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