Okay, I’ve got to add a museum to our list of favorite museums. Denver Art Museum has been one of my faves for quite a while. Last month I went to DAM with a friend to see the Yves St. Laurent show and Madeline Albright’s collection of pins. Both were good, but I have to say the highlight of my day at the museum was seeing Denise Wallace’s “Crossroads of Continents” belt.
The museum calls it the masterpiece of Denise Wallace’s career. While I have a problem with labeling a work by a living artist “the masterpiece” (especially someone who’s about my age), it truly is an amazing piece of art.
One of our SAQA colleagues once said that viewers should be rewarded for taking the time to look closely at a piece of art. (Sorry, Susan and Miriam, I can’t remember which one of you gave us those pearls of wisdom at a Northern California SAQA critique meeting.) Well, this is one of those pieces that makes you want to break the glass, so you could see which of the figures opens to reveal the rewards.
Since our tagline is “Telling Stories in Cloth,” you can guess I’m especially attracted to artwork (especially jewelry) that tells a story. If you find yourself in Denver, take the time to visit DAM. Don’t try to see everything. Try looking at a few pieces very carefully. You will be rewarded. To see more of Denise Wallace’s amazing jewelry, visit http://www.denisewallace.com.
2 responses to “Denise Wallace”
I want to see what’s inside! Thank you for showing this exquisite piece-the detail is masterful.
The central figure in the third image above is open, and you can see the boats inside. Too bad you can’t see all the ones that open. Wouldn’t you just love to wear this thing?!