The show, titled PIXELATED, painted steel sculptures showcasing the relationship between the reality of the natural world and the simulated world of digital media.  His "figures" represent the fusion of the pixel-graphic world and minimalist sculptures.  I feel I was encountering a large LEGO set.

I am always attracted to this water feature, the orange stucco wall and the blue pots planted with agave.

" Birdie" - an orange and blue theme just like the water feature and the pots!  The artist purposely scratched and exposed the raw steel so it would rust when exposed to nature, making it more like the real world.

This sedum, called Mr. Goodbud, was so colorful.

Whiting's Buck, was perfectly positioned in this forest like setting.

The lily ponds are another favorite of mine.  I can just imagine jumping from one lily leaf to the other (and falling right thru!).

The Azaleas were in their prime!

More lilies.

And more lilies....

The reflections on the water in the morning light were spectacular.

Bird, a steel body painted blue measures 136" high x 124"wide x 41"deep.  Originally designed to be a sculpture in a public lagoon where migrant birds would flock to.

It was a gorgeous morning and getting to the gardens right when they open their doors is perfect.  Hardly anyone was there!

The Denver Botanic Gardens

1007 York Street

Denver, Colorado

#720-865-3500

Sculptures at the Denver Botanic Gardens

It was a beautiful morning when my husband, Len and I went over to the Denver Botanic Gardens to see the the newest exhibition, Stories in Sculpture, a selection of sculptures from the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis.

Walking Man by George Segal - 1988 - A thoughtful stance, with slightly hunched shoulders and hands in his pockets portrays a solitary figure, a sense of isolation.  Segal started out as a painter and then moved on the sculpting.  His figures lack color and detail, portraying almost a ghostly effect.

It was the perfect setting for Walking Man.

The flowers were spectacular, especially the poppies.

I love Debra Butterfield's horses.  The Denver Art Museum has several.  Last year there was a show dedicated to just Butterfield's horses at the gardens.  (See posts dated:  6/30/2105 and 7/1/2015).

Nike by Saul Baizerman - 1949-1952.  Nike in Greek mythology is the goddess of victory who often helped Zues with his fight against the Titans.  Often depicted without wings.  Baizerman from Russian with his academic training was influenced by mythological themes.

Standing Figure by English artist and sculptor, Henry Moore - 1961.  His works are usually abstractions of the human figure with void spaces which make the viewer fill in the blanks.  Standing Figure, an edition of six, reaches a height of 11'5" and weighs 1,200 pounds.

Ice Plant (Delosperma Ashtonii Blut) was almost fluorescent in this lighting.

One of my favorite sculptures was Dawn Tree - 1976 - by Louise Nevelson.  An American sculptor who immigrated from Russian in the early 20th century was best known for her monumental outdoor sculptures.

Young Woman by Georg Kolbe - 1926.  He was the leading German sculptor of his generation.

The Peonies were in their prime.

Horseman - 1949 - by Marino Marini.  An Italian sculptor who was particularly famous for his series of stylized equestrian statues.

Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers - 1983 - by Barry Flanagan, a Welsh sculptor known for his dramatic, monumental bronze hares that just leap to life.

Theater Set Element from Judith - 1950 - by American artist and landscape architect, Isamu Noguchi.  He was also famous for his set design.  But I know of him best for when there was a collaboration with Herman Miller and Noguchi, George Nelson, Paul Laszlo and Charles Eames to produce a collection of some of the most influential body of modern furniture ever produced.  Including the iconic Noguchi Table which is still in production today and one that I sold to one of my design clients a few years ago.
It is a wonderful sculpture exhibition.  Even though there are 13 pieces on display in the gardens, I chose to showcase the ones that I particularly liked.  The exhibition is here until October 2, 2016.

Denver Botanic Gardens
10th and York Street
Denver, Colorado
www.botanicgardens.org