Bio
The imagery of much of my work revolves around the figure. I find the figure, especially the face, to be an endlessly inspiring foundation for both my formal and conceptual ideas. My work explores a variety of personal and social issues ranging from family to politics. Recently my artistic project has focused around the myth of the individual and our contradictory dependency on one another at both the personal and macro level. As our symbiosis with technology evolves, some of the gaps between individuals, communities, and cultures become less apparent and less meaningful. As the individual becomes more global, so do the impacts of our actions. At the same time that the facade of the individual begins to crumble we hold to the ideal that the individual can be self made and self sustaining. My paintings, in their small way, aim to critique this notion.
Wes Magyar, an alumni of the University of Coloardo at Boulder, has exhibited his work since 1999. Notable exhibition venues include - The Denver Art Museum, Mobil Museum of Art, Arvada Center for the Arts, Dairy Center for the Arts, The Fort Collins Museum of Art, Mizel Ceter for Arts and Culture, and the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts. His paintings appeared in numerous publications including Art in America, Art Papers, Adbusters, the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Westword. His works reside in the collections of Denver Art Museum, Howard A. and Judy Tullman collection, Children’s Hospital, City of Aurora Colorado, Delta Dental as well as private collections in United States, Canada and Europe.
Wes currently lives in Denver Colorado with his wife and two children. He is also an accomplished photographer providing documentation services for institutions such as the University of Wyoming Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, Redline, the New York Yankees and many exceptional artist, galleries, and collectors. You can find out more about his art photography services here: wmartistservices.com
Statement
Most of my work revolves around the figure. I find the figure, especially the face, to be an endlessly inspiring foundation for both my formal and conceptual ideas. My work explores a variety of personal and social issues ranging from family to politics. Recently my artistic project has focused around the myth of the individual and our contradictory dependency on one another at both the personal and macro level.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 Wes Magyar, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO
2016 Visage, University of Wyoming, Visual Arts Gallery, Laramie, WY
Remnants, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Aspen/Snowmass, CO
2014 Means to an End, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
2008 Convergence, Plus Gallery, Denver, CO
2006 The Barest Trace, Plus Gallery, Denver CO
Cadence 2, Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2004 Cadence, Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2003 The Price of Illusion, Judish Fine Arts, Denver, CO
2002 Said and Done, Pirate: a contemporary art oasis, Denver, CO
2001 Release and Devour, Pirate: a contemporary art oasis, Denver, CO
2000 Searching for the Obvious, Pirate: a contemporary art oasis, Denver, CO
1999 As If You Were Not There, Pirate: a contemporary art oasis, Denver, CO
Selected Juried & Group exhibitions
2014 Superhuman, Plus Gallery, Denver CO
2012 Faces, Places, and Spaces, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
2010 Spittin' Image: Ten Artists Consider Their Children, Singer Gallery, Mizel Arts & Culture Center, Denver CO.
2009 Figure Matters, Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO
2008 Character Sketches, Loveland Museum and Gallery, Loveland, CO
Failure, The Lab, Lakewood CO
2007 The Disasters of War, Mizel Center for Arts and Culture, Denver, CO
Realationships: works of surreal inspiration, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO
2006 Contemporary Imaginings: The Howard A. and Judy Tullman Collection, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
2005 Art Not Oil, the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Scotland
2004 scene Colorado/sin Colorado, Denver Art Museum, Denver CO
2003 Colorado Art Open Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden CO
Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver CO
Group Exhibition, Judish Fine Arts, Denver CO
2002 22nd anniversary Members’ show, Pirate, Denver, CO
Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver CO
Group Exhibition, Judish Fine Arts, Denver CO
2001 Mirror of the Mind: the psychology of contemporary portraiture, Fort Collins Museum of Art, Fort Collins CO
1999 WOW! Core New Art Space, Denver, CO
20th anniversary Members’ shows, Pirate, Denver, CO
1998 Paradise? Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, Santiago, Chile
33, University of Colorado Art Galleries, Boulder, CO
Collections
Denver Art Museum
Howard A. and Judy Tullman
Children’s Hospital
City of Aurora Colorado
Delta Dental Plan of Colorado
Private collections in the United States, Canada and Europe
Bibliography
2012Lasn, Kalle. Meme Wars, Adbusters Media Foundation
2007 Froyd, Susan. Blind Justice, Westword January 11
2006 Adbusters – issue 67
Paglia, Michael. Realist Democracy, Westword June 8
MacMillan, Kyle. Realism is Alive and Well, Denver Post, July 7
Lasn, Kalle. Design Anarchy, Adbusters Media Foundation
Paglia, Michael. Art Beat, Westword, March 30
Scheme Magazine- issue 1, pg. 45, 46
Be Aware Magazine Chapter 4: Solutions
2005 Adbusters – issue 62
denversyntax.com – issue 4
2004 Adbusters – issue 56
Briere, Troy. Art Papers, July/August, pg.52
Paglia, Michael. Art Beat, Westword, June 24
2003 Paglia, Michael. Art Beat, Westword, April 17
2002 Chandler, Mary Voelz. Judish shifts for Magyars Art, Rocky Mountain News, April 11
Kopolos, Janet. Art in America, September, pg.142
Paglia, Michael. Art Beat, Westword, March 21
Teaching
2005-2011 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design