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March 11, 2008 - COLORADO DAILY - BOULDER by Christy Frantz WRIGHT OF PASSAGE Local Artist is Showing His Art at Stonehenge  Alliance Nebraska and the English county of Wiltishire are too far apart to count the miles. In fact, they don’t really have much in common. Local artist, Russ Wright, is bringing the two together, right now. You may have seen Wright around town. His mixed art of western flair, local landmarks and vintage cars offer an explosion for the eye. His use of bright colors in paintings, photographs, postcards and even T-shirts adorn bars, restaurants, art galleries and even a motor sports shop in Denver. The Colorado transplant of 20 years made a trek to Stonehenge in England to see his photograph on exhibit. Actually, he’s is standing there, probably right this minute. What does this have to do with Alliance, Neb.? Carehenge. Carhenge is a unique car-version replica of Stonehenge. Artist Jim Reinders studied the design of Stonehenge while living in England, brought a scheme back with him to Nebraska and in 1987, Carhenge was created. A total of 38 automobiles stand, the same proportions as Stonehenge, with the diameter of the circle measuring about 96 feet. Some of the cars stand upright in five-feet deep holes, trunk end down, while the cars which form the arches have been welded in place, and all are covered with gray spray paint. Wright took a trip to Carhenge in 1999, took a photograph-turned- postcard, and placed it for sale on eBay. “About three or four months ago, an archaeologist [in England] bought six of my post cards and put them in an exhibit outside of Stonehenge,” says Wright. It is safe to say the archaeologist, Julian Richards, knows a bit about Stonehenge. He has written a hand- ful of books on Stonehenge, including a children’s pop-up book, he has contributed to television programs about the prehistoric monu- ment and spent a decade running the “Stonehenge Environs Project,” which is a detailed study of the for- mation and its surrounding land- scape. So, Wright decided to take a trip to England to visit his grandmother’s birthplace, and swing through Stonehenge, guided by his new bud Richards. “He’s going to pick me up at the train station when I get to Salisbury,” Wright says. “He’s going to give me a personal tour. This guy has written five books on Stonehenge. The guy’s a crackup, and just really nice. So I may get into the places where peo- ple don’t normally get in on that. So that’ll be nice. You know, that just kind of sets off the tone of this trip.” Meanwhile, Wright will be celebrating a landmark of his own – his 50th birthday. “I’m turning 50 and I really did- n’t think that anybody was going to throw me a party,” he laughs. “I thought it would be lame if I threw myself one, so I figured I had to leave the country. So I had to go somewhere where I spoke the language.” He’ll spend his 50th at a “pub in the middle of nowhere,” and hit the Beefeater Gin Distillery and Fuller’s Ale Brewery, both in London (with the help of some tastings set up by Liquor Mart). “I’ve wanted to do the trip since I was 15,” Wright says. “I’m finally getting a chance to do it. The inter- esting thing is, seeing my grandmother’s birthplace — my dad never even got to see that.” Learn more about Julian Richards at www.archaemedia.net, Carhenge at www.carhenge.com and Stonehenge at www.stonehenge.co.uk.  Stonehenge is located in the English county of Wiltshire. [PHOTOCOURTESYMORGUEFILE] In dog’s name ‘DOGmata’ ARTISTS PUT ON A PAW-TAY FOR OUR FURRY FRIENDS  By CHRISTY FANTZ Colorado Daily Layout Editor Oh, the dog days of summer. It proves outdoor activities to be horrifying. When the temperature hits a sweltering 100 degrees, all you want is A/C and a TV. But, spring in Colorado is just short of perfect. A partly cloudy day at 83 degrees on a May evening makes for a fun time for you and doggie to lap up some stylish sights in the park. DOGmata, a crew of Denver artists composed of Russ Wright, Jennifer Mosquera, Tadd Moskal, David Menard, Eric Matelski, and Mario Acevedo are gathering to promote art, fashion and fun at City Bark LoDo, an upscale pet center just blocks from downtown. Dog-friendly “Yappy Hour” includes a live and silent auction, art exhibit, fashion show by Vain Salon, macymacy, and Rare Bird and some yappin’ tunes from DJ Japadapata. And all in dog’s .Six artists painted a picture of the same dog, then all of the pieces were brought together and joined as one The silent artwork auction includes each artist’s rendition of the same dog with pieces of each painting put together into one pas- tiche. The proceeds will go 100% to The MaxFund, a no-kill animal shelter established 1988 to help injured pets with no known owners and to find homes for the littleguys once they recover. Food and drinks will be pro- vided for non-canines and City Bark LoDo will provide its doggie swim- ming pool and park for the frisky pups to mingle. Denver’s largest craft brewery, Flying Dog, is the official sponsor of the beer. Brianne Covel, Brand Coordinator for Flying Dog said art, to Flying Dog, is just as important as the beer. With their quirky labels and contests for artists to create their own label, a beer isn’t just a beer. It’s artistry at its drunkest. Covel said supporting artists has always been a top priority for the brewery. "What better way to tie our support of indepentent artists into benefiting no-kill shelters than to be a sponsor of such an exciting event," she said. Russ Wright, one of the artists contributing his art to the cause, feels very privileged to share the spotlight with his fellow DOGmata artists. “We all have our own styles and personalities and it shows so much in the collective piece that we did together,” he said. “The six of us start with a picture of the same dog, we then produce our own piece utilizing our own styles.” Wright has an art background in his family and has been artistically inclined since he was a kid. “I have always been intruiged with what I look at, and how would just about anything I look at transform onto paper or canvas,” he said. “My true goal has always been to develop my own style and after 20 plus years, I do feel that I am getting comfortable with the connection I have with what I paint.” Wright said growing up in the '60s and ’70s, music was a big influence for what he envisioned in art. He said he still uses music as well as people around him as an influence. “The album covers of the day told stories, they were so visual,” he said. “Being able to see beyond the music with the art of their grandiose covers was somewhat escapisim.” Another influence in his life is his mom, who is an art teacher. He said she always influenced him to be true to himself as an artist when it comes to work ethic. “Never sell yourself short,” he said. “She bestowed in all of her children to be creative and trust your vision.” Wright said that his style has always been evolving. For many years his “look” was photorealism – a style of painting resembling photography and its meticulous attention to realistic detail. “These days my works have become very loose and the colors more exaggerated,” he said. As for a favorite thing to paint, he doesn’t have one. However, he does like to reproduce objects from the 1950s. In the future, he plans to work on more art with the human form and travel more to paint views in exotic places. Art is special to Wright when it speaks of emotion or when it shows light in its truest form. “Art is so subjective,” he said. “Every artist gives as every viewer takes away their own personal connection.” The event is free for doggies and a $10 donation is suggested for humans. You’ll escape with a colorful evening, door prizes, a goodie bag and a happy little doggie. WHASSUP •Yappy Hour includes a fashion show and art exhibit from 6-9 p.m.Friday. •There will be music by DJ Japadapta •The live auction is from 7-8 p.m. •Event takes place at City Bark -LoDo,3150 Brighton Blvd, Denver 303-296-3722 •For more info,visit www.DOGmata denver.com |
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