The Denver Salon was formed by Mark Sink in 1993 to gather fine art photographers that he admired who were pursuing higher ideals in the use of photography. The Denver Salon prides itself with presenting bold experiments-risky and revealing subject matter as well as ambitious photo-installations. This group is committed to taking the fine art photography to new places.
In researching his great grandfather (James L. Breese), a photographer, who held midnight salons in New York City in the 1880’s. Sink became enamored and wanted to emulate his legacy. Breese called his group, “The Carbonites”, taken from the carbon print–a rare and difficult printing process Breese produced at his Carbon Studio. Like Breese’s salons, The Denver Salon gathers to show work, discuss art, share ideas and techniques of artistic experimentation. The group likes to reconstruct the French salon setting that boasts a candelabra, draping curtains, and fine food, drink and discussion. Sink soon found that there was power in numbers and he started to successfully approach galleries and museums to host exhibits of the groups’ artwork. The most recent of these efforts landed a show at the Artopia Gallery on 57th street in NYC. And this year in Japan where an exchange show was organized with a similar group out of Kitikisu City. The exhibits openings were simaltainous, broadcasted live over the Internet for the world and each to see and meet. “ I’ve always been aware that Denver has a particularly strong art community,” Sink says. “ And a powerfully strong core group of artists using photography as their medium.” Sink also likens Denver to Prague with a similar “self-contained art movement not involved with the east or west but with its own quiet cultural hot bed that has been fermenting and growing for the last few decades with little national recognition. If I have my way we are going to get recognized.”
Mark Sink
Photographers in the exhibition are Mark Sink, Eric Havelock-Bailie, Anne Arden McDonald, Bryan Boettiger, Joel Dallenbach, Michael Ensminger, Susan Evans, Shaun Gothwaite, John Hallin, Jeffery Hersch, Christopher James, Kate James, Wes Kennedy, Kevin O’Connell, Tamiki Obuchi, Christopher R. Perez, Paul Schroder, Reed Weimer, Inna Valin, and David Zimmer.
