My early aspirations in video and filmmaking were lodged in an era that straddled the introduction of digital tools and powerful computer processing, much of it residing on old storage disks or mini-dv tapes that are no longer compatible with current systems. My breakthrough achievement in filmmaking, a series of three one-minute trailers created for the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, was shot on 35mm film with a full crew and post production undertaken at Disney Studios. That project is available for viewing in the Sundance Festival Trailers archive on this site. Since the conclusion of that project, I’ve engaged with video creation, editing and motion design for both professional and personal projects, with a small sampling presented here.
Deep Real, a video created for Choose your Normalcy project 2021, through invitation by Raquel Meyers. A full description of the video can be found by clicking the vimeo link.
On April 11th, 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic that has shuttered art galleries, museums and just about every opportunity for artistic intersection in “real-time,” Plus Gallery Director Ivar Zeile took the opportunity to record a lengthy telephone/skype interview with artist Xi Zhang. The purpose is to seek insight into his current art practice, philosophy and to explore the large, profound body of work "Metallic Leaf Garden" that he’s been immersed in since 2014. The recording is structured as a "visual podcast" with direct views and simulations of Xi's various exhibitions over the last few years, offering a new way of looking at the paintings themselves, stepping beyond traditional static image representations on social media and websites. This segment is the concluding portion of the full interview, referenced through an interior simulation of Xi Zhang's current exhibition "Dream Dust Milkshake," held at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah. Learn more about Xi Zhang at: xizhang.org
In early January of 2020, artist and educator Conor Fagan asked Plus Gallery director Ivar Zeile to recommend artists for a new gallery project "Locker 11" that he had developed and was curating for Interlochen Arts Academy, where he is an instructor in painting and drawing. Ivar turned around and invited artist Mike Whiting to consider the unique proposition, for installation in Mid-March of 2020. A week prior to the completion of the installation and accompanying artist visit to the school, the entire world collapsed into a free-fall due to the ever evolving Corona Virus Pandemic rapidly overtaking the United States and rest of the world. All of a sudden time seemed to stand still, with Mike on his way to Michigan to deliver outdoor artworks to Michigan for the Franconia Sculpture Center, on his way to Interlochen. Conor managed to install the exhibition just as the school went into full lockdown, Mike cut his road-trip short and returned to California, and a week later the following discussion took place over the phone as a means for the world to understand the nature of the exhibition, Mike's process, unnatural phenomenon and how artists and the world can find inspiration at all times. Learn more about Mike Whiting's artwork at https://plusgallery.com/artists/mike-whiting/ Learn more about Conor Fagan's artwork at https://conorfagan.com/home.html
Pixelated consists of approximately 14 outdoor works, both new sculptures and existing works on loan to the Botanic Gardens through Plus Gallery. This video documents Mike Whiting discussing the exhibition and works during the opening week press-tour in April, 2018. The title "A walk in the park" refers back to Whiting's 2007 solo exhibition at Plus Gallery, in which a number of the works on view in Pixelated were first presented to the public. Filmed and edited by Ivar Zeile.
Promotional preview for Radical Vestige, an experimental assessment of memory in several acts, developed through an onslaught of visual evidence that straddles the depths of the pre and post-art history of the River North Arts District in Denver, Colorado. The production was compiled and edited in January 2018 for Side Stories RiNo, where it was projected onto the facade of the building at 25th and Larimer Street, part of the historic Benjamin Moore Paint Factory, from February 21st through March 2nd. The full project in context can be viewed on the Radical Vestige page of this website.
A personal project shot on iphone as a video invitation for my son’s 11th birthday party, developed and celebrated with his best friend. The video was formally presented at the Emmanuel Gallery in 2018 in the exhibition “My kid could do that.”
A personal project scripted, shot (on iphone), edited and finalized in the span of one afternoon. The video was formally presented at the Emmanuel Gallery in 2018 in the exhibition “My kid could do that.”
A video capturing an entire year walking with my son to the parking garage located four blocks from our apartment building in downtown Denver as part of our journey to get him to school. Easily my favorite video project.
A video capturing my son’s occasional journey down the stairway from the fourth floor in our apartment building to the 1st floor garage. A natural and curious follow up to Udo Walking.
"Jenny Morgan - Self Portrait" is the first video composition of the acclaimed young painter from New York City. Morgan discusses the more intimate details of several of her most compelling paintings of the last 4 years. Known for her exquisite and revealing self portraits as well as her interpretations of other people in her life, Morgan's body of work redefines the genre of contemporary portraiture, making her one of the most exciting young artists in contemporary art today. Filmed in August, 2011 at the end of her summer residency in Denver, Colorado in conjunction with Plus Gallery. Directed by Plus Gallery owner Ivar Zeile and assistant Ryan Pattie. Composition and editing by Ryan Pattie.
A historic look back towards the origins of Plus Gallery in Denver, Colorado. The operation first opened under the name "Cordell Taylor Gallery," the history of which is complex. In a nutshell the gallery started as an extension of dear friend and artist Cordell Taylor who ran the original gallery under his name within his own sculpture studio in Salt Lake City, UT up until the year 2000. This video captures life from the first two years in Denver, when we were young, cool and the only gallery in town hosting both experimental music and avante-garde performances. This compilation was intended to be a creative view of the gallery, utilizing documentation regularly taken during special events with an old Sony VX2000 camera. I could never find the original master, which was on Mini DV, so had to transfer to digital from VHS. The video features the following artists: Karen McClanahan Devon Moore R. Scott Davis Cinthea Fiss John McEnroe Rick Visser Roger Rapp Kent Smith Bug Nicholas Silici Lori Wahl W.W. Mueller Shan Wells Bryan Andrews Colin Livingston Warren Kelly Harry Walters and the following bands / performers: UME Bob Bellerue Jeph Jerman David Brady All footage shot between May 2002 and December 2003 Compiled and edited by Ivar Zeile / Plus Gallery Owner and Director