i fly (petAow) / Hothouse
Philip Tarlow: i fly (petAow)
Noelle Phares: Hothouse
SPACE Gallery
400 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204
April 22-May 28, 2022
Review by J. Benjamin Burney
It’s an unseasonably warm day in mid spring in the Mile High City. The concrete and steel of SPACE Gallery sparkles in the sun as I am greeted and directed towards the works of the artists Philip Tarlow and Noelle Phares. I’m left to peruse at my leisure and dive into the abstracted figures and landscapes on view in the two current exhibitions.
A view of works by Philip Tarlow in the foreground, from his exhibition i fly (petAow) at SPACE Gallery in Denver. Image by DARIA.
As you walk into the gallery you first encounter Philip Tarlow’s exhibit titled i fly (petAow). As stated in his artist statement, the series of abstract collage works are inspired by two events: the jubilance Tarlow felt watching the 2020 Olympics and also a surgery around the same time he underwent to save his eyesight. The fear of losing one’s sight and the joy of seeing the nations of the world celebrating their cultures on the Olympic stage are on two ends of a spectrum radiating with catharsis.
Philip Tarlow, Fly Anywhere, oil and collage on canvas, 32 x 42 inches. Image by J. Benjamin Burney.
This radiance pours from Tarlow’s collage works—you can feel his excitement to present scenes from our collective memories, while also abstracting the figures so what remains is an emotion that exudes youthfulness at play. In his work Fly Anywhere, Tarlow’s passion for mark-making, abstraction, and the “unencumbered belief systems” of children is on full display. We can make out the figure of a skateboarder riding the rising waves across an international map, while an upside-down dancer twirling passionately balances the composition.
Two untitled works by Phillip Tarlow, both oil and collage on board, 14 x 17 inches. Image by DARIA.
The seemingly free-flowing hand of the artist ties together the entirety of the series. In each oil stroke, we can feel the sensation of the paint flying across the canvas and perceive the artist in a state of bliss and passion as he appreciates the hard times and the good times that flow from a single moment. The i fly (petAow) series is a testament to humanity’s resolve as we are forced to change with the times and recognize the necessary role play has in our quickly shifting world.
A bird’s eye view of Noelle Phares’ exhibition Hothouse at Space Gallery. Image by DARIA.
Noelle Phares’ exhibition titled Hothouse visualizes similar themes of coping with a world humans are changing every day. The Anthropocene, an era on our planet marked by the human impact on the environment and all species’ quality of life, is the main subject of Phares’ show.
Noelle Phares, In the Pink Half-Light, oil, oil pastel, acrylic, and gouache on panel, 40 x 30 inches. Image by DARIA.
In her piece In the Pink Half-Light, we take on the perspective of a voyeur peeping through a perfect geometric circle onto a pristine and heavenly landscape marred by a burning cloud in the distance. The light pink gradient of the sky melts into the hazy gray horizon and depicts a scene Coloradans see daily. Her work seems to say in every painterly brushstroke “This is the new normal, are you ready?”
Noelle Phares, Course of the Valley, oil, spray paint, acrylic, and gouache on panel, diptych, 30 x 80 inches. Image by DARIA.
The title of the series Hothouse speaks to the greenhouse gasses caused by human pollution. These gasses perfume the sky with beautiful colors such as pink and green, but their beauty betrays the sinister truth that we are destroying our world. Phares is able to bring our attention to a very concerning topic without making us want to run out the door. This speaks to her skill as an artist and her empathy as a human. Her works allow us to accept our hand in the future we are creating, but they also provide us with a beautiful warning sign that says change is on the horizon.
J. Benjamin Burney is a MFA & MBA candidate at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He specializes in creating immersive installations using performance and mixed media works. He is the Creative Director of Zoid Art Haus, a design house based in Denver, Colorado that uses storytelling to create experiences, products, and services geared toward making a more inclusive, equitable, and empathetic society.
