VISUAL ART
by Emily Hall
BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM
MUSEUMS AND ART CENTERS
301 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, 425-454-3322.
*GAME SHOW
BAM weighs in with another unexpected look at art. Brian Wallace's latest exhibit features games designed by artists (expect the conceptual), writers, and musicians. There's work that is fun to touch and see and play with, but the intent is serious: An exhibit about creativity and decision-making and how one relates to a work of art. Artists-in-residence include Seattle artist Helen Lessick (who created the Collect 'em! cards for Safeco Field), and English game theorist Beryl Graham. Through Jan 30.
CENTER ON CONTEMPORARY ART
65 Cedar, 728-1980.
DUSK
Curated by Chicago artist Kim Collmer and De Kwok of Seattle's Milky World Gallery, the show focuses on the contemporary recontextualization of gothic tradition. The show is dark and photography-heavy, including documentation of the L.A. goth scene by Mike Kelly and Cameron Jaime, sci-fi manipulated photos by Veronika Bromova, and Alexander Osbourne's photos of trend-setting bands like Bauhaus. This show isn't all black makeup and gore -- there is certainly an element of humor that runs through it -- and the best works show that the most frightening situations are those which are not entirely explained. Through Dec 18.
HENRY ART GALLERY
15th Ave NE at NE 41st St, 543-2280.
GILLES BARBIER
Clones is being presented as part of CĂ´te Ouest, a series of exhibitions by contemporary French artists on view in venues along the West Coast this fall, and features lifelike wax self-portraits capturing various aspects of Barbier's persona. There are naughty, playful clones, resourceful clones, and clones that juggle the difficult job of daily living. To sum it all up, Trans-schizophrenic Anatomy is a wax cast of his bald head, carved with a diagram of Barbier's divided consciousness. Through Jan 2.
*INSIDE OUT: NEW CHINESE ART
A group exhibit exploring the avant-garde in China from the mid-'80s to the present. Showing artists from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as Chinese artists living abroad, Inside Out is a study in the contrasts of cultural identity -- traditional and modern, public and political, national and individual. Many of the Chinese artists featured here have an excellent sense of the absurd; photographs from various performance works include an artist who covered himself with honey and sat in a latrine attracting flies, and two artists firing a gun at their own work at Beijing's National Gallery. The show is so extensive that it takes two galleries to hold it all; the other is at the Tacoma Art Museum. Through March 5.
WHAT IT MEANT TO BE MODERN, SEATTLE ART AT MID-CENTURY
Over 100 works -- including sculpture, paintings, and works on paper -- exploring the art and influence of a specific group of regional artists tagged by Life magazine in 1953 as the "Mystic Painters of the Northwest," which included Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves, and Mark Tobey. The exhibition follows the evolution of the "Northwest School" of artists from 1932 to 1962, and contextualizes their work with other national and international movements. Through Jan 23.
MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
9404 E Marginal Way S, 764-5700.
SCIENCE FICTION TO SCIENCE FACT
It's not really art, but it certainly is visual: In the MOF's new exhibit you can see a replica of Anakin Skywalker's podracer from The Phantom Menace. Other craft in the exhibit are inspired by such visionaries as Jules Verne and Gene Roddenberry. The show's point is the link between science fiction and actual technology, but you know everyone's really there to play with the Episode 1 video game. Through April 2.
MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY
2700 24th Ave E, 324-2099.
FROM LOG CABIN TO MARINER'S STAR:
QUILTS FROM THE COLLECTIONS
Late 19th- and early 20th-century quilts from the museum's collection. Through April.
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
100 University St, 654-3100.
AN AMERICAN CENTURY OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
FROM DRYPOINT TO DIGITAL
An important exhibition of works from the Hallmark Photographic Collection, examining important artists from Edward Muybridge to Aaron Siskind to Sandy Skoglund, and the advancement of photographic techniques throughout this century. Through Jan 9.
SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM
1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 654-3100.
EXPLORE KOREA: A VISIT TO GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE
A presentation of a traditional Korean home, where visitors can explore both interior and exterior spaces hands-on. Through March.
MODERN MASTERS OF KYOTO
Works by late 19th- and early 20th-century artists from Kyoto round out the programming for SAAM's "Year of Japan." This collection is owned by Northwest residents Griffith and Patricia Way, and contains more than 80 examples of Kyoto-school nihonga -- modern Japanese paintings executed in traditional media formats. Through Feb 13.
WORLDS OF FANTASY: CHINESE SHADOW PUPPETS
Volunteer Park hosts more than 70 puppets from the 19th century. The majority of the exhibited works come from the collection of Theodore Bodde, who purchased the extraordinary objects while in Beijing in the 1930s. Chinese textiles with related themes will accompany. Through April 2.
WING LUKE ASIAN MUSEUM
407 Seventh Ave S, 623-5124.
A DIFFERENT BATTLE
An exhibit that explores the stories of Asian Pacific American veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Grenada Invasion, and the Persian Gulf War. The stories are conveyed through written text, audio, and video components that are divided into two sections -- how the military and combat shaped the lives of these veterans, and how they affected the lives of individuals, families, and communities of future generations. Through April 9.
