The Kirkland at the Denver Art Museum

"This charming little museum in a modern building has a few different missions. Part of the collection is dedicated to artworks that focus on Colorado and the Rockies, or those done by Colorado artists. Another focus is the decorative arts—the international collection spans everything from furniture to glassware and ceramics to lamps, radios, and telephones. The third, and most unusual focus, is on a single artist, Vance Kirkland (1904-1981). Kirkland moved to Denver from Ohio when he was 25 and remained in the Centennial State for the rest of his life. Kirkland went though five stylistic phases in his painting: Designed Realism, Surrealism, Hard Edge Abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, and the Dot Paintings, and works from all the periods are represented. One gallery holds a replica of Kirkland’s studio—complete with the straps he used to suspend himself to reach the center of his paintings."