WORK
Black Book Gallery is proud to present the seminal group exhibition WORK, commemorating 15 years of pushing the cultural needle and celebrating the artistic community, both in Denver and beyond.
WORK will open on Saturday, December 10th from 7-11pm—with a performance by FACEMAN (IYKYK) at 8pm. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will remain on view until December 31st.
The exhibition features works by Shepard Fairey, Faile, D*Face, Anthony Lister, SLOP, Martin Whatson, Alex Face, David Walker, HUSH, Swoon, Hama Woods, Julio Alejandro. Porous Walker, Ferris Plock, EMEK, Vhils, B+, Brett Kern and other artists that Black Book Gallery has worked with—and admired—since its inception.
Black Book Gallery was founded on a simple premise—to champion the artists we believe in. Over the course of the gallery’s evolution, our mission has never wavered. We’ve worked alongside emerging artists who are now considered iconic, and we continue to nurture rising generations of artists whose careers are only just beginning.
WORK will include new paintings by invited artists, as well as important works from past Black Book exhibitions. We’re sampling our own history, and weaving it into the present—and the future. Like the gallery program itself, the exhibition WORK celebrates eclectic forms of creativity, art that defies genres, and subverts the status quo.
Black Book Gallery is also committed to exposing our local community to work by talented artists from around the world. In that spirit, WORK will feature international artists including the Japanese glass collective Slop; Norwegian artists Martin Whatson and Hama Woods; Australian artist Anthony Lister; David Walker and Hush from the UK; Portuguese artist VHILS; and Alex Face from Thailand.
As both a business enterprise and a labor of love, Black Book Gallery continues to thrive on its founders’ dedication to their artists, collectors, and to the wider arts ecosystem. “Some people may not know this but the entire gallery operation is run by only two people,” says gallery co-founder Will Suits. “We have devoted thousands of hours to building up and sharing the artists we believe in for the past 15 years. We believe strongly in the DIY work ethic and mantra. All of the artists we work with have that same work ethic and that makes for a great working relationship.”
Black Book Gallery derives its name from the artist’s sketchbook, that egalitarian yet all-important tool where ideas become reality. As Co-Owner Tom Horne explains, “It's what's in there that flourishes from a sketch to a work of art.”
As we look back on 15 years, Black Book Gallery is sincerely thankful to our patrons and collectors who have supported the gallery and our program, becoming friends and even extended family along the way. We are fortunate to be able to work everyday with art we love—our mission and vision was never to follow established “art world” trends but to create a more avant-garde program, inspired by underground subcultures and renegades, misfits, outliers and dreamers.
“We started the gallery with a love for collecting and helping artists get their work seen,” Horne says. “It was never about us as owners, it was about what was on the walls and inside the gallery.”
WORK pays homage to these creators, and represents Black Book Gallery’s profound gratitude to all the artists who have been part of our journey thus far—not only for their beautiful, challenging, irreverent, and complex artworks, but for trusting us to present them with all the glory they deserve.
Here’s to 15 more years.
WORK will open on Saturday, December 10th from 7-11pm—with a performance by FACEMAN (IYKYK) at 8pm. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will remain on view until December 31st.
The exhibition features works by Shepard Fairey, Faile, D*Face, Anthony Lister, SLOP, Martin Whatson, Alex Face, David Walker, HUSH, Swoon, Hama Woods, Julio Alejandro. Porous Walker, Ferris Plock, EMEK, Vhils, B+, Brett Kern and other artists that Black Book Gallery has worked with—and admired—since its inception.
Black Book Gallery was founded on a simple premise—to champion the artists we believe in. Over the course of the gallery’s evolution, our mission has never wavered. We’ve worked alongside emerging artists who are now considered iconic, and we continue to nurture rising generations of artists whose careers are only just beginning.
WORK will include new paintings by invited artists, as well as important works from past Black Book exhibitions. We’re sampling our own history, and weaving it into the present—and the future. Like the gallery program itself, the exhibition WORK celebrates eclectic forms of creativity, art that defies genres, and subverts the status quo.
Black Book Gallery is also committed to exposing our local community to work by talented artists from around the world. In that spirit, WORK will feature international artists including the Japanese glass collective Slop; Norwegian artists Martin Whatson and Hama Woods; Australian artist Anthony Lister; David Walker and Hush from the UK; Portuguese artist VHILS; and Alex Face from Thailand.
As both a business enterprise and a labor of love, Black Book Gallery continues to thrive on its founders’ dedication to their artists, collectors, and to the wider arts ecosystem. “Some people may not know this but the entire gallery operation is run by only two people,” says gallery co-founder Will Suits. “We have devoted thousands of hours to building up and sharing the artists we believe in for the past 15 years. We believe strongly in the DIY work ethic and mantra. All of the artists we work with have that same work ethic and that makes for a great working relationship.”
Black Book Gallery derives its name from the artist’s sketchbook, that egalitarian yet all-important tool where ideas become reality. As Co-Owner Tom Horne explains, “It's what's in there that flourishes from a sketch to a work of art.”
As we look back on 15 years, Black Book Gallery is sincerely thankful to our patrons and collectors who have supported the gallery and our program, becoming friends and even extended family along the way. We are fortunate to be able to work everyday with art we love—our mission and vision was never to follow established “art world” trends but to create a more avant-garde program, inspired by underground subcultures and renegades, misfits, outliers and dreamers.
“We started the gallery with a love for collecting and helping artists get their work seen,” Horne says. “It was never about us as owners, it was about what was on the walls and inside the gallery.”
WORK pays homage to these creators, and represents Black Book Gallery’s profound gratitude to all the artists who have been part of our journey thus far—not only for their beautiful, challenging, irreverent, and complex artworks, but for trusting us to present them with all the glory they deserve.
Here’s to 15 more years.
