Openings & Events
Brandon Aleson
Same Difference is a video installation meant to explore “the natural plasticity of the digital through its mediation of the physical.” Glass Box, 831 Seattle Blvd. S., glassboxgallery.com. 6-9 p.m. Wed., Jan. 21.
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John Grade
Middle Fork is a replica of a giant Western hemlock created with plaster molds and real wood chunks. Opening reception Noon-5 p.m. Sun., Jan. 25. MadArt, 325 Westlake Ave. N., 623-1180, madartseattle.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Apr. 25.
Hold Tight to a THing That Moves, Vol. 3 The newest volume in an ongoing series features local artists musing on Seattle’s wintertime darkness. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave., gallery1412.org. 8 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 22.
Imaginature Surreal nature-inspired work from local artists. Opening reception 6-8:30 p.m Fri., Jan. 23. Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St., 425-822-7161, kirklandartscenter.org. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends March 27.
James Mongrain During his brief residency, the artist will create modern interpretations of 18th- and 19th-century vintage Venetian glass art. Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St. (Tacoma), 284-2130, museumofglass.org. $5-$15. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun. Ends Jan. 25.
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Zack Bent
Lean-out, Lean-to is an installation inspired by a chance encounter with a truck canopy in Spokane. Bent takes that structural form and adopts it into a “monolithic chamber of secrets.” Jack Straw New Media Gallery, 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 634-0919, jackstraw.org. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Feb. 6.
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Bruce Bickford If you live in Seattle and love animation, then bow down to this hometown hero. Since the ’60s he’s relentlessly churned out bewitchingly bizarre films featuring surreal landscapes both hand-drawn and crafted in clay. Although he’s most remembered for his half-dozen years as Frank Zappa’s resident animator, he’s continued to produce incredible work, including one of history’s greatest work’s of stop-motion, Prometheus’ Garden.
Vermillion, 1508 11th Ave., 709-9797, vermillionseattle.com. 4 p.m.-midnight. Tues.-Sun., Ends Feb. 7.
BAM Biennial: Knock on Wood Again, there’s a very materials-focused emphasis to this biannual group show. Clay and fiber art were featured in 2012 and 2010, respectively; now it’s the chisel-and-mallet set’s turn to display their creations. Some of the three dozen artists featured you know or have seen before at BAM (or local galleries), like Rick Araluce, Whiting Tennis, and W. Scott Trimble. The juried selection offers every variety of woodworking from the Northwest, ranging from indigenous Native American carvings to smartly modern furniture that might fit into your SLU condo. In addition to a juried award, which bestows a future solo show and a $5,000 prize (the winner to be announced this week), there’s a popular balloting system whereby visitors can select their own favorite pieces. And you cast your voting on regular old scraps of paper—appropriate, of course, since they were originally made of the same material the artists are using. BRIAN MILLER Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., 425-519-0770, bellevuearts.org. $5-$10. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Ends March 29.
Alix Brodeur
A Shovel A Shovel features minimalist pottery. Pottery Northwest, 226 First Ave. N., 285-4421, potterynorthwest.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues.-Fri. Ends Jan. 31.
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City Dwellers A dozen contemporary Indian artists are represented in this show organized by SAM and originating entirely from the private local collection of Sanjay Parthasarathy (a Microsoft millionaire) and wife Malini Balakrishnan. Scenes and icons from Mumbai to New Delhi are represented via photography and sculpture, from an all-native perspective. As tourists know, India is ridiculously photogenic, from its colorful idols and deities to the slums and beggars. It all depends on what you want to see. Photographer Dhruv Malhotra, for instance, takes large color images of people sleeping in public places—some because they’re poor, others because they simply feel like taking a nap. Nandini Valli Muthiah opts for more stage-managed scenes, posing a costumed actor as the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna in contemporary settings; in one shot I love, he sits in a hotel suite, like a tired business traveler awaiting a conference call on Skype. Sculptor Debanjan Roby even dares to appropriate the revered figure of Gandhi, rendering him in bright red fiberglass and listening to a white iPod. Apple never made such an ad, of course, but this impudent figure tweaks both India’s postcolonial history and the relentless consumerism that now links us all, from Seattle to Srinagar. BRIAN MILLER Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., 654-3121, seattleartmuseum.org. $12–$19. Weds.-Sun.
Ends Feb. 15.
Contemporary Prints from Thailand AND PRINTS OF INDUSTRY A selection of prints from the Chiang Mai Art on Paper Studio, as well as an exhibition of prints examining the rise of the industrial era. Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave. S., 624-6700, davidsongalleries.com. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Feb. 16.
