The associations are so strong that one may be reacquainted, as I was, with early ventures to this state, when it represented a magical reprieve from nearly all other areas of the country, when it seemed a nirvana we would all eventually gravitated toward. But along with this reminiscence comes a sense of loss. There's a feeling of harmony present in the work of Vanguard one struggles to find in present-day Colorado. Perhaps this accord is due to the sensitive nature of the artists themselves, in that they're more in tune with their surroundings and the subtleties of their place within it. Their position on the vanguard is not merely nominal, it's natural and true.
Artists divine what is apparent yet inexpressible.
Yet there's no question that Colorado has changed under the weight of the millions who have decended upon it, and that the quality of life chronicled on these canvases and three-dimensional surfaces is fading and has all but disappeared. With hope, the perspective provided by this exhaustive collection will stave the distruction, if only for an afternoon. All Rights Reserved.