Thursday, May 08, 2008

RARE McCLANAHAN WORKS FIND WAY TO PLUS GALLERY

ADemand for Karen McClanahan's work has remained high, she still holds the status of having all major works on canvas sold with a healthy waiting list for anything new. While the artist is knee-deep in the development of major paintings that will be set to inaugurate our new space this fall, Karen has just unleashed a number of stunning gems to bolster her rapidly depleting inventory of works on paper. Not enough people have really taken the time to consider this angle of her art, but those who have walked away with beautiful examples of her rare talent and ability to produce masterpieces in a variety of formats. This week we received the remaining works from her "Modal" series of 2003, which really are the last of her pre-graduate school paintings that incorporated prominent organic forms with an unabashed sense for dramatic and unusual color combinations. This was the hallmark that made her one of the top emerging talents in Denver upon her graduation from RMCAD and remains a watershed for any artist striking out for a serious career as an artist. The works she held back had nothing to do with lesser quality in relation to those made available at the time, rather it was largely unknown to what extent her works would catch hold, not to mention the youth of the gallery itself. What they prove, however, is the striking thoughtfulness in which Karen has developed her career to date and maintains it as she grows in stature. We recommend any serious collector consider these works now and experience the pleasure of seeing them for the first time as we did this week.