Mike Whiting says “Gardens are in their own way virtual spaces—carefully created environments. They have the power to transport you, to give you the feeling of faraway places. Similar are the digital environments of video games. The contrast of the sculptures’ geometric and manmade materials can seem at odds with the gardens, but they are connected in the dialogue about the re-presentation of nature.”
Whiting’s work explores the relationships between the natural world and the artificial world of digital media along with two distinct visual styles: 8-bit graphics — which have enjoyed a recent resurgence in games like Minecraft — and minimalist sculpture. Graphics in early video games such as Donkey Kong and Space Invaders were reduced to simplified pixel forms because of technological limitations, while the minimalist art movement created objects that were purposefully simplified. Pixelated investigates the opposite intents of these two artistic approaches that result in a strikingly similar visual outcome.
Three of Whiting’s sculptures are typically on display in Denver’s River North Art District (RiNo): Pinkie (2010), Mr. Green (2010) and Rhino (2010). Pinkie and Mr. Green are part of the Pixelated exhibition. The California-based artist received his BFA from Brigham University in Utah and his MFA from Pratt Institute in New York. He has been the subject of solo gallery and museum exhibitions and part of group exhibitions throughout the U.S.
Lisa Eldred, Director of Exhibitions, Art and Interpretation at the Gardens, states, “Mike Whiting’s work offers a wonderful juxtaposition to Denver Botanic Gardens’ natural surroundings. The layered understandings of his sculpture provide an art experience that not only resonates with art and video game enthusiasts, but also with children exploring the world around them through color and form.”
