TYLER AIELLO
Monet’s Garden

A few years ago I read John Fowles’ essay, “Seeing Nature Whole.” Fowles comments on man’s tendency to be consumed with categorizing and classifying things. This process of comparison and compartmentalizing informs our perception. This duality and dichotomy - hot vs. cold, dark vs. light - is how we define our world. Yet through this process, we simplify our perceptions and often miss the beauty of the small, minute details within nature. Fowles sentiment has been a constant source of intrigue, and reminds me to continuously search for inspiration in the mundane.

Growing up in Colorado, I have always had a love of nature, the changing of seasons, and the metamorphosis of landscapes. My most recent series Monet’s Garden attempts to capture natural forms and processes, while focusing on detail, repetition, collectiveness and craft.

As an avid gardener, I have collected botanical images for many years – tulips, bulb flowers, orchids and carnivorous plants. For Monet’s Garden, I also researched photo micrographic images of seeds and pollen. After immersing myself in these images, I embarked upon the task of translating these thoughts into sculpture – leaving the images behind and working in a more interpretive and inquisitive manner.

Monet’s Garden is an evolution of my previous series, The Spheres. Although I am exploring new, biomorphic forms, I have retained certain elements that are consistent throughout my work. As with The Spheres, a major concern is the concept of gestalt – many component parts creating larger wholes. The totality of this work all originates from a single base, a circle. The circle is a universal form that repeats throughout nature and culture on both macro and microscopic levels. This use of basic forms and symbols on which to build larger, more complex structures is a thread running throughout all my work.

Process is a critical concern both physically and conceptually. It informs both how the work is made, the materials I utilize, and the manipulation of both. Each piece starts with the creation of thousands of metal circles that have been hand cut, ground, forged, hammered, shaped, welded and often finished with patinas. Because of the intense, repetitive nature of my work, I often build my own tools to aid in my process; including a forge, foam and plaster molds, and special texturizing hammers. I am especially attuned to the small differences and nuances within the individual components I have created. This individualism in the textures, shapes and surface quality provides a naturalism and softness unexpected in metal. As I work to create the final forms, my meticulous process serves as reference to the very commonplace phenomena in which I find inspiration.

BORN

1967, Denver, Colorado

EDUCATION

1989-1994 BFA, California College of Arts & Crafts, Sculpture Emphasis; Oakland, CA
1986-1987 Otis Parsons School of Design - Los Angeles, CA
1986 Colorado Institute of Art - Denver, CO

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2007

Walker Fine Art; OmniModus, Tyler and Monica Aiello; Denver, CO
Foothills Art Center; Pattern Recognition Invitational; Golden, CO

2006

Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center; Denver Art Dealers Association Showcase
Cell, Structure, Mass Invitational
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Two Worlds; Denver, CO

2005

Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Annual Art Market; Arvada, CO
Space Gallery, Two Worlds; Denver, CO
Sliding Door Gallery, Naked; Denver, CO
Studio Aiello, Come Together Group Show; Denver, CO

2004

Space Gallery, Pericardium; Denver, CO
Arvada Center for Art & Humanities, Annual Art Market; Arvada, CO

2003

Andenken Gallery: 4th Annual Group Show; Denver, CO
Studio Aiello: Surplus, The Pillow People Project; Denver, CO

2002

Studio Aiello: Untitled Group Show; Denver, Colorado

1994

Survival Research Laboratories, Calculated Forecast of Doom; San Francisco, CA
Irin Olver Art Center, Bottom Feeder Bike Works; Oakland, CA
Phoenix Iron Works Foundry, Solo Exhibition, Oakland, CA

1993

98% Art Space, Least Tern Public Art Project; Alameda, CA

1992

Mr. Floppys (Happenings Art Space), Solo Installation; Oakland, CA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2003-Present Owner, TarFactory Atelier / Sculpture, Design, Art Services & Fabrication; Denver, CO
1995-2005 Owner, Studio Aiello / Award-winning Gallery; Denver, CO
1990-1994 Aiello Assoc., Design & Color Consultant, Decorative Painting; San Francisco, CA
- '93, PG&E Dream Home; Collaborative project with Beardsly Studios
- '92, Melvin Belai Show Home; Collaborative project with John White Studios
- '90, Villa Strada Studios; Recreation of Renaissance Villa; Palo Alto, CA