Cross Pollination Gallery artists invite a guest to show a piece alongside their own works. Shift Gallery, 312 S. Washington St. (Tashiro Kaplan Building), shiftgallery.org. Noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
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Patrick Driscoll & Barry Stone Driscoll is a painter, but he prefers T-shirts and underwear to canvasses. Stone’s “data-bending” work uses technology to warp his photo and video pieces. James Harris Gallery, 604 Second Ave, 903-6220, jamesharrisgallery.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Feb. 14.
John Economaki
Quality Is Contagious contains a small selection of the woodwork of Portland’s Economaki. Examples from the ’70s and ’80s are quite impressive—pure joinery (meaning no nails or screws), dovetails and elegant corners, interesting selections of grain, and completely one-off, handmade creations. Then comes the cruel turn: Economaki the woodworker somehow became allergic to wood dust, effectively ending his career behind the saw. In response—and this is the show’s main focus—Economaki started a new business called Bridge City Tool Works, which sells high-end planes, mallets, hand drills, jigs, chisels, and the like. So if you (or your dad) enjoy expensive tool porn, this is like a tour through a trade-show booth. BRIAN MILLER Bellevue Arts Museum. Ends Feb 1.
Group Show A collection of work from gallery-affiliated artists. Traver Gallery, 110 Union St. #200, 587-6501, travergallery.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. Ends Feb. 28.
Ann Hamilton The artist has created new commissioned art for the Henry that she invites viewers to interact with through touch—elements of the show can be ripped off the wall and kept for later. Henry Art Gallery (UW campus), 543-2280, henryart.org. $6-$10. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs. & Sat. Ends April 26.
Fred HOlcomb & G. Lewis Clevenger Holcomb’s paintings look like blurred photographs taken from a whizzing car window, while Clevenger’s deal in soft abstractions. Linda Hodges Gallery, 316 First Ave. S. 624-3034, lindahodgesgallery.com. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
Holiday Group Exhibition The annual group show features a variety of local artists. Gallery I|M|A, 123 S. Jackson St., 625-0055, galleryima.com. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
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Incantation and Follies
Incantation, inspired by death, rebirth, winter, and ritual, is group show featuring work with strong mystical influences. Mark Mitchell’s Follies, features clothing inspired by pharmaceutical companies and the AIDS epidemnic. Roq La Rue, 532 First Ave S., 374-8977, roqlarue.com. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
In the Absence Of…. and Concinnitas Sierra Stinson and Klara Glosova’s In the absence of… invites artists to explore “a gap” in their show. Concinnitias features hand-drawn equations and formulas by 10 notable mathematicians and physicists. Each print is accompanied by an explanation of the equation, so make sure to bring a notepad. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave., 624-0770, gregkucera.com. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Feb. 14.
Ken Kelly Large-scale, bold color canvasses that the artist promises don’t “address issues” or “reference anything.” Gallery4Culture, 101 Prefontaine Pl. S. (Tashiro Kaplan Building), galleries.4culture.org. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Jan. 29.
Andreas Kocks & Robin Layton In a clever twist on the notion of “medium,” Kocks sculpts “paint” out of paper that leaps off the canvas. Layton’s photo series attempts to capture the emotional spirit of the Seahawks’ “12th Man” fans. Winston Wachter Fine Art, 203 Dexter Ave. N., 652-5855, winstonwachter.com. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Feb 25.
Jerri Lisk Arboreal collects her romantic paintings of trees. Patricia Rovzar, 1225 Second Ave., 223-0273, rovzargallery.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Ends Jan. 31.
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James Martin Cartoony, circusy gauche paintings full of monkeys, lions, characters from King of the Hill, Mariners players, and more. Foster/White Gallery, 220 Third Ave S., 622-2833, fosterwhite.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
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MELT A group show of local and international artists responding to issues pertaining to youth, childhood, and education. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way S.W., 935-2999, youngstownarts.org. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Ends March 15.
Miniature Art Extravaganza! Fifty artists show small works for $250 and under, perfect for holiday gifts. Ghost Gallery, 504 E. Denny Way, 832-6063, ghostgalleryart.com. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Ends Feb. 7.
Nick Mount There are about three dozen glass creations in the traveling show The Fabric of Work. The Australian Mount has been practicing his art for more than 40 years and even trained at Pilchuck, but this is a more recent selection. Certainly he has his craft well-honed. The control of color and shape is formidable in his bulbs, orbs, vases, and pendants. Some have delicate flowering stamens; others are intricate bottles with ornate stoppers. It’s all strictly decorative work, completely uninteresting to me, but suited to posh waiting rooms at dentists’ offices or on the mantels of gas fireplaces in new Bellevue highrises. BRIAN MILLER Bellevue Arts Museum, Ends Feb 1.
