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Meow Wolf's Latest Artist-in-Residence Unveils New Exhibit :

by Barbara Urzua | 5280 Denver's Mile High Magazine, August 16, 2023

 

https://www.5280.com/meow-wolf-melissa-furness/

Melissa Furness’ collection of works, dubbed Naturalis Grottesche, is on view at Convergence Station through the end of September. Melissa Furness is somewhat of an artistic nomad. A conceptual painter and current professor of art practices and illustration at the University of Colorado Denver, Furness spent years on a creative quest that included residencies in Ireland, Poland, Beijing, and Budapest, as well as representation from galleries in New York, Seattle, Palm Springs, and Zurich. Although Denver’s K Contemporary art gallery represents Furness’ pieces today, the artist still often draws from her faraway travels in her works, which explore the tangles of history and human nature. Her newest series uses Roman imagery enmeshed in a chaotic cluster of weeds and vines. Now, Denverites can experience Furness’ otherworldly creations at a fitting crossroads: Meow Wolf.

Made in Colorado

by Laura I. Miller | DARIA: Denver Art Review Inquiry & Analysis, July 5, 2023

 

https://www.dariamag.com/home/made-in-colorado

In selecting these pieces from a pool of over 1,400 applications, internationally-renowned jurors Kerry Brougher and Nora Halpern looked for a variety of media as well as works that engage with social commentary. I think it’s fair to say that they achieved their goal. Though the approaches are far-reaching, the theme of man’s relationship to nature takes center stage, with social justice and the importance of playfulness rounding out the cast.

The portion of the exhibition at CU Denver Experience Gallery features 12 artists working in sculpture, video, photography, textile, and paint. In her oil painting Fair Game, Melissa Furness tangles with the untamable nature of weeds. A dense thicket of black and white overgrowth in the foreground contrasts with a brightly-colored floral wallpaper in the background. Fairies, imaginary animals, and an anatomical heart are entwined with the thicket, suggesting a struggle, but also the inescapable dichotomies of light and dark, chaos and control. The gothic ethos of this painting encapsulates the modern tug-of-war between saving and destroying nature.

For the love of art : Artsy envisions a future where everyone is moved by art every day. To get there, we’re expanding the art market to support more artists and art around the world. As the leading marketplace to discover, buy, and sell fine art, Artsy believes that the process of buying art should be as brilliant as art itself. That’s why we’re dedicated to making a joyful, welcoming experience that connects collectors with the artists and artworks they love.

Since its inception, K Contemporary has made a name for itself by recontextualizing and informing the dialogue about how we experience art. This artist-centric gallery has a focus on contemporary and conceptual art, as informed by historical context, while providing its patrons with engaging exhibitions, pop-ups, art interventions and art fairs. Through these immersive and experiential displays, K Contemporary acts as a catalyst for engaging discussion about the role of contemporary art in society.

Selected  Publications:

 

New American Paintings, West, Issue #132 : https://www.newamericanpaintings.com/artists/melissa-furness-0

SeeAllThis Magazine International, no. 26 Summer 2022, ‘We Are All Meat’, Haarlem, Netherlands, 2022: https://seeallthis.com/product/no-26-zomer-2022/

• Canvas Rebel Interview : https://canvasrebel.com/meet-melissa-furness/

• Shoutout Colorado Interview : https://shoutoutcolorado.com/meet-melissa-furness-visual-artist-and-associate-professor/

Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 49: https://www.studiovisitmagazine.com/pastvolumes/volume49

• Colorado Creatives Interview: Melissa Furness, Westword : https://www.westword.com/arts/colorado-creative-melissa-furness-travels-through-art-history-and-the-physical-world-11642300

• Voyage Denver Interview : Meet Melissa Furness : http://voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-melissa-furness-k-contemporary-art-denver-gallery-represents-work-lodo-1412-wazee-st/

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Selected  Reviews:

 

• “Denver’s Biennial of the Americas Announces Programming and Artists”, ArtForum (2015):  https://www.artforum.com/news/denver-s-biennial-of-the-americas-announces-programming-and-artists-51093

