Oct. 20-26, 2004

Send listings two weeks in advance to visualarts@seattleweekly.com.

Lectures and Events

Art of India Art professor Ajay Sinha discusses how modern Indian art incorporates traditional Hindu imagery. 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 21. Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect Ave., free with admission, 206-625-8900.

Seattle Weekly PickArtist Discussion: Mining the Library One tends to think of the library as the playground of writers and readers, but visual artists can find heaps of material and inspiration among the stacks. In a panel discussion led by Michael Klein, curator of Microsoft’s art collection, four working artists talk about discovering the treasures within Seattle’s new downtown library. L.A.’s David Bunn has created text-based art for the Los Angeles Central Library, Massachusetts photographer Abellaro Morrell incorporates antique books in his images and New York artists Elaine Reichek and Buzz Spector make images and text borrowed from books an integral part of their work. 6-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 21. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., free, 206-386-4636.

Artist Lecture Abstract painter Gail Grinnel discusses her work. 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 21. Pratt Fine Art Center, 1902 S. Main St., free, 206-328-2200.

Critics As Performers We critics are just a bunch of prima donnas at heart, I guess, and this discussion between literary/cultural critics Charles Altieri of Berkeley and Marjorie Perloff of Stanford sets out to prove there’s a whole lot of performance involved in writing and speaking critically. 4 p.m. Sun. Oct. 24. Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, admission by donation, 206-543-2280.

Fund-raiser: Arts Etc. A silent auction and display of art by jewelry artist Sandy Lew-Hailer and urban artist Darvin Vida to raise funds for the nonprofit Asian-American newspaper The International Examiner. Music provided by jazz vocalist Valerie Joyce and Hawaiian reggae band Mystic Rising. 7-10 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23. Pier 69 (Port of Seattle Atrium), 2711 Alaskan Way, $20, 206-624-3295.

InAwards 2004 The International Interior Design Association’s North Pacific Chapter hosts its second annual Seattle awards gala for commercial, interior, and product design. 5:30 p.m. Tues. Oct. 26. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., $65 (reservations required), 206-762-6471.

Lecture: Goya at the Dawn of the 21st Century Seattle University associate art professor Andrew Schultz explores what makes Goya the most modern of the old masters. 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 21. Seattle Art Museum, 100 University St., free with admission, 206-654-3100.

Seattle Weekly PickRare Films of Joseph Cornell Mid-20th-century artist Joseph Cornell didn’t limit his art to the brilliantly weird boxes he’s best known for—he was also one of the first to create found-footage films. Seattle Art Museum associate curator Susan Rosenberg will introduce this screening of Cornell’s short films, plus documentary footage of the artist at work. 8 p.m. Fri. Oct. 22 and 7 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., $7.50, 206-267-5380.

Openings

Solomon Fine Art Chris St. Pierre’s charcoal portraits all fixate on his friend, musician Bruce Fairweather. Plus, kitschy, staged photographs of blackly comic dioramas by Tom Gormally. Opens Wed. Oct. 20. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Museum of Northwest Art “Collections from the Elizabeth Tapper Print Workshop” showcases the work of a renowned Skagit Valley printmaker in collaboration with artists Susan Bennerstrom, Fay Jones, Russell Chatham, Elizabeth Sandvig, Michael Spafford, and others. 2-5 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23. 121 South First St. (La Conner), 360-466-4446. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Last Chance

1506 Projects “Moving Digital,” a collection of video-based art, film loops, and TV-show inspired prints from artists Iole Alessandrini, Brad Ewing, Sean Frego, and others. 1506 E. Olive, 206-920-8618. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat-Sun. Ends Sat. Oct. 23.

Photographic Center Northwest “Photography Past/Forward: Aperture at 50” features prints that originally appeared in the legendary photography periodical founded in 1952 by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Minor White. 900 12th Ave. 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon., 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 23.

Galleries

Artemis Work by two Cornish alums: watercolor papers straddling the boundary between abstraction and representation by Celeste Marble plus Liz Tran’s quirky buildings and cityscapes. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickAtelier 31 In Judith Kindler’s slapstick feminist art, she positions a doll (standing in as the artist’s alter ego) in incongruous high-art settings. Yep, that’s her sitting in the middle of Da Vinci’s Last Supper with a bottle of mineral water while all the disciples are sipping high-carb Cokes. Also on display: Molly Norris Curtis’ short film about her obsession with a 20th century cabaret star. 2500 First Ave., 206-448-5250. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Tues.; 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Ballard Fetherston Pleasant, scratchy abstractions in oil and wax by Kirsten Stolle and pleasant, spacey abstractions in acrylic and graphite by Chris Metze. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.

