Black Cube Launches Alumni Program with Derrick Velasquez’s ‘New Brutal 2,’ a Pop Up Exhibition Opening April 23 as Part of Doors Open Denver.
Black Cube Artist Fellow Alumni Derrick Velasquez’ site-specific sculpture will open on April 23 at La Alma/Lincoln Park as part of Doors Open Denver. The sculpture is a new iteration of Velasquez’ large-scale work completed as part of his Black Cube fellowship in 2015. ‘New Brutal 2’, is an outdoor sculpture that looks at the public of amphitheaters and links them formally to pediments, a classical architectural feature that is non-structural element over windows, doors and entryways.
April 5, 2016 – Denver, Colo. – Black Cube, a nomadic contemporary art museum based in Denver, is enthusiastically launching its Alumni program with Derrick Velasquez’s ‘New Brutal 2,’ an outdoor sculptural installation. ‘New Brutal 2’ is a sculpture created for the amphitheater at Lincoln Park. It is a new iteration of Velasquez’ largest-scale work to date –‘New Brutal’ – completed as part of his 2015 Black Cube fellowship.
This new version of the artwork is an architecturally-inspired sculpture stimulated by common building materials, such as Tyvek sheeting and plywood, and is adorned with custom crown molding motivated by embellishments found on buildings such as the Palace of Versailles. The sculpture will take on a new context embracing the horizontal aisles of La Alma Park’s sunken amphitheater.
‘New Brutal’ takes its title from Brutalism, a style of art characterized by a deliberate plainness. Informed by Denver’s recent building boom, this work takes cues from both the architectural plainness the artist sees in the design of Denver’s new buildings as well as the beauty he sees in the construction process.
The La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood has recently undergone a residential transformation to a more “modern” aesthetic, as seen in the new affordable housing projects directly south of the park. In this context, ‘New Brutal 2’ will capture the economic, architectural, and social ideas of this gathering place, which is in the center of a changing neighborhood and a growing city.
The pop up exhibition will be open to the public April 23 – May 6 on Thursdays and Fridays from 1-5 P.M. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, April 23 from 3-6 P.M. which will include a lecture by Derrick Velasquez on the work at 5 P.M.
About the Artist: Derrick Velasquez was born and raised in Lodi, California, and resides in Denver. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from Ohio State University, and holds dual undergraduate degrees in Art History and Studio Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Velasquez works in media including performance, installation, sculpture and photography. Velasquez is a founding member and co-manager at TANK Studios, the founder of the YE$ M’am grant for artists, and a board member of the Art-Plant Artist Residency. He currently teaches in the Fine Arts departments at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Denver. Velasquez is represented by Robischon Gallery (Denver, CO) as well as Pentimenti Gallery (Philadelphia, PA).
About Black Cube
Black Cube is a nonprofit, nomadic contemporary art museum. At Black Cube, we see ourselves as an unconventional museum pursuing the most effective ways to engage new audiences while supporting artists’ sustainability. Without the traditional boundaries of a physical building, Black Cube is experienced primarily through pop-up art exhibitions and shops conceived by our artist fellows. Black Cube was founded by artist and philanthropist, Laura Merage. Find out more at www.blackcubeart.org.
