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Mary Iverson’s Cargo Cult

Shipping containers go rogue in the paintings of this Seattle artist.

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This article originally appeared in the May 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.

Living in a port city means getting so used to seeing stacks of shipping containers that we hardly see them at all. But that’s not the case for Seattle artist Mary Iverson (maryiverson.com), a graduate of both UW and Cornish College, whose work brings the colorful metal boxes to the foreground. In her hands, the containers have a life of their own, vibrating against each other and sometimes leaving the port altogether, landing in such unlikely places as a river running through Yosemite National Park or the vast, dry scrub of the Palouse. It’s the gridlines transecting these juxtapositions of nature and industry that create such an unsettling vibe, as if someone is mapping (or orchestrating?) the landscapes from afar—a team of alien surveyors or maybe a James Bond supervillain. The result is art as apocalyptic as it is appealing.

Through 5/25. Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. Cornish Alumni Gallery, 1000 Lenora St.; 206.726.2787; cornish.edu

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture.  This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.

Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…