100 Colorado Creatives: Sabin Aell

​ #98: Sabin Aell
Austrian-born Denver artist Sabin Aell -- mixed-media artist and photographer, maker of unusual jewelry, graphic designer, gallerist and curator -- casts a ray of sunshine down among the warehouses of RiNo: Not only is Hinterland, the gallery she and husband Randy Rushton run in their living space, known for its intimate, highly creative shows and welcoming ambience, but Sabin herself is a dynamo of talent, spreading beauty and the spirit of collaboration wherever she turns up. She loves Denver, and Denver loves her.

Ironically, Sabin never expected to end up in a place like this: "I submitted to a call for entry at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins. Mark Sink was the curator, and I was accepted; I came for to the opening reception and stayed for five days. During that time, I met Mark and many other interesting people, and I began thinking that Denver sounds like an interesting place to go. I came back and did a collaboration with Mark in 2005, and then I met Randy." She ended up staying here.

From "Triggered Momentum," by Sabin Aell. Walker Fine Art.

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"I love it totally; I think it's fantastic," Sabin adds. "I like the artist community here and how nice and generous the people are. In Frankfurt, the community was not as prolific. And there is a lot of talent in Denver. I was surprised to see that Denver is like this. It was never on my map of cities where I might move someday, but now I cannot think of a greater place to be."

From "Triggered Momentum," by Sabin Aell. Walker Fine Art.

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Like many other local creatives who adore this town, Sabin thinks Denver's isolation is what make it so grand. "The community here evolved out of almost nothing," she explains. "People have a lot of freedom out here in the middle of nowhere on the prairie. There's not as much pressure as on the coasts, and also, the land draws people who are like this." And she hopes in the future to see that freedom expand and, naturally, to be a part of that movement: "I would love," she says, "to see the artists come out of studios and take over the city." With Sabin Aell in charge, we're looking forward to that day.

We asked Sabin a few questions about art and Denver and life. Her answers follow on the next page.