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

2006

Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, Guest Lecturer
City of Denver, Office of Cultural Affairs, Member, Task Force for Creative Spaces
Denver Museum of Nature & Science; Lecturer: Space Art Talk & Walk
With Steve Lee, Phd. Curator of Planetary Science
Space Gallery, Guest Juror

2005

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art; Annual Art Auction Participant
Museum of Outdoor Arts; Juror Scholastic Sculpture Competition; Englewood, CO
Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver; Art Donor for ShoeBall
University of Colorado, Boulder: A Week of Technical Workshops at the TarFactory
In Conjunction with University of Colorado’s Conference on Art & Mathematics
Steele Elementary: Host – Student Art Club Show and Benefit
University of Colorado, Boulder: Speaker - Professional Practice Seminar
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art: Advisor - Portfolio Review Day
Pod Gallery: Art Symposium, Lecturer – Creating a Killer Portfolio
Steele Elementary: Guest Teacher - Art Day, Solar System Mobile for Kindergarten
California College of the Arts: Host – Recruiting Day for High School Students

2004

University of Colorado at Denver: Speaker - Senior Seminar
Metropolitan State College of Denver: Juror, Art Guild Exhibition
University of Colorado/Denver; Juror, Senior Art Show
California College of the Arts: Host – Recruiting Day for High School Students
Steele Elementary: Guest Teacher - Art Day, Soap Making for ECE Education

2003

University of Colorado at Denver: Speaker - Senior Seminar

2003-Present Denver Art Dealers Association; Co-chair for 2005; Executive Committee member

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2007

Rocky Mountain News: Mary Voelz Chandler, Omni Modus; 5.4.07

2006

Westword: Amber Taufen, Space Cases: DMNS and the Aiellos are a match made in the heavens; 2.23.06

2005

Denver Post: Kyle MacMillan, Denver’s loss and the pains of not growing, Studio Aiello; 12.23.05
Westword: Award – The Best of Westword Top Solo Show of 2004, Virginia Maitland, Studio Aiello

2004

Denver Post: Kyle MacMillan, The Best of artist Maitland?; 12.17.04
Denver Post: Kyle MacMillan, Top 10 Art Shows of 2004, FIBERish at Studio Aiello; 12.26.04
Westword: Award – The Best of Westword “Top Multi-Media Show, Doris Laughton at Studio Aiello”
Rocky Mountain News: Mary Volez Chandler, A biennial that works; 7.17.04
Denver Post: Kyle MacMillan, Ingenuity’s in the weave, Studio Aiello; 7.16.04
ArtNews: City Focus, Denver; 12.04

2003

The Denver Post, Kyle MacMillan, Studio Aiello ideal for large-scale art, video installations; June 6, 2003
Rocky Mountain News, Mary Chander, A 'Surplus' of inventive ideas; June 6, 2003
Westword, Michael Paglia, Artbeat: Surplus; May 29-June 4, 2003
Westword, Michael Paglia, Now and Then: While Studio Aiello presents new work, RMCAD buys an old campus; Jan. 9-15, 2003

2002

Westword, Michael Paglia, Up, Up, and Away: The new Studio Aiello is hoping to soar; Sept. 19-25, 2002
Rocky Mountain News, Mary Chander, A Banner Beginning; Sept. 20, 2002
Lodo & Downtown Denver News, Sandra Phillips, New Galleries With Fresh Ideas; Sept. 2002

1998

Contract Magazine, Design Drawings-Aiello Associates; April 1998

1994

Eye on America, Connie Chung, Feature, SRL's Calculated Forecast of Doom

SELECTED CORPORATE COLLECTIONS & ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSIONS

Dazzle Restaurant – Denver, CO
Jackson National Life Insurance – Denver, CO
Gourmet Catering – Denver, CO
Foothills Art Center (long-term loan) – Golden, CO
Murray, Dahl, Kuechenmeister & Renaud LLP – Denver, CO
Hyatt Convention Center Hotel – Denver, CO
Napa Auto Parts – Denver, CO
Aspen Country Inn – Aspen, CO
Villa Estrada – Palo Alto, CA
Owen Construction Company – Los Altos, CA