This fall, Gallery 1261 revisits the extraordinary terrain of high-definition realism with Tight 2, a follow-up to the landmark exhibition curated by Anthony Waichulis. Representational painters have long had their efforts categorized along a spectrum of definition or abstraction. On one end of that spectrum, dubbed loose, we tend to find artwork with wonderfully bold abstractions and incredibly masterful brevity. In contrast, the other end, dubbed tight, is populated with impressive realizations of great complexity and meticulous precision. Virtuosity can be found equally across the entirety of this spectrum; in the artists that can abstract a subject down to ten brushstrokes, the artists that choose to manifest that same subject with a thousand, and the countless artists chasing their own blend of definition and abstraction in between.   

Tight 2 furthers the celebration of those that continue to define the landscape on the high-definition end of this spectrum of representation. The artists selected for this special showcase continue to awe and inspire with their endeavors, achieving levels of resolution and depth that elicit experiences of wonder and fascination for any viewer. As before, the show will feature demonstrable virtuosity, compelling content, and astonishing resolution in many forms. If you appreciate the discipline and dazzle of razor-sharp representation, this is not a show to miss...

Curator Statement

As the curator of Tight 2, I am elated to see a remarkable expansion of diversity in this year’s showcase—diversity not just in subject matter and voice, but in the approaches, intentions, and executions that define what “tight” representation can be.Too often, the label “tight” is equated solely with colloquial notions of photorealism or hyperrealism. But this end of the spectrum encompasses much more than that. It includes artists who navigate many modes of high definition representation in the service of narrative, emotion, illusion, symbolism, and even play—rendering with clarity, yes, but also with deeply personal frameworks and unique stylizations that transcend mimetic fidelity alone.I sincerely hope this year’s exhibition reflects and celebrates that diversity—illustrating just how vast, vibrant, and conceptually rich this high-definition realm of representation truly is.-Anthony Waichulis

Participating Artists

Gregory Block, Scott Fraser, Greg Gandy, Serge Marshennikov, Megan Elizabeth Read, Fred Wessel, Tony Curanaj, Alexander Chistov, Heather Neill, Jason Walker, Anthony Waichulis, Julie Beck, Helen Crispino, Rodney O'Dell Davis, Francisco Collado, Ruddy Taveras, Duffy Sheridan, Stanley Rayfield, Russell Harris, Jay Davenport, Michael P. Carson, Patrick Kramer, Ardith Starostka, Carlos Bruscianelli, Robert Stark

📅 Exhibition Dates: October 10 – November 1, 2025
🎉 Opening Reception: Friday, October 10, 6–8 PM
📍 Venue: Gallery 1261, 1261 Delaware St, Denver, CO 80204

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