World-Building with James Gurney

Song in the Garden by James Gurney

People love to use their imagination to create new worlds.  It doesn’t matter if its a child creating a fairy garden or a grown-up gardener contemplating a new design for the spring: world-building is a favorite activity of almost everyone.  And the right blend of imagination and realistic techniques can make the world as compelling as our own.

James Gurney created not merely art and books, but an entire phenomenon by pairing children’s fantasy and scientific illustration techniques into reconstruction of the imaginary Dinotopia. 
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UnReal Art at the Gardens

Real/UnReal: Botanical Studies by John Bonath, the current art exhibit in Gates Garden Court at our York Street location, sets our concrete walls ablaze with color. From afar, the works are simply appealing interpretations of botanical subjects. Portraits, perhaps. There is more than meets the eye, however. This manipulated digital photography by the well-known Denver artist is born out of the ideologies of Magic Realism and asks viewers to contemplate their definition of reality. A companion display provides secrets to understanding the artist’s process and provides clues to which portraits are of “real” flowers. Or - are any of these images “real?” Be sure to visit the exhibit before January 4 to decide for yourself.