Seattle Weekly PickBluebottle Ah, for the days when “Pacific Northwest” meant caulk boots, chain saws, geoducks, and flapjacks as thick as mules’ blankets. Amanda Kindregan shares that nostalgia, and her new series of woodsy woodcuts situates young women amid the loggers of yesteryear. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Bryan Ohno Portland artist Jay Backstrand juxtaposes several subjects in each of his hyper-realist paintings. 155 S. Main St., 206-667-9572. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

CoCA CoCA’s “Northwest Annual,” juried by Ken Lum, gives gallery time to scores of artists from around the world. 410 Dexter Ave. N., 206-728-1980. 2-8 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun.

Consolidated Works “Quiet Revolution” is a group show that promises “interpersonal politics, atmospheric conditions, civil disobedience, fantasy vs. the real, and sensorial information.” Artists include Mandy Greer, who creates lovely installations that weave fables in fabric, beads, and glitter; Paul Margolis, who does amazing things with quilts; Jack Ryan, whose installation contains hundreds of acrylic ears; and Kat Tomka’s sculptures made from Scotch tape. 500 Boren Ave. N., 4-8 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 1-8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 206-860-5245.

Seattle Weekly PickCrawl Space University of Washington MFA graduate Gregory Schaffer’s “Come Clean” offers deadpan photos of Wal-Marts, parking lots, and other banal locales—and finds odd moments of beauty in things like melted ice cream on hot pavement. 504 E. Denny Way #1 (near Olive), 206-240-6015. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Seattle Weekly PickDavidson Now in his 70s, Robert Marx is a figurative painter and sculptor sui generis. Nearly every painting in this new series is a portrait of a woman—some in vaguely Victorian or Mennonite dresses, others young girls, and all scratched onto the canvas with exquisitely fine brushwork. The decline of the body is a theme Marx returns to again and again: hands and heads are severed, figures are lit up under X-rays, wigs hover over chemotherapy baldness and fingers are splayed in a tense calm. If this all sounds a bit grim, it’s not—there’s a magnificent dignity to each of Marx’s intensely human figures. Marx’s bronzes are equally expressionist—the faces have a smooth but rugged sheen that recalls mummified ice men thawed out after thousands of years. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickFrancine Seders (See this week’s visual arts pick). 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat, 1-5 p.m. Sun.

Greg Kucera I have mixed feelings about the work of Darren Waterston, whose “13 Paintings” opens this week. From what I’ve seen, there’s no doubt that these watery, astral abstractions have a fine sense of composition and color. But there’s just something a little too easy about it all—a little too pretty and celestial in a New Agey sort of way. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickGallery 110 “Sada: Voices of Women” brings together some formidable work by four artists with roots in the Muslim world: Pakistani artist Ayesha Khan’s boldly sketched nudes and woodblock prints, Guita Monfaredi’s abstract paintings influenced by calligraphy and Iranian heritage, Lebanese artist Randa Hilal’s marvelous fusion of feminist nudes, handmade papers, and oriental rug motifs, and Umber Kazmi’s stylish, realist depictions of Pakistani women, including the iconic image of a woman raising her hand in defiance. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickGallery 4 Culture Seattle artist Buddy Bunting had an inspiration to paint and document the Northwest’s “most interesting prisons” as well as the region’s flora, fauna, and geology. Turns out the wardens wouldn’t let him in, so he was content to document the region’s penitentiaries from the outside. The result is this not-so-scenic travelogue, “Scablands.” Bunting fills the gallery with well-executed ink and watercolor sketches of prisons, roadside trash, muscle cars, and one huge image of basalt cliffs. The project as a whole works very well—it would be a shame to break it up into its individual pieces. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Garde Rail Toronto artist Casey McGlynn’s paintings are populated with rough-hewn horses and human figures that add up to a kind of symbolic landscape of childhood: In one painting, the pages of a secret journal are exposed for all to see, while another is titled horse sheep spaceship parachuter minivan paper birds birdgirl. 110 Third Ave., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Grover/Thurston Ceramicist Akio Takamori’s figurines blur the line between cute and menacing—and this ambivalence has its most potent effect in a series of karako—Japanese-style, bad-ass babies crawling on all fours. 309 Occidental St., 206-223-0816. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Gulassa & Co. “Bur(id)den: An Entomology of Memories,” offers new work by local artist and architect Christine Chaney. 10 Dravus St., 206-283-181. Noon-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Seattle Weekly PickHoward House Victoria Haven was recently awarded Seattle Art Museum’s prestigious Betty Bowen Award, and not a moment too soon. Haven does incredible things with lightweight materials such as tiny Mylar rings and shelf paper. But fragile is an adjective that should never be applied to Haven’s art. Even though her works are made from wispy, ephemeral materials, there’s a formidable solidity to her work. The show’s title, “Wonderland” derives from a large-scale 2-dimensional mountain cut from shelf paper printed with phony wood grain. The whole assemblage is truly wonder inspiring, and like Disneyland, this vast mountain is founded on something profoundly artificial. But that’s Haven’s true genius—being able to take a cheap material and confer the sublime upon it. Haven’s “Halo,” a series of Mylar loops arranged in a bubbly constellation on the gallery walls, has all the grandeur of an evening sky to it. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

