Denver Art Museum

There is so much to see at the Museum this summer and it will take multiple visits to see it all. I have spent an afternoon at the Spun exhibit and there is still much more to see. The Nick Cave show is spectacular and this Friday there will be a performance of his work at Civic Center. What may get overlooked is the jewel of an exhibit of early work by Mark Rothko. A big plus of this excellent show is that it is next door to the Clyfford Still Museum. I hadn't realized how Still had influenced Rothko and it is very evident in the exhibit. For any painter the show is a must-see and for anyone who wants to understand how an artist develops his ideas. The magnificent Rothko's from the 1960s didn't just spring fully formed from his brush. There were years of development as he worked through ideas and influences ranging from Picasso, Andre Masson, Still and even Milton Avery. It is all there and I can't wait to return.