Born in 1928, Denver, Colorado native Phyllis Hutchinson Montrose began painting at the age of seven while recovering from rheumatic fever, with her first subject being a robin perched on a golf ball. She studied at the Westlake School for Girls in California before pursuing her artistic education at the University of Denver, where she found mentors in Angelo di Benedetto and Julio de Diego. Montrose also trained at the Honolulu Academy of Arts as well as schools in Florence and Rome. Her extensive travels greatly influenced her style. In 1961, Montrose opened the Central City Art Gallery in Denver, showcasing prominent Colorado artists alongside her own work. Known for her Surrealist and deeply personal paintings, Montrose carved out a unique space in the Colorado art world before passing away in 2018.
Although Montrose came from an affluent background, had a high IQ, and was a Mensa member, she struggled with feelings of inadequacy given some challenging family dynamics. Furthermore, a near-death experience at the age of twenty-eight led Montrose to explore Eastern spirituality, which became a cornerstone of both her personal life and artistic expression, leading to her use of introspective themes and symbolic motifs. Employing a methodical approach that diverged from traditional Surrealist techniques, Montrose favored meticulous execution over automatism and Freudian influences while taking inspiration from dreams and her unconscious mind. In terms of composition, Montrose liked to use tempera and oil glazes to create luminous paintings reminiscent of René Magritte, yet with more fantastic elements at times.
In 2013, Denver's Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art held a career retrospective of Montrose's work prior to her death five years later. This was particularly fitting since the museum's namesake, Vance Kirkland, was another of Montrose's artistic mentors. Tracing Montrose's evolution as an artist, the exhibition contextualized her importance to Denver's art scene in the 20th century and the contributions she made to Surrealism generally with her singular vision. Asked once by the Kirkland's Founding Director & Curator Hugh Grant why there were so many Surrealists in Denver, Montrose replied with characteristic wit, "Well, Hugh! It's the altitude; the thin air; the lack of oxygen. We're all loopy."
