Artifakt’s Two Year Anniversary!

It seems like just yesterday that the Seattle urban art non-profit Artifakt was started. Run by dozens of volunteers, Artifakt brings in fresh artists and live music to nearly all of their events and have really made quite a name for themselves in the last two years.

Tomorrow is their celebration at Lo Fi for their two year anniversary. Be there or be square!

Amongst the headlining artists on display is Chris Sheridan, who has some new skateboards on display in the photos below. Which is your favorite?

Seattle’s Canvas Gallery Blows Minds Yet Again

Since it carved out a hole for itself out of what was formerly the Snowboard Connection, the Canvas Gallery has really set itself apart from other galleries in the Pioneer Square area. Its prime location right below the 619 Building and its selection of diverse artists spanning numerous mediums makes any trip to Canvas an interesting one.

Of particular interest was this month’s show, which had one side of the room largely dedicated to textile art. This side of the gallery housed a complete visual feast.

Take for instance Maura Donegan’s Memento Vitae I and Memento Vitae IV, shown below.

Memento Vitae I

Memento Vitae IV

As their names might suggest, these pieces are a reflection upon her life, playing carefully on her childhood (and current) love for words. In both pieces, words with special meaning in Donegan’s life were selected to create pieces that are as much experimental textile art as they are an extension of Donegan’s literary mind. The six-sided dice in Memento Vitae IV are in fact six-letter words that viewers must piece together for themselves. Memento Vitae I is a crossword puzzle with carefully stitched boxes filled with yet more words that are vital to Donegan’s memory.

Further down the wall was a piece by Lauren Davis, entitled Me/ You. The piece shows two photographs of hands, each from a different individual. The hands are then permanently linked together with bright red string. A simply idea, sure, but well executed.

Lauren Davis’ Me/ You

Remarkably, though, the most entertaining things for me in the whole gallery were canisters of miniature beads glued onto porous rocks and then submerged in water. Jenny Joyce brought forth four ridiculously creative, experimental pieces that simply utilized water, air, and vibrations in the room to bring forth displays that have the hypnotic entertainment level akin to watching jellyfish swim around a tank.

Jenny Joyce’s Doily

First Thursday, Pioneer Square, July 2008

Alright, this is a bit late, but a late post is better than a non-post, correct?
Here are some of our favorites from the July 2008 First Thursday Art Walk! Enjoy!

Bryan Mandronico’s kooky, sci-fi inspired paintings aren’t just expertly colored; his use of clean lines, abstract shapes, and negative space make well-balanced, powerful pieces.

Bryan Mandronico shows with a little gold leaf and acrylic paint that sea creatures, popes, and aliens can hang out together without a hitch.

Erin Kendig, also known as Little Red Girl, didn’t have many pieces for sale on this day. Nonetheless, her space, which was shared with previously covered Ryan Molenkamp, was one of the hits of the 619 Building.

Two tree lovers embrace in Erin Kendig’s beautifully inked and intricately plotted drawings. (Note the little red girl in the lower left, watching the lovers.)

Stacey Rozich’s Birdhaus Complete is a colorful display of different birds. Watercolors on paper.

Stacey Rozich’s Problems at Sea offers a new take on seafaring. Watercolors on paper.

Greenwood/Phinney Art Walk 2008

Bunches and bunches of art from the Greenwood/Phinney Art Walk yesterday! Enjoy!

Let’s begin with my personal favorites from the entire walk… intricately painted and deeply thoughtful pieces by Seattle artist Don Farrell. This acrylic piece, on wood panel, is called “Metamorphosis of the Mad God.” Artist statement is as follows:

“This somewhat abstract image is inspired by the Greek god Dionysos, who is well known as the god of wine. His dominion is ecstatic, but it is also of fermentation, vitality from decomposition. Appropriately, he is often associated not only with wine grapes, but also with ivy, or any number of vine plants that consume and spread voraciously. He is brilliant madness within a benign order – the destruction and decay of matter that facilitates the emergence of the new and glorious.”

“Deities Obsolete” by the same artist. Here are two of the five paragraphs from his explanation of this piece:

“This painting is a somewhat whimsical commentary of the pomp of organized religion (not to be confused with spirituality), the futile quest it encourages (for vitality already found within), and the candy-coating of its savagery that would otherwise expose its hypocrisy.

A scene repeated symmetrically (loose structural mimicry of a playing card) depicts clergymen conferring. Of course, there is a hierarchy, and enthroned, looking papal, with sacred items held aloft, the high priest casts his spell. The niches behind his head house symbols from the dollar, including the Illimuminati pyramid, and above is the crown-jewel of his opulent throne. This church is one of many built right on top of the ruined remains of sacred places by conquerors with different gods…”

Fabric “vessels” by Cameron Anne Mason. These are simply beautiful and involve hours of work. The process involved designing the pattern of each piece, hand-dying the fabric, sewing it, and quilting it.

A brightly-colored piece by Paisley O’Farrell.

Due to glare, this is not the best photograph, but this is a piece by Mimi Williams, an artist from Olympia. She does linoleum prints on various pieces of paper and then collages them into one cohesive product. All of the colors in her image come from colored papers, and all the inks are black.

Cute acrylic pieces by Megan Marie Myers that could be perfect for children’s books.

Riding an alligator!!!!!

Riding an elephant!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful painted panels by Jim Stoccardo, on display at Herkimer Coffee.

And more!

“De-Mask” series by Kathy Liao. This is a huge self-portrait, which studies the different “masks” she wears in life.

Same as above, although this one explores – in particular – a stereotype by her Asian grandmother that pale is beautiful.

A cool mural by P. Darrington (details, anyone?) in Greenwood/Phinney. Beautiful.

Francine Seders Gallery – Maysey Craddock, Pat DeCaro, Gail Grinnell

I’ve been by the Francine Seders Gallery a million times but it has never been open. Today, for the first time, it was, as a part of the annual Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk! Yay.

The first image I saw at the gallery, and already, we’re off to a good start. This new body of work by Maysey Craddock features silhouettes of gouache trees, painted on paper bags sewn together with silk thread. Trees are certainly not a new theme but this is beautiful.

Same as above, but it’s much more obvious in this one that the canvas is nothing but a paper bag. Look forward to seeing more by Craddock, a painter and sculptor from Memphis (who is currently living and working in Munich).

“The Memory of a Tree” – A slight departure from the above pieces, this piece was embroidered on a found textile piece. $2,000.

Silhouetted figures in various positions. Ink on semi-transparent paper. By Pat DeCaro.

Mixed media collage by Gail Grinnell. Acrylic on polyester, silk, and paper.

More to come from the Greenwood/Phinney Art Walk.