June's Artist X: Mark Castator

The identity of June's Artist X revealed: Mark Castator

I met Mark a few years ago and have enjoyed getting to know him and learning his story. What is immediately evident when you meet him is that the man is an artist. He looks like an artist and, more than that, he lives like an artist. He reveals that he got his start after taking a sculpture course in college, a requirement that he was not initially excited about but found so intuitive and exciting that he immediately switched his major and never looked back. Mark has earned his living doing decorative and architectural steel pieces, but for years he has made the commitment to follow his passion and create art that is meaningful to him.

Mark's pieces can be found at Walker Fine Art in Denver and Winterowd Gallery in Santa Fe.

An Artful Gathering Space

A few years ago I was working with a client who develops residential apartment complexes. The target demographic for a particular complex of theirs in the ballpark district of downtown Denver was the young professional set, and so their design reflected that niche's preference for clean, modern style and abundant amenities for group gathering. We ended up selecting three of Artist X's "tower" sculptures to place in the outdoor lounge area. They are clean and architectural but also somewhat gritty and industrial, much like the area of the development. As he describes them: "Each open piece of pipe and tubing is a window looking out into the world...the sculpture becomes a constantly changing perspective in light, line, and shadow".

Tools of the Trade

Sometimes an artist's supplies are traditional: watercolor paints, sketchpads, charcoal pencils, sable brushes, etc. Often these are supplemented by more inventive tools. Where the general population might see a spatula as a baking utensil, an artist sees something that will scrape and manipulate paint. You and I stir fry up bok choy and shrimp in a wok; June's Artist X uses one to create the rounded forms for his "Moons of Jupiter" sculpted forms.

Here is a first look at his artwork. This:

Helps make these:

Friday Freestyle: Plugging Polo

Is your knowledge of the sport of polo limited to the divot stomping scene in "Pretty Woman" and the Ralph Lauren ads with a hunky Argentinian named Nacho?

Well, aside from briefly dating a polo player in college, mine was too...until I attended my first Denver Polo Classic last year. What an event!

This year's Classic kicks off tonight with a black tie gala, and the Sapiro Art Consultants team is pleased that we will be in attendance as corporate sponsors. We have contributed to soliciting some great artistic donations for both the live and silent auction and look forward to seeing how much money the items raise for the Denver Active 20-30 foundation, funds that are ultimately distributed to over some of the 50+ children's charities they support in our community.

In my opinion the best auction items are unique and offer an experience in lieu of just an off-the-shelf item. Barbara Baer, a talented local sculptor with whom I have done numerous projects, is offering something that fits in this category. The successful bidder of her lot tonight will win the opportunity to collaborate with Barbara and our team in the creation of a custom piece for home, office, or garden. It will be a hands-on process, and the patron is encouraged to bring images of other art pieces, architecture, poems, quotations, etc. to inform the concept. It's going to be great fun.

Below are some pictures of some of Barbara's larger public pieces:

Dabbling in Gel Transfer

June's Artist X has been drawn to sculpture as a primary medium since his student days at the University of Houston when he studied under Bob Boland. It is the medium for which he is known and the medium with which he makes his primary income. But, like most artists, this guy likes to dabble. Creative inspiration can come in many forms, and recently he has been experimenting with some other art forms.

Here are some gel transfer pieces in his home. The first is the image of a classic car on a dilapidated wooden pallet. The second is the same image, albeit brighter, on a flat panel. 

Here is where you can find out more about this technique and how it works: http://youtu.be/833_lPJ050Q.

Studio Distractions

I have taken you into Artist X's central Boulder home with some of my posts, and now it is time to show you some of his studio. For some artists the two spaces are one and the same but as I mentioned before, June's artist is primarily a sculptor. His tools of the trade are bulky, dirty, and noisy; so it makes sense that his studio is a bit off the beaten path in an industrial area east of the city.

Here are some of the "decorations" that liven up his space. He has some great distractions for the times when the artistic muse is not visiting!

Friday Freestyle: At the Movies

Have you ever had a theoretical conversation about time transport? If you could travel back in time, what era, setting, and circumstance would you choose? I have had this dialogue many times, and my answer has always been Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. I remember my disappointment when the film "Moulin Rouge" came out, and I watched as the characters broke out in a montage of Madonna songs. I had obviously not done my research about the musical nature of the film and been hoping for something a little closer to a documentary about the famed night spot, its patrons and environs...oops!

Now, ten years later, Woody Allen has given me that gift. His latest film, "Midnight in Paris" is an absolute delight. Though not a documentary, it does the era and the setting great justice. Owen Wilson, the movie's lovable protagonist Gil, does a superb job of playing a wistful modern-day "Hollywood hack" writer who longs for more noble pursuits as a novelist. Gil is enchanted with the idea of Paris in the 1920s and while on vacation in the city, through a not totally explained twist (just go with it), gets the gift of visiting that era. His lucky adventures gain him access to bars, parties, and homes where he meets the "who's who" of the intelligentsia of the time: F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Man Ray, Cole Porter, and Pablo Picasso are just a few. With every scene I found myself perking up in my chair, and letting my art, music, and literary history kick in to reveal the characters' identities. Great fun. This is a must see!

Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali

Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway

On My Soapbox About Scale

Everyone has their pet peeves, little things that don't register as annoying to the average person but drive one particular human being absolutely batty: too short pants guy, gum smacking woman, loud cell phone talking teen (well, that one buggers just about everyone).We all have them. 