MUSEUM FOR AN IMAGINED CITY A bunch of artists from Scotland who’ve never been to Seattle create art based on what they think our city might be like. SOIL Gallery, 112 Third Ave. S. (Tashiro Kaplan Building), 264-8061, soilart.org. Noon-5 p.m. Thu.-Sun. Ends Jan. 31.
Nature vs. Nurture A group show themed around scenes that have a nurturing or naturing element. EAFA Gallery, 5701 Sixth Ave. S., eafa.org. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Feb. 28.
Dylan Neuwirth Neuwirth’s “post-human” art often ponders the odd relationship humans have with technology and how the lines between man and machine continue to blur. Punch Gallery, 119 Prefontaine Pl. S. (Tashiro Kaplan Building), 621-1945, punchgallery.org. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
On Capturing Transient Bodies Patty Haller, Ingrid Lahti, Edward Lee, and Trung Pham set out to “capture what cannot be captured” in this painting exhibit. ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. S.W., 938-0963, artswest.org. 1:30-7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Ends March 7.
Jerome Poirier The Montreal-born artist presents mixed-media art fragmented with ornate patterns. Hall|Spassov Gallery, 319 Third Ave. S., 453-3244. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
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Police at Work In light of the events of Ferguson, artists in this group show present smartphone footage taken of police officers in the field (all benign, we hope). Gallery 110, 110 Third Ave. (Tashiro Kaplan Building), 624-9336, gallery110.com. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Jan. 24.
Travis Pond From Portland, the sculptor crafts wild animals out of steel. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 521 S. Main St., 459-6857, bryanohno.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Feb. 28.
Rear View The gallery attempts to pair new paintings with older works to draw parallels in time and contrast evolving techniques in the fields. Lisa Harris Gallery, 1922 Pike Place, lisaharrisgallery.com, 443-3315. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Jan. 31.
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Skyspace James Turrell’s Skyspace stands on two concrete pillars in the Henry’s erstwhile sculpture courtyard. On the exterior, thousands of LED fixtures under the structure’s frosted glass skin create slowly shifting colors, making the pavilion a spectacular piece of public art every night. Inside, the ellipse of sky seen through the chamber’s ceiling suddenly appears to be very, very close, a thin membrane bulging into the room. Wispy bits of cirrus clouds passing by appear to be features on the slowly rotating surface of a luminous, egg-shaped blue planet suspended just overhead. Emerging from the Skyspace, I find the night wind and the light in the clouds come to me through freshly awakened senses. A dreamy, happy feeling follows me home like the moon outside my car window. DAVID STOESZ Henry Art Gallery
Tyson Skross The New York artist’s mixed-media work resembles the surface of the moon or some other astral body. Platform Gallery, 114 Third Ave. S.
(Tashiro Kaplan Building)
, 323-2808, platformgallery.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Feb. 14.
Star Wars: An Art Show Original and licensed Star Wars art from the Acme Archives. Ltd. Gallery, 501 E. Pine St., 457-2970, ltdartgallery.com. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue.-Sat. Ends Jan. 30.
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Terminal A group show dealing with the subject of mortality and the effort to make space for beauty in the face of approaching death. Photographers include Richard Misrach, Sylvia Plachy, Eugene Richards, and a dozen more. Photo Center NW, 900 12th Ave., 720-7222, pcnw.org. Noon-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends April 5.
TexTure This show pairs visual artists and poets in collaborative work, featuring Sherman Alexie with Lia Hall and Cedar Mannan; Daemond Arrindell with Maura Donegan; and Jeannine Hall Gailey with Carol Milne. Method Gallery, 106 Third Ave. S.
(Tashiro Kaplan Building)
, 223-8505, methodgallery.com. Noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends Feb. 21.
Jason Walker A giant deer towers over the city, like all those Amazon construction cranes above South Lake Union. An elevated roadway turns to a river, pouring commuters over the brink of a waterfall. Aberrant chickens lay coins instead of eggs. Welcome to the fanciful urban menagerie of Bellingham’s Walker, whose solo show On the River, Down the Road has been specially created for BAM. The local artist works mainly in ceramics, combining whimsy and satire, “exploring American ideas of nature and how technology has changed our perceptions of it.” That notion of transmogrification seems apt in our booming, post-recession Northwest (Bellevue is sprouting as fast as Seattle, after all). There’s a woodsy surrealism to Walker’s work, as if unfathomable forces—hatched almost from dreams—are burrowing into our conscious cityscape. With Bertha slumbering underground, almost like a dormant monster, his fairy-tale phantasmagoria may be closer to reality than we think. BRIAN MILLER Bellevue Arts Museum, ends March 1.
