Denver Art Museum presents Laura Ellen Bacon’s first U.S. solo art installation

The British sculptor will create a site-specific work, inspired by plant growth and organic life
Portrait of Laura Ellen Bacon by Alun Callender

Portrait of Laura Ellen Bacon by Alun Callender.

DENVER – May 28, 2024 – The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is pleased to announce British artist Laura Ellen Bacon’s inaugural U.S. installation. Bacon is renowned for transforming raw, natural materials by hand into sculptures in both interior and landscape settings. Rejuvenation, measuring over 20ft. in height and made of more than 500 lbs. of willow branches, will be on view at the museum from June 23, 2024, through fall 2024.

As the artist explains, Rejuvenation was inspired by the organic growth of the willow plant, whose root system’s ability to store water equates to the inherent power of life and regrowth. The installation will climb along the large, four-story wall in the museum’s Hamilton Building atrium. Its organic shapes will embrace, surround, and engulf the building’s architectural structures, encouraging visitors to experience their environment in a different way.

“We are delighted to bring Bacon’s unique artistic language to Denver It sparks a fascinating dialogue with our recently opened exhibition Biophilia: Nature Reimagined, which, just like Bacon’s art installations, explores the ways in which nature inspires,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “The designs and elements of Bacon’s large-scale sculptures reflect humans’ innate bonds with nature, weaving shapes and materials together to evoke the structures and phenomena found in the natural world.”

The daughter of an architect father and a fruit grower mother, Bacon grew up on a farm in Derbyshire County, UK, where the artist still lives and works. Her surroundings and upbringing continue to inform her work through her site-specific creations that explore the relationship between natural and human-made environments.

Abstract wood and nest-like sculptures in the galleries

Inundation, 2014. Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales, UK. Flanders Red Willow. Photo by Dewi Tannatt Lloyd.

“Working within the tradition of Earth art, an artistic movement that has been dominated by male artists, Bacon brings a distinctively feminine sensitivity to her work,” said Jill D’Alessandro, Director & Curator, Avenir Institute of Textile Arts & Fashion at the DAM. “Her monumental forms are intricately crafted through the repetition of simple shapes, transforming individual branches into mysterious spaces, both alien and familiar to the viewer. Despite their large scale, Bacon’s creations touch upon human experience to provide intimate spaces of temporary refuge.”

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDIA TO MEET THE ARTIST:

  • From June 5 to 18, artist Laura Ellen Bacon and her team will be at the DAM to install Rejuvenation on the Hamilton Building’s four-story wall, it will measure over 20ft. in height and weigh more than 500 lbs.
  • On June 18, 6-7PM, the DAM will host an Artist Conversation with Laura Ellen Bacon and Jill D’Alessandro, Director and Curator of the Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion. They will discuss the artist’s practice and her newly created sculpture, Rejuvenation, commissioned by the DAM.

Contact pressoffice@denverartmuseum.org for all press inquiries and interview requests.

This exhibition is funded by the Avenir Foundation Endowment.

Abstract outdoor sculpture in the garden of an old castle-like structure

Rêverie, a temporary exhibit for Département de L’Eure en Normandie at Château-Gaillard as part of Journées Européenes du Patrimonie 2023. Stripped willow. Photo by Laura Ellen Bacon.

Planning Your Visit

The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options and access information. General admission for museum members is free every day. Youth aged 18 and under receive free general admission everyday thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program.

About the Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its mission is to enrich lives by sparking creative thinking and expression. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations.

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Media Contacts

Andy Sinclair/Press Office
Denver Art Museum
720-913-0096/719-761-9390
asinclair@denverartmuseum.org or
pressoffice@denverartmuseum.org