Drive in Denver. May 28 – June 14, 2015. First Friday June 5, 6-9 pm, Artist Talks June 12, 7-8 pm.
"Presence is more than just being there." -Malcom Forbes
Searching, questing, and sometimes, questioning, "Presence," is a show that glows golden from within, exploring what it means to exist, and probing levels of human engagement. Both presence and absence are explored in the artwork, inviting the viewer to deeper contemplation of their own sense of attentiveness and identity. "Presence" brings together work in a variety of media from the Denver-based art cohort, Christos Collective.Christos artists challenge traditional art genres such as icon and portrait painting, where forms are absent, disjointed, and hybridized. The result is a range of compelling depictions of intense, focused thought, alongside pieces that portray the idea that one can be physically in attendance without being mentally present. Some pieces explore a state of transition, where, like an old photograph, the visible form of the subject is fading from view.The absence of presence is also explored in the form of distraction or confusion where the image itself is barely discernible. For example, photographers take photos of reflections of reflections, causing viewers to ponder the paradox of presence and absences along with their mysterious, yet welcoming, feeling of uncertainty. Additionally, these pieces raise the unanswered question as to whether presence should necessarily be synonymous with visual clarity. In other instances, the viewer is invited to engage physically with the work in order to perceive the work more completely, highlighting the viewer's active participation.At times, the show brings recognizable figurations or expression of the human spirit into focus, and at others, one feels as though one is reaching for something, but hasn't found it yet. "Presence" explores the invitation to "be," even if one is still in a state of becoming.
Christos Collective is an international artists and scholars community that empowers contemporary Christian visual art to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of a Christian worldview.