Sticky

I keep forgetting to write about this and then feeling bad, because everyone should know about it. I really enjoyed my time in Denver, Colorado – not just because my friends had the most adorable little ginger kitten.

Sake the ginger cat, in my makeshift 'handbag'

See what I mean about cute? Also she is a little trouble maker, can you blame me from putting her in this post?

The first day I was there was a Friday, and both my friends had to work, so I spent the day lost and wandering around. I ended up near Santa Fe Road (or Avenue) in the late afternoon, checking out all the galleries.  Nearby (a block or two off the main strip) was Love Gallery, which is incredibly cool.

A shot of a wall, with a series of frames enclosing a montage of stickers

The cool set-up

It’s a tiny gallery, but one that seems to run pretty cool concepts. This month’s exhibition is called Peel’N’Stick, where everyone was invited to submit their own sticker designs. See what I mean by awesome concepts?

There was a fair amount of variety, everything from skulls and overly masculine imagery for skaters, to feminist propaganda, to anime inspired girls, to the designs a 7 year old boy sent in. Stickers from all around the world, including a girl from Australia.

Stickers, centre image red with a veiled woman

I have to admit the stickers addressing sexuality and gender were more interesting than the skateboarding ones (for me at least).

I am utterly charmed by this exhibition. I ended up buying a whole pile of the excess stickers that were for sale and it absolutely made my day.

Stick by an Australian girl in the centre

The sticker I have tried to get in the center of this photo is one by an Australian girl whose name I have forgotten.

The owner’s knowledge of all the stickers and their creators was impressive, he knew a stupid amount of detail about the stickers and the creators, and showed a real interest in every piece. Discovering the culture itself was fascinating: a community based around indie sticker creation, something I wouldn’t have thought existed, but which apparently is a thriving little sub-culture. When I arrived the gallery owner was in the middle of creating a bus-stop style chair for visitors to add the stickers to. I’m a little sad I won’t get to see what it looks like by the end of exhibition.

A just made Bus-Stop bench in the middle of being covered in stickers

When I visited it was very much a work in progress.

If you live in Denver, you should totally check it out and be prepared to grin like a loon. The show is on til the 30th of September, so you don’t have much time left.