Gallery 110
Gallery 110 Annual Juried Exhibition
Contributing artists: Michael Carl, Suzanne DeCuir, Joseph DiBella, Elizabeth Doherty, Richard Elaver, Julie Gaskill, Karen Hackenberg, Alex Ho, Allison Hyde, Delbert Jackson, Tom Kirkendall, Yvonne Kunz, John Melvin, Daphne Minkoff, Stacey Neumiller, Patricia O'Connor, Jenny Riffle, Peter Serko, Naomi Smith, Claire Taylor, Patrick Williams, Carletta Carrington Wilson, Angela Young
February 2 - 25, 2012
First Thursday Artwalk Opening: February 2; 6-8pm
Artists' Reception and Juror's Awards: Saturday, February 4; 5-8pm
How does a pop can, oozing with embroidered sticky-sweetness, measure up against the rich expressionist color of a painted portrait, the abstract, weightless structure of a paper sculpture, or the sensual seductive tones of a superbly executed black and white photograph? Skill, aesthetics, and content.
Nora Atkinson, Curator at the Bellevue Arts Museum and exhibition Juror, tuned in to imagined stories, and was impressed by the careful attention paid by the artists to both material and process, not only in the skillful execution of the works, but in relation to the narratives they explore. There is a quiet, solitary feeling that runs through many of the works, but also a subdued playfulness. Many of the works imply a narrative and a strong sense of the passage of time (both in the objects and in their creation), yet there is a sense of ambiguity that runs through them.
Atkinson found a recurring political undercurrent amongst the 540 entries by 179 artists, and a sense of both of anxiety and resilience in the face of hardship, unquestionably the result of the current political and economic climate. Though the juror shied away from the most heavy-handed of works, these themes nonetheless run through the final selection: a young man sorts through change, while another watches the slow progression of a colorfully-stacked container ship making its way past the shore. Storm clouds form and flowers decay. A closet is cleared out — for what reason? —and a young man is buried.
The exhibition, peopled by desolate beaches, quiet landscapes, modern advancements, and simple pleasures, offers the viewer an opportunity to reflects upon the interesting times in which we live.
Image above: Patricia O'Conner, Documenting the Future, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches
Photographs from the exhibition and artist's reception
Congratulations to the Juror's Award winners:
First Place - Claire Taylor
Second Place - Julie Gaskill
Honorable Mention - Allison Hyde.