WRIGHT EXHIBITION SPACE
407 Dexter Ave N, 264-8200.
THE WRIGHT COLLECTION
Virginia and Bagley Wright have rehung their foundation's exhibit space, devoting one gallery entirely to their great collection of '60s and '70s color field paintings, and introducing a large David Salle oil and the John Baldessari piece Two Onlookers and Tragedy to the mix. Other highlights of their collection include a Robert Longo, Eric Fischl, a huge Warhol Rorschach, and Jules Olitski's Thigh Smoke. Open-ended run.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
*AIR HOCKEY
The show's title suggests clever nonsense: This is obviously not another stadium filled with commissioned art. It is, however, a year-end show of the many very good artists represented by Howard House (Robert Yoder, Victoria Haven, Mark Takamichi Miller, and others). Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399.
JULIE ALEXANDER/DAVID TRAYLOR
A show by two of the co-op gallery's new members. Alexander's work uses layer upon layer of graphite lines on top of pigment to create work that is both minimal and rich. Traylor's ceramics are organic and yet highly finished, covered in a metallic slip that gives them an unusual visual weight. Oculus Gallery, 163 S Jackson, 366-2108. Through Dec 31.
ANGELOPHANIES
Works about angels from 24 artists. There are the usual signifiers -- wings, halos, ethereal messages -- and then there are the artists who manage to make an old and sentimental theme new. For example, Stephen Lyons' series of archangel portraits, with beautiful, murky body parts set in rusted metal frames; and Susan Robb's wispy cloud pictures, mounted on padded vinyl. LEAD Gallery, 1022 First Ave, 623-6240. Through Dec 30.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY
Winston-Wächter's inaugural photography exhibition celebrates the city and its inhabitants, its lights (obviously), and its glamour. Such luminaries as Irving Penn and Alexander Liberman are featured. Winston-Wächter Fine Art, 403 Dexter Ave N, 652-5855. Through Jan 8.
LISA BUCHANAN
These large new paintings are beautifully patterned but nothing like simple decoration. They recall the backgrounds of a Klimt painting, but the shapes are more uneasy and neurotic. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main St, 667-9572. Through Jan 9.
*DRAWING SPACE
A show exploring works with strong linear elements, featuring Laurie Chambers, Victoria Haven, Robert Jones, Robert Yoder, and D. E. May, curated by Beth Sellars. Haven's ceiling-high sculpture -- "drawn" with rubber bands stretched around nails -- is the show's stunning centerpiece. George Suyama Space, 2324 Second Ave, 256-0809. Through Jan 7.
FEAST
Trust a bunch of artists to put a new spin on the tired old topic of food and drink. Inside the gallery is a group show. The window installation, I'm Not Hungry, is by Nicola Vruwink. SAM Rental/Sales Gallery, 1334 First Ave, Suite 140, 654-3183. Through Dec 30.
*MICHELLE FIERRO/PATRICK HOLDERFIELD
The first Northwest solo show for Los Angeles artist Fierro. Her abstract works on paper and canvas are delicate little messes: Tiny globs of acrylic and oil paint, smeary pencil lines, and little pieces of lint combine in what the artist calls "vacant substance." The back hallway at James Harris has become a project room, and this month Holderfield continues his series of sculptures utilizing polyurethane foam and found objects. James Harris Gallery, 309A Third Ave S, 903-6220. Through Dec 18.
MICHELLE HAGLUND/CHRISTOPHER REILLY
Both Haglund and Reilly work in encaustic, and their work has similar earthy tones and botanical themes -- not surprising, since they're married. The subtle differences between them, however, make this show somehow dreamy. Haglund's paintings are like those old botanical prints: antique and quite correct. Reilly's are more like old villa paintings: patterned, layered, and a little wild. Eyre/Moore Gallery, 913 Western Ave, 624-5596. Through Dec 24.
MARK HAYES/ALLEN COX
Hayes' assemblages in handmade boxes recall the Wunderkammern of the 16th century: compilations of photographs and text and found objects. Cox's oil paintings are abstract and also botanical. Grover Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave S, 223-0816. Through Dec 23.
BOB HAOZOUS
Installations and portraits by the Native American artist. One installation, Separation, was first shown at the 1999 Venice Biennale. Sacred Circle Gallery of American Indian Art, Discovery Park, 285-4425. Through March 26.
PAUL HORIUCHI
A five-decade retrospective of Horiuchi's work; the artist died this past August. Kurt Lidtke Gallery, 318 Second Ave S, 623-5082. Through Dec 18.
ROBERT C. JONES/DALE TRAVOUS
Jones' drawings have had a lot of exposure lately; in this new show, his bold, abstract oil paintings are back in the spotlight. The upstairs gallery features small and anxious objects by Travous, who favors working in medical surplus supplies and plant materials. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through Dec 31.