Here is one of mine: incorrectly scaled artwork. You can have the most magnificent painting, ceramic, sculpture, mixed media piece, whatever for a space, but if the size is not right, the piece is not right. The room will feel all wrong. In my job I work mostly in corporate settings. Think big walls, long hallways. I typically need large art pieces to fill these areas and do my best not to compromise where scale is concerned. I often tell my clients that I would rather hold off on obtaining a piece for a space if they cannot afford the correct size. I mean it.

As you can imagine, I loved turning the corner to enter Artist X's dining room area and glimpsing the following piece by his contemporary, the painter Eric Corrigan. The jumbo scale works splendidly!

 
Sleuth Clue: Eric Corrigan shows at the same Golden Triangle Denver gallery as Artist X.

Art Philosophy and Influences

June's Artist X has a mantra for what he believes constitutes good artwork:

"I believe the eye must be engaged and constantly moving...it allows your mind to be quiet and, from there, you can be and allow your heart to open. We have a tendency in society to think too much and not feel enough"

Prominent artists who inspire him and followed a similar belief system in their artwork creation are Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg. Both were friends, active in the formation of the New York School in the middle of the 20th century and, for a time, shared a studio. The former was known for his free-flowing graffiti-like characters and symbolic content referencing classical literature and history. The latter was prolific and produced in various mediums and styles throughout his career but is especially known for his "combines", art pieces that incorporate traditional painting technique with collage of ordinary objects.

Cy Twombly trio at the Museum Brandhorst in Munich

Rauschenberg "Combine" from the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Friday Freestyle: Make it an Arty Weekend

ART is everywhere this weekend! If you live in the front range of Colorado and are not scaling a mountain or traveling somewhere that actually has an ocean I compel you to visit at least one of these events over the next few days:

1. The Denver Art Museum debuts "Marvelous Mud", a comprehensive show featuring 8 distinctive exhibits that incorporate the earth. From the literal use of the material in art creation, ie ceramic, to more interpretive adaptations of the medium, ie photography, the show is another out of the box first for the museum. I got a sneak peak while at a Think 360 breakfast there the other morning and can't wait to see the rest. Here is the link to the DAM site for more info: http://exhibits.denverartmuseum.org

2. The RINO district north of downtown Denver is hosting an "Art Safari Weekend". Over 100 artist studios, galleries, co-ops, and alternative spaces will be open to the public. I have been going to this area to find talented artists for years now and have to say that I am amazed at the transformation and growth there, most especially in the last 12 months. The district seems to change every day, and the artistic community is very cooperative and interactive. Visit this site for more details and a map: http://www.rivernorthart.com/crow/

3. The Art Students League Summer Art Market is one of my top spots of the year to score a good deal on a piece of original art. The fair spans the few blocks surround the historic ASL building on 2nd and Grant and features over 200 artists selling their wares. There is quite a mix of media and styles. I snagged a gorgeous pastel portrait of a woman reading a few years ago, and she now watches over me as I read on my chaise lounge. Here is a link to more info: http://www.asld.org/summerartmarket.php

Garden Goodness

June's Artist X is a sculptor of metal and, in a way, also of soil. He loves to get in his garden for an hour or so a day and says that there is "nothing like getting your hands dirty in the soil and the satisfaction of growing your own tomatoes or seeing lettuce seeds pop through the earth. It's like my other art studio."

What to do with all that produce once it pops? As the daughter of a vegetarian amateur gourmet chef, I have lots of ideas and actually crave veggies when I don't have them on a daily basis. Here is a recipe for a collard wrap...not something Mama Connie invented but a meal that she would surely approve: http://honestfare.com/mastering-the-collard-wrap/

 

 

Nature vs. Nurture

Children of athletes often shine in athletic endeavors. Naturally, this has something to do with some genetic blessing. But, often equally or more importantly, these kids have had their raw talent encouraged and refined by enthusiastic parents. Think of Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams. Zealous parents who fostered (sometimes demanded) practice and dedication to their sports are a factor to their success.

Similarly, the offspring of artists are often extremely creative individuals. Growing up attending art gallery openings and surrounded by art and art supplies lends to exploration and a comfort level with the creative process.

June's Artist X obviously had an effect on his son Canyon, an emerging painter currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Here are some of his pieces that his proud papa displays in his home:

In the Name of Love

I love the love story of June's Artist X. It could be a very successful romantic comedy. I would cast Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz in the leading roles. Setting: the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder. Enter one hip, eclectic Boulder-based male artist. Enter one tall, stylish, and striking New York woman. Cue salsa music. Cue a "meet cute" and introduction, a few dances, some chemistry, a weekend of getting to know each other. A few months later, cue a cross country move and a marriage.

Glimpsing these pillows in the couple's living area made me smile. They are a daily reminder of their love...which sounds even more romantic when expressed en francais!

Friday Freestyle: Sleuther on Vacation

It is the third day of the month, and I have yet to taunt you with clues about June's Artist X. My apologies...I am on vacation. This month's sleuthing will commence on Monday. I promise you will enjoy our new featured artist and his home and studio.

In the meantime, I want to share the exceptional art exhibit currently on display on the walkway leading to Terminal A at Denver International Airport. The artist, Brianna Martray, made 7,000 origami cranes out of the manuscript of a novel she had written. The display is a subtle, stunning dance of delicate forms across the passage.