James Crespinel Studios “Lift” is a loosely connected series of paintings and sculptures that’s supposed to be about uplifting spirits and offering an oasis from the ugly world. Actually, looks like some good stuff will be on tap from Linda Davidson, Jack Gunter, and Chris Haddad among others. 2312 Second Ave., free, 206-728-6276. Noon-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 1-4 p.m. Sun.

James Harris Jeffry Mitchell’s watercolors of puppies and flowers find inspiration in the Japanese sumi tradition, but they just seem a bit too sugary sweet. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Kirkland Arts Center “Ruffle: Decadent Vexation” features fluff with a purpose by Elizabeth Jameson, Mandy Greer, Kris Lyons, and Anna Maltz. 620 Market St. 425-822-7161. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Linda Hodges Nature paintings inspired by locales throughout the state by Seattle artist Gayle Bard. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Lisa Harris Like an odd fusion of Audubon and Dalí, Thomas Wood paints allegorical canvases stocked with a menagerie of creatures and flora. Some are a little heavy-handed (a woodsman chopping down a tree laden with endangered animals: get it?) but most offer a lush world with a detailed, personal iconography. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

National Parks Conservation Association “Away Out Over Everything” collects Mary Peck’s stunning photos of the Olympic Peninsula’s Elwha Valley. 313-A First Ave., 206-903-1444, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Phinney Center The 2004 Northwest Fine Arts competition is juried by Meli Solomon of Solomon Fine Art and features work by 15 local artists. 6532 Phinney Ave., 206-783-2244. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.

Platform In his second gallery show in town (the other is at Suyama Space) Brian Murphy uses odd angles and mirrors to paint honest, unflattering self-portraits. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Priceless Works A potpourri of assorted works: stuff from Pilchuck Glass School artists in residence; collaborative prints by the glass art team of Dick Wiess and Bob Carlson; and a smattering of art by gallery favorites Jesse Paul Miller, Francesca Berrini, and others. 619 N. 35th St., Suite 100, 206-349-9943. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Roq La Rue “Monsters a-Go Go” offers a bunch of ironic Halloween-related art from the likes of Shag, Lisa Petrucci, Liz McGrath, Jim Blanchard, and Andrew Brandou (aka “Howdy Partner”). 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun.

SCCC M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery “Back on Broadway” returns some notable alums of Seattle Central Community College to SCCC’s gallery, including Linda Young, Bret Corrington, and Iosefatu Sua. 801 E. Pine, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 5-7 p.m. Tues. & Thurs. 206-344-4379

Seattle Weekly PickSOIL Samantha Scherer’s pen-and-watercolor paintings isolate celebrity body parts: John Kerry’s hangdog eyes, Brad Pitt’s nipple, and such. It’s a clever little shtick and it certainly makes for a fun date game trying to guess who’s who. But aside from the giggles, Scherer’s art actually delves into all sorts of deeper issues: How does the brain recognize faces? Why our fetish for celebrity? And what exactly are Angelina Jolie’s lips made of? 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Square Room In “Valley of the Dolls,” Brian McGuffey, Laura Thacker, and other artists offer variations on dolls in ceramic, paint, and concrete. 1316 E. Pike St., 206-267-7120.