KAWS
For the past five years, the bulbous skull and crossbones tag of New York graffiti artist KAWS has been seen on bus shelters, phone booths, and the sides of buildings. This tag has become a part of our urban landscape. KAWS has another side -- his fine art is shown in galleries in New York, Japan, and Seattle. ARO.space, 925 E Pike St, 320-0424. Through Dec 11.
CAROLYN KRIEG/PERIPHERAL VISIONARIES
Using the hues and patterns of Indian textiles, Krieg assembles and reassembles her work using a combination of computer coloring, Polaroids, and paint. In Peripheral Visionaries, three local artists -- Doug Keyes, Eva Sköld Westerlind, and John Jenkins -- explore the idea of seeing through shadows, light, and tableaux. Keyes photographs and re-photographs books page by page; the layered effect is a kind of Shroud of Turin-like image of the tome, and its oddness lies in seeing all at once what is usually absorbed over time. Jenkins favors images of things we might not look twice at (a ceiling, a windowsill), but his versions, blurry and saturated with color, are hardly ordinary. G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson St, Suite 200, 587-4033. Through Jan 15.
JI YEON LEE
Documentary and surrealist photography by Korean-born Lee. RAW Gallery, 409 Seventh Ave S, 340-1445.
BEN MAHMOUD
Very skillfully rendered surreal paintings that present still life elements as if they were being carefully collected and archived. The text within the composition either supports or confounds the relationship between the objects. Ballard Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike St, 322-9440. Through Dec 22.
TIM MARSDEN
Marsden's world is vivid, lively, surreal, and although drawing on the language of comics, is utterly unlike any comic you've ever seen. Damn Nasty Id, 2317 Fourth Ave, 448-2057. Through Dec 17.
PETER MILLETT/WILLIAM WEGMAN
Millett's new body of elegant, geometric sculptures are made from cleanly cut cross-sections of steel pipe. Also included in the exhibition are wood sculptures painted or stained in earthy muted tones. When he's not in the studio shooting his dogs, Wegman likes to draw and paint on photographic prints. This is the second showing of his altered works at Kucera. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through Dec 15.
OUTBOUND
Another WTO-inspired show about trade, but in this case, it's cultural trade. Curated by artist Beliz Brother, Outbound contains work about American artists taking their ideas abroad. Some of it is documentation, as with the video and images by Matthew Lennon about the Horsehead exhibit he curated in Ireland; some of it is actual work done in, or inspired by, another country, as with Anneke Waumbaugh's re-creation of a Haitian living room. Artists involved include Amy Denio, Spike Mafford, and Brother herself. Bank of America Gallery, 701 Fifth Ave, Third Floor, 585-3200. Through Dec 15.
PHOTOGRAPHY IN SOCIAL CHANGE
Work by photographers allied with New York's Impact Visuals. The show's thrust is activist and documentary -- oppressed people, repressive regimes -- and opened two days before First Thursday to coincide with the WTO protests. FotoCircle Gallery, 163 S Jackson St, Second Floor, 624-2645. Through Jan 1.
PATRICIA RIDENOUR/ERIN SPENCER/
CHRISTINE BURGOYNE
Sexuality, self-portraiture, and masks -- a dark, introspective show of photographs by three local artists. Benham Photography, 1216 First Ave, 622-2480. Through Jan 15.
ANISA ROMERO/ELIZABETH SCHULA/BRYAN YECK
Three local artists show new work with floral motifs. Zeitgeist Art & Coffee, 161 S Jackson, 583-0497. Through Jan 4.
STOP TIME
Dale Flattum -- appropriately for the end of the year, century, and millennium -- is obsessed with time; his recent work addresses this theme in comic-style art. The Pound Gallery, 1216 10th Ave, 323-0557. Through Dec 26.
MERRILY TOMPKINS/GLENN RUDOLPH
Tompkins really knows how to mix her media; her sculptures might combine an intricately painted landscape and pistachio nut shells. The show's centerpiece is Twice Shy, a man constructed entirely of matchsticks, and then lit. Rudolph's large-scale photographs feel like wildlife photography -- people caught in their natural environment. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through Dec 31.
*UNTIL 2000: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BEATKIT™
There will be an apocalypse of sorts at the end of this year: Artist Shawn Wolfe will cease to use his trademark Beatkit. This campaign to sell nothing under its own brand name has been seen on paintings, posters, drawings, and on "Panic Now" stickers all over the city. Even without his clever non-marketing strategy, Wolfe's work is bright and alluring and smart. Beatkit™, ultimately, is beautifully unnecessary. Houston, 907 E Pike St, 860-7820. Through Jan 12.
KATRINA WHITNEY
A 10-year retrospective featuring photographs, collage, paintings, and constructions. Habitude, 5350 Ballard Ave NW. Through Dec 30.
EVENTS
Ag47 JEWELRY SALE
Everyone in the know wears artist Victoria Haven's silver and stone jewelry; if you don't, come see what the fuss is all about. Bring your checkbook. Dec 11, 1-5 pm. Northwest Industrial Building, 3131 Western Ave, Suite 326.
