On Point(e)!

Carl Richardson is opened his third show with us on Friday with a new body of work comprised entirely of black and white pieces.  In the front room are large scale charcoal drawings of familiar images, but blown up much larger than life size.  In the book room are photographs of dancers posed against striking urban landmarks in Spokane, rather than in the rehearsal room or on the stage.  In describing the inspiration for this new work, Carl said that he is always "seeing the light."  He loves black and white because its gives objects more depth -- "color makes things shallow."  He feels that black and white heightens the mystery of a place or person because there are so many values of grey that you can play around with.  "Color is like pop music, it's flashy.  Black and white is classical."

Growing up, his older brother had a darkroom.  Carl was always helping out from an early age and grew used to looking very closely at things.  His father was in the army and his mother was an artist. They lived in the Philippines, in Utica, New York and then in Miami.  He remembers that there was always art and that "we all sang."  When asked for his inspiration, he said that he was just a "close observer -- to the point where it's annoying."  He has been known to stop the car while driving to get his children to look at the lines of a building.   "The busyness of people's lives is causing them to miss taking the time to see."

In this striking series of pieces, Carl has posed the dancers along railroad tracks, on bridges, on pedestrian overpasses or on loading docks.  The lines of the girls' poses echo and contrast with the lines of the buildings, placing fluid, curving human forms against the rigid geometry of bricks and railings.  The sense of arrested motion is very strong, with the viewer feeling that the dancer has been caught in the middle of a complicated maneuver which, when completed, could propel her out of the image space.  The blacks and whites are warm and complex, running the full range of dark to light.

Read Between the Lines

(Written January 5, 2012)

We've just finished the process of hanging the new show for George Flett.  Having new work come in is always one of the most exciting parts of working in the gallery.  First, there is simply the rush of energy as a new creative urge takes over the walls.  Then, there are the A-Ha! moments as brilliant new pieces appear out of the boxes and portfolios.  And finally, there is the pure happiness that comes from seeing an old friend's work up on the walls again and remembering why you loved his work so much in the first place.

George is one of those rare artists who paint from the heart.  He has been working as an artist since the mid-60's (!) when he began studies at the Institute for American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe with T.C. Cannon, Kevin Red Star, and Fritz Scholder.  His mother, Nancy, taught him about his Spokane Indian heritage including beadwork, basketry and the Spokane language.  Flett grew up around horses and comes from a people who love and value them.  His art explains what it is to be Spokane.  He ties his images to family (community and tribe), the physical world and its unseen spiritual side, and oral tradition.  Each one of his pieces is a densely layered work that can be appreciated not only for the artistic technique on the surface, but also for what it tells us about Spokane traditions, tribal acitivites, the co-exisiting spiritual world, and the past as evidenced by the documents that the drawing is made on.

In the image above, "Sun Boy Showing Off His Horsemanship," we see a depiction of a Spokane warrior in full regalia, including a war bonnet made of eagle feathers.  This is a true Plateau feather bonnet or "skissken" with the circle of eagle feathers more tightly cinched than Plains bonnets.  The feathers represent the rays of the sun and have great power, especially for warriors.  The horse is blue and red with a series of white spots.  These fantastic colors meant that the horse itself in real life had exceptional markings, as befits a great warrior.  This horse is ready for action with his beaded face mask marked with eagle feathers and a buffalo and with his tail tied up.  Sun Boy is lying along the side of the horse held on by the grip of a single leg slung over the back of his mount.  The figures are elongated and horizontal, emphasizing speed and strength, along the line of the war lance which exactly pierces the midline of the painting.  All of the elements of this painting combine to show that this is truly a great warrior and chief.

Dry December Morning

Len Heid came by this afternoon to drop off his Palouse landscapes for our upcoming show which opens tomorrow.  Len is a classically trained oil painter who lives in Moscow, Idaho, and loves to drive the back roads through the hills and fields of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.  For him, painting is all about carefully observed light.  His painstaking technique is reminiscent of the Hudson River School, focusing on the infinite variations of light working on the land.  his favorite times of day are sunrise and sunset.

We had a long discussion, as we usually do, about the role of beauty and craft in art.  The painting above represents what he believes in well.  To me it is also an unusual balance between representation and abstraction.  It is clearly a very realistic landscape, but because the artist has pared down the forms, it is also just a series of lines and shapes defined by color.  And in Len's case the crowning accomplishment is the glowing light, the luminous aura, which suffuses the work.

The Visual Arts Are Alive and Well in Spokane

In the words of my husband, “That damn Sue Bradley’s everywhere.”  So I found another place to be – my own blog.  I have owned and managed an art gallery and bookstore in Spokane for the last 9 years.  I have been involved in the visual arts in this city for over two decades as an artist, museum trustee, art school trustee and volunteer.  Although a lot of exciting and rewarding things have happened during that time, there have been several significant changes in the arts since the time I have opened the gallery.   

The visual (and the performing arts) are under stress now from a variety of sources, many of which have to do with the Great Recession.  Public financial support for the arts is being questioned, schools are cutting the arts from the core curriculum, collectors and art lovers are wary of spending large sums for art pieces that might not be seen as “essential.”

None of this changes, however, the reason that the arts exist and flourish – human beings are compelled to bring beauty into our lives.  Art can be enjoyed and experienced regardless of income level.

So I’m going to use this blog to continue to remind everyone why we love art.  I’ll try to bring new art experiences, new thoughts (or maybe rehash some ones you’ve thought of before) and keep imagination in our daily lives.  Come to this space to see fabulous new paintings or sculptures, hear about new books, and get other stimuli for your imagination.  I’ll try to post regularly but sometimes I have an off-the air life, too, so there will be some gaps.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite images, Device in a Hurry, an oil painting on paper by Harold Balazs.