Spring Arts Preview 2014: Visual Arts Events
Painters, photographers and sculptors work visual magic
By Seattle Mag February 14, 2014
This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
!–paging_filter–pstrong[Painting]/strongbrBorn in Astoria, Oregon, and based in northern California, painter Eric Zener is a master of the photorealist style, creating stunningly vibrant images, often of people underwater (pictured above) or in other personal sanctuaries. 5/1–5/30. Times vary. Free. Foster White Gallery, 220 Third Ave. S; 206.622.2833;a href=”http://www.fosterwhite.com” target=”_blank” fosterwhite.com/a brbr /
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brstrong[Painting]/strongbrThe scribbly “white writing” covering legendary Northwest artist Mark Tobey’s dense, abstract paintings was highly influenced by Asian calligraphy. In Mark Tobey and Teng Baiye: Seattle/Shanghai, the influence of Chinese artist Teng Baiye, Tobey’s close friend and contemporary, becomes immensely clear. Through 5/25. Times vary. Free. Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave.; 206.622.9250; a href=”http://www.fryemuseum.org” target=”_blank”fryemuseum.org/a brbrstrong[Photography]/strongbrSeattle photographer Chris Engman re-envisions, reframes and recreates landscapes, such as the spray of beach pebbles he photographed, numbered, re-installed at his studio and photographed again. 4/3–5/17. Times vary. Free. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave. S; 206.624.0770; a href=”http://www.gregkucera.com” target=”_blank”gregkucera.com/abrstrongbr[Painting]/strongbrBrooklyn-based artist Martin Wittfooth’s striking paintings place wild animals in surreal scenarios—a pelican gulping pearls, a tiger atop a junker car—that seem both absurd and entirely possible. 5/1–5/31. Times vary. Free. Roq La Rue Gallery, 532 First Ave. S; 206.374.8977; a href=”http://www.roqlarue.com” target=”_blank”roqlarue.com/abrbrstrong[Various]/strongbrThe first exhibition outside of Japan focused on Japanese art of this style, Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920–1945 features 200 paintings, sculptures, ceramics and other examples. Blending traditional Asian motifs with recognizable machine-age geometry, the works lend fresh perspective on how this design movement played out around the globe. 5/10–10/19. Times and prices vary. Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E Prospect St.; 206.654.3100; a href=”http://www.seattleartmuseum.org” target=”_blank”seattleartmuseum.org/a/p
pstrong[Videos]/strongbrWinner of the Henry Gallery’s 2013 Brink Award for emerging Northwest artists, Seattle’s Anne Fenton is an artist whose video work echoes photography—staging a paused moment that loops in the memory. 3/1–6/15. Times and prices vary. Henry Art Gallery, 15th Avenue NE and 41st Street; 206.543.2280; a href=”http://www.henryart.org” target=”_blank”henryart.org/a/p
pstrong[Sculpture]/strongbrSeattle sculptor Dan Webb works wonders with maple and fir, carving rough blocks of wood into nuanced, liquid and often witty forms. See his shrouded heads, dandelions, balloons and new work in the 15-year retrospective Fragile Fortress. 3/7–6/15. Times and prices vary. Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE; 425.519.0770; a href=”http://www.bellevuearts.org” target=”_blank”bellevuearts.org/abrbr /
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brbrstrongimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/camillepatha_punch.jpg” style=”float: left; margin: 10px;” height=”399″ width=”400″[Painting]/strongbrNorthwest artist Camille Patha was a pioneer of West Coast Surrealism, adapting the edgy abstraction of the 1960s to her feminist point of view. Witness her vigorous use of hues in A Punch of Color, a 50-year retrospective. Through 5/25. Times and prices vary. Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave.; 253.272.4258; a href=”http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org” target=”_blank”tacomaartmuseum.org/a em(Photo: Courtesy of Tacoma Art Museum)/em/p
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