The Modbo and S.P.Q.R. happily present their May First Friday openings– “Fluff” by Lorelei Beckstrom in S.P.Q.R. and new works by Clive Nyles in The Modbo. Friday, May 3rd, from 5:30 until midnight. Live music by The Bottesini Project at 9:30 pm. This show will run until Friday, May 31st. More information at themodbo@gmail.com or www.themodbo.com. 17B and 17C E. Bijou Street, Colorado Springs, CO.
Lorelei Beckstrom hails originally from Minnesota. After studying painting, sculpture, and graphic design for seven years, Beckstrom relocated to the mountains of Colorado in 1994, thus fulfilling a childhood dream to move to the west. Beckstrom has shown prolifically in Colorado, where she co-owned the award-winning Rubbish Gallery, and her work resides in collections in the United States, Mexico, and England. She is represented by The Modbo in Colorado Springs, where she is a member of the Modbo Collective. She also shows at the Carla Wright Gallery in Denver. Her most recent work can be viewed atwww.loreleibeckstrom.com
Beckstrom’s most recent body of work, “Fluff,” started as a series of small paintings of stuffed animals in 2012– some of them loved by others, and some of them her dearest childhood friends. Says Beckstrom, “Our toys shared a secret world with us, and I realize now that I was attracted to the innocence and quiet magic of this relationship.” It developed a step further when Beckstrom had the idea to place her stuffed models into stories that we all share– exploring ideas such as Icarus’s ability to dream and remain dedicated at all costs, and the hope and disappointment that Sisyphus must have felt in his daily battle with a boulder.
As a narrative figurative painter, Beckstrom soon found that she missed painting the human form, and it then occurred to her that she could combine the two. She began a series of photo shoots of friends in animal masks and found that the creepy cuteness and the concept of anonymity appealed to her. “I have so much more I want to do with this idea and plan to continue this body of work well into the coming year. I imagine that my idea of what these paintings are about will differ from yours. I love leaving the door open just enough for us to peek in. I want to inspire curiosity in both myself and my viewers. I want us to wonder,” says Beckstrom.
Clive Nyles attended the Savannah College of Art and Design. Although originally from England, Nyles remained in Georgia after his time at S.C.A.D. This is Nyles’ second show at The Modbo. He draws from such influences as Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell. Nyles’ recent compositions utilize chiaroscuro value patterns along with geometric patterning to create subject emerging from light or subject being engulfed by darkness. Additionally, some works play with the idea of onomatopoeia as a visual representation, relying on patterning, texture, and mark-making.