• The male-female divide even in art, The New Indian Express :http://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2017/mar/22/the-male-female-divide-even-in-art-1584104.html

• A.I.R. artists at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in India, Two Coats of Paint :http://www.twocoatsofpaint.com/2017/03/a-kochi-muzris-biennale-a-i-r-collaboration.html

• Strokes of genius: A ground report from the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Hindustan Times :http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/strokes-of-genius-a-ground-report-from-the-kochi-muziris-biennale/story-32eAeyvFy5cODQz1yoAtTO.html

• Colorado Artists’ Work to Be Displayed at Korea’s DMZ Museum, 5280 Denver's Mile High Magazine (2018): https://www.5280.com/2018/06/colorado-artists-work-to-be-displayed-at-koreas-dmz-museum/

• “Exhibition captures DMZ through eyes of foreign artists,” The Korea Times (2018): http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/06/103_251347.html

• “Meow Wolf’s Latest Artist-in-Residence Unveils New Exhibit,” 5280 Denver’s Mile High Magazine (2023): https://www.5280.com/meow-wolf-melissa-furness/ 

• “Colorful and lively, ‘Made in Colorado’ includes many of the state’s most successful artists working today,” The Denver Post (2023): https://www.denverpost.com/2023/06/19/made-in-colorado-artists-denver-emmanuel-gallery/

• “Made in Colorado” DARIA: Denver Art Review Inquiry & Analysis (2023): https://www.dariamag.com/home/made-in-colorado

• “K Contemporary exhibition sets tone for 2023,” Your Hub The Denver Post (2023): https://yourhub.denverpost.com/blog/2023/02/k-contemporary-rises-as-of-now/301268/

• “Artnauts Founder George Rivera Reflects on 25 Years of Art and Activism,” Hyperallergic  (2022): https://hyperallergic.com/745201/artnauts-founder-george-rivera-interview/

• “As of Now” DARIA: Denver Art Review Inquiry & Analysis (2022): https://www.dariamag.com/home/as-of-now

•“Doug Kacena is changing the way art galleries operate in Denver,” The Denver Post (2022): https://www.denverpost.com/2022/02/14/doug-kacena-k-contemporary-denver/

• “The Artists Bringing Activism Into and Beyond Gallery Spaces,”The New York Times Style Magazine (2021): https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/t-magazine/art-activism-forensic-architecture.html/

• Melissa Furness and Rian Kerrane: histordomest-icity, DARIA : Denver Art Review Inquiry & Analysis: https://www.dariamag.com/home/histordomest-icity

• From Babe Walls to Detour, Colorado's biggest and boldest art moments of 2020, The Denver Post (2020):  https://theknow.denverpost.com/2020/12/27/fine-arts-coronavirus/250979/

• “Pink Progression is keeping the spirit of the Women’s March alive, hats and all,” The Denver Post (2020): https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/30/pink-progression-is-keeping-the-spirit-of-the-womens-march-alive-hats-and-all/

• “Pink Progression Uses social momentum for artistic exploration,” Arvada Press (2020): https://arvadapress.com/stories/pink-progression-uses-social-momentum-for-artistic-exploration,314247

• K Contemporary and Leon Shows Recast the Narrative of Art History, Westword (2019): :https://www.westword.com/arts/kaitlyn-tucek-and-melissa-furness-recast-art-history-at-leon-gallery-k-contemporary-11492422

• Melissa Furness and Ashley Eliza Williams at K Contemporary, OnDenver (2019):https://ondenver.com/melissa-furness-and-ashley-eliza-williams-at-k-contemporary/

• K Contemporary brings new stamina to Denver's struggling commercial art scene, The Denver Post (2018): https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/19/k-contemporary-brings-new-stamina-to-denvers-struggling-commercial-art-scene/

• Review: CVA’s Pink Progression Is a Must-See Show, Westword (2018):https://www.westword.com/arts/pink-progression-at-metro-states-center-for-visual-art-talented-artists-deliver-a-message-10377157