Seattle Weekly PickSuyama Space Brian Murphy returns with more of his watercolor self-portraits of the sort that wowed the crowds at the old Esther-Claypool space a couple years back. Once again, facial features float off at odd angles, like unmoored islands of utter corruption, but this time the paintings are freakin’ HUGE. They’re, like, as tall as you standing on your own shoulders. 2324 Second Ave. 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

William Traver A group exhibition of new glass from Denmark, including stuff by Marianne Buus, Micha Karlslund, and Steffan Dam. 110 Union St., second floor, 206-587-6501. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Winston Wächter This gallery on Dexter moves a couple blocks—into more spacious digs (and that much closer to the heart of art scene). They’re celebrating with a show of gallery favorites, including Victoria Adams, Bo Bartlett, Eric Fischl, Caio Fonseca, and Hiro Yokose. 203 Dexter Ave. N., 206-652-5855, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickWright Exhibition Space Decorative eye candy for corporate lobbies or sincere experiments in color and texture? The color field painters were the aesthetic descendents of Pollock and Rothko, in a period when Warhol, pop art, and installation art were replacing high-minded abstraction. This show, curated by Virginia Wright, is designed to revive interest in color field painters Jules Olitski, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, and Kenneth Noland. Some of the pieces are magnificent in their lush disregard for anything but their own colors: Noland’s vast “Vista” surrounds the viewer with a bath of mauve, while Louis’ “Mem” is a subtle veil of browns. 407 Dexter Ave. N., 206-622-1896. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays.

Zeitgeist Thuy-Van Vu’s drawings and paintings of everyday objects ranging from deck chairs to construction equipment. 171 S. Jackson St., 206-583-0497. 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Museums

Frye Art Museum In “Figuring the Forces,” contemporary realist painter Scott Goodwillie brings a baroque sensibility to contemporary anxieties and conflicts. “Eloquent Vistas” collects American landscape photography from the second half of the 19th century by Eadweard Muybridge, William Henry Jackson, and many others. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Seattle Weekly PickHenry Art Gallery Emmet Gowin’s “Changing the Earth” features more than 10 years’ worth of aerial photographs of human-altered landscapes across the American West. “Santiago Calatrava: The Architect’s Studio” showcases the work of the ultramodern Spanish architect with a fondness for organic swoops. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Museum of Glass Motorized, kinetic sculptures by Museum of Glass favorite Gregory Barsamian, and “Murano,” a showcase more than 200 pieces of 20th century Venetian glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection. Plus, Chihuly’s gargantuan versions of Japanese glass fishing net floats invade the museum’s mezzanine reflecting pool. 1801 E. Dock St. Tacoma, 253-396-1768. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. (third Thurs. of the month until 8 p.m.), noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Seattle Weekly PickSeattle Art Museum “Spain in the Age of Exploration 1492–1819” offers a sampling of the dark visions of Velazquez, Zurbaran, Goya, and other masters. This huge show of art and artifacts explores the cultural vibrancy of Spain’s golden age through paintings, altarpieces, documents, navigational instruments, suits of armor, and other stuff of empire. Also on display: “The View From Here,” offers selections of Pacific Northwest art from 1870 to 1940, while “Modern in America,” explores the interaction between photography and the paintings of Georgia O’Keefe, Jasper Johns, and other 20th century greats. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum It might be a stretch to say that the Hudson River painters—Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and Alfred Bierstadt among them—invented the American wilderness. But even so, these early 19th century painters, influenced by Thoreau and Emerson, shifted the popular view of nature from something to be feared and fought to something sublime and worthy of reverence. This collection of 50 important landscapes from Connecticut’s Wadsworth Antheneum features work by Cole, Church, Bierstadt, and several others. Plus, the late UW professor and ceramics maven Howard Kottler is celebrated in the exhibit “Look Alikes,” a selection of kitschy commemorative plates from the 1960s to the 1980s. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Wing Luke Asian Museum The juried exhibit “Beyond Talk: Redrawing Race” attempts to break open the lockbox of dialogue on race. 407 Seventh S., 206-623